it's possible to transfer things pretty quickly between two computers using shared folders and an Ethernet cable connection (as in, plug one end of the Ethernet into computer A, the other end into computer B). Most programs store settings locally, so as long as you can find those and move them along with their executables, you should be able to recover your settings as long as the program is windows 10 compatible
This is a rushed and not great explanation, but it's 100% free and something your computers can already do safely 😅 I can dig up better info/instructions if you'd like, but it's definitely worth looking into
Thanks for the info, it's much appreciated!
Thanks also to @annmcn, to @silavut, to @smallsoapdish, to @hyratel and to @heymerle for comments and opinions, and to @annmcn and @ms-demeanor for feedback about LapLink PCMover.
Finally, thanks to @crane-among-celandines for pointing out something I should have realised, that migrating from old to new may well also migrate all the below-the-radar junk and cruft that moving away usually leaves behind!
I’ve concluded that the risk of clogging my new machine with invisible rubbish outweighs any convenience provided by automated migration, so I’ll test-install my “old favourites” one by one from a thumb-drive to see if they’ll work, get the latest downloads of everything else, make sure the new machine is working at best speed and THEN do the cosmetic stuff of themes, profiles etc.
It's more time-consuming than direct migration, but it’ll also teach me the quirks of the new operating system. I’ve already found out how to move storage defaults from one drive to another and create one-click Shutdown and Restart desktop buttons, and there’s plenty more to learn.
Including how pushy Microsoft can be. I opened MS Edge to get Firefox, and got this:
And when I scrolled down further, I got this:
Needless to say, Firefox is installed (and my FF proflle flawlessly transferred from the old machine, another thing I’ve learned to do!) and I’m now studying this because MS Edge has really stroked me the wrong way...
Meanwhile, as often happens, the old machine seems to be working better than it’s done for months, though at the same time I saw a notification that Win 8.1 stops being supported in January. Clearly I’m doing the right thing at the right time.
Thanks again to all who helped!
