Windows 10: How do I back up and move all applications and files from older Windows 10 laptop to new...

My main laptop running Windows 10 has been failing, so I purchased a new laptop also running Windows 10. I am not very technical, but can usually work through standard processes.I used the "Backup and Restore" function, connecting my main laptop to an external drive. Afterwards, on the new laptop, I used the "restore" process... but it did not transfer all of my applications and files. So I manually copied my files to my external drive, and placed them in the appropriate folders on the new laptop. I ended up having to reinstall a number of the applications. Also, my subfolders in my Outloo

:)

 

Windows 10 Tweaks

Pressing “Windows+Pause Break” (it’s up there next to scroll lock) opens the “System” Window.

Windows 10: In the new version of Windows, Explorer has a section called Quick Access. This includes your frequent folders and recent files. Explorer defaults to opening this page when you open a new window. If you’d rather open the usual This PC, with links to your drives and library folders, follow these steps:

• Open a new Explorer window.
• Click View in the ribbon.
• Click Options.
• Under General, next to “Open File Explorer to:” choose “This PC.”
• Click OK

credit to Lifehacker.

 

New laptop and older external hard drive

The laptop doesn't easily "see" the drive.. when I am in Devices and Printers... the icon for the ext HD will appear for just a few seconds.. if I rightclick on it quickly, it'll show the popup for hardware but doesn't have the info for it... does correctly
refer to it as "USB 2.0 CD + HDD".

I tried your list of steps, but , the HD does NOT ever show in the Disk Management list.

I do have an older Dell that I need to see if it will recognize the HD. I'll try that next.

THANKS for taking the time to list those steps...

 

Installing Windows 10 on New PC?

I'm going to be building a new PC on Christmas and want to install Windows 10 on it. I have Windows 10 on my current PC, which I installed upgrading from 8.1 with the files on a USB. How do I go about installing a clean copy of Windows 10 on this new PC? I think I recall something about installing it once makes Microsoft recognize your hardware, but since this will be a PC I'm not sure what steps I need to take. Do I need to go 8.1 -> 10 or is there a method of going directly to 10?