# Migrating to a New Computer **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 7, 2022, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/migrating-to-a-new-computer/969266 "2022-08-07T20:02:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2022, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/migrating-to-a-new-computer/969266/1 "2022-08-07T20:02:27Z")
Well, I got a new laptop. An expensive way to solve minor memory issues I suppose. I have moved all the files to the new machine. Word, Mail, and Brave (my browser) are up and running. Getting the Bluetooth mouse to link up is giving me fits. But how do I get all the little bookmarks for Brave over to the new machine? In much the same way, I would like to move my preferences for Word over too. Where do those things reside? ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2022, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/migrating-to-a-new-computer/969266/2 "2022-08-07T20:10:58Z")
I have gone to the old computer. I have opened Bookmark Manager. I have smashed Export Bookmarks. I have saved the to a USB. I have imported to the new computer. Then nothing much has happened. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2022, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/migrating-to-a-new-computer/969266/3 "2022-08-07T20:17:46Z")
I don’t know the first thing about Brave, but does it give you a way to ‘sign in’. In Firefox, and I think Chrome, you can sign into the browser. Then all you have to do is sign into it on your new computer and it drags all your settings, extensions, bookmarks etc. Even your history comes along with it. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2022, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/migrating-to-a-new-computer/969266/4 "2022-08-07T20:23:18Z")
Well, Brave seems to be using the same system as Chrome. (I am following the directions here: > **[Migrating Brave to a new PC](https://community.brave.com/t/migrating-brave-to-a-new-pc/41432)** > > Upgraded to a new pc from and to Windows 10 and none of the migration threads work any more. Brave works fine on my new PC after download but I cannot figure out how to migrate all of my bookmarks, payment wallet (rewards) or anything for that... I have managed to pair the two computers with Bluetooth and feel quite proud of myself. I figure that has got to help. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2022, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/migrating-to-a-new-computer/969266/5 "2022-08-07T20:37:47Z")
I am now retyping all my bookmarks like some sort of cave man. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Librarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_librarian/32/402_2.png) [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2022, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/migrating-to-a-new-computer/969266/6 "2022-08-07T21:17:21Z")
There must be some checkbox “sync browser” , “sync bookmarks”, “sync with other computer” or whatever someone decided to call it. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2022, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/migrating-to-a-new-computer/969266/7 "2022-08-08T00:55:50Z")
Yeah, Firefox certainly has a sync function and if you turn it on on both computers they sync. I would be surprised if other browsers don’t do this. ---
**Author:** ![Ziberian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/919ad9/32.png) [@Ziberian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ziberian)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2022, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/migrating-to-a-new-computer/969266/8 "2022-08-08T01:04:54Z")
Before all that typing, I would wander into Program Files, look for the Brave folder & then look at each file in that folder. Odds are bookmarks will be stored in a text file & sometimes you get lucky and they are stored in a file named “Bookmarks”. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2022, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/migrating-to-a-new-computer/969266/9 "2022-08-08T10:25:22Z")
> [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](#): > > I have moved all the files to the new machine I used to do that when I got a new computer, but now I recommend saving everything on the Cloud. It saves you having to backup your files and also allows access from other computers. I have found Dropbox very satisfactory. (I have no connection with the company.) [Store, Share, Collaborate and More with Dropbox](https://www.dropbox.com/official-site?_tk=paid_sem_bing_biz_b&_camp=382292131&_kw=dropbox%20app%7Ce&_ad=%7C%7Cc&msclkid=1441ceab0ee014e9b619ac5beaaf9752) ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2022, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/migrating-to-a-new-computer/969266/10 "2022-08-08T10:31:26Z")
Thank you all. I am now sort of up and running. I am starting my bookmarks from a blank slate, and am viewing it as a feature rather than a bug. In the same way, I am going to reconstruct my Word toolbar to ensure I at least look at all the new features. Still, migrating is a more troublesome process than it ought to be. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2022, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/migrating-to-a-new-computer/969266/11 "2022-08-08T11:59:19Z")
> [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](#): > > Still, migrating is a more troublesome process than it ought to be. But it’s really not. Regarding migrating Brave. I google Migrating Brave Browser and this is the first thing to come up. > **[How do I import or export browsing data?](https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/articles/360019782291-How-do-I-import-or-export-browsing-data-)** > > There are two ways to import Bookmarks into Brave from a separate browser. Bookmarks can also be exported as an HTML file for use in separate browsers. > How do I import from another browser? > > Launch... As for other programs, I don’t know. I’m sure some have built in ways to move settings to another computer. Some probably have ways to do it but involve manually finding files and folders and moving them by hand. And, I’m sure for some programs it’s easier to just start over. But I find that as time goes on it’s generally easier to move to a new computer than it has been in the past. Personally, what I found to make the biggest difference was the introduction of the “My Documents” folder. Granted, at the beginning it was just an obnoxious folder that was difficult to get rid of. In fact, I’d be willing to bet if you look back far enough on this board, I probably complained about it in it’s early days. IIRC, I was annoyed how some programs would use it as the default place to save [user created] files in. If I didn’t want my document in c:\Windows\microsoft\office\word\files, I’d put them somewhere else. However, over time as more and more programs defaulted to saving new files there I found it more and more helpful. Nowadays, I keep _everything_ I’d ever want to move to a new computer in that folder. It makes everything easier to find, but more importantly, when I have to migrate to a new computer, I grab that folder and it has pretty much everything. Also, on all my computers that folder is synced to my Google Drive in real time _and_ it’s back up to an onsite NAS, which itself is backed up to an offsite cloud. In fact, just a few weeks ago a hinge on my laptop snapped. From the time it broke to the time I was back up and running like nothing happened (other than now having Win11), was probably 3 hours and half of that time was spent driving to Best Buy and back. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a PITA, but it’s not that hard. Something you might want to look into, if you have a good/stable internet connection is a ChromeBook. Migrating, for all intents and purposes, isn’t even a thing. You can use one for years, then buy a new one, sign in and everything is already there. You can pick up someone else’s, sign in and it’ll be like working on your own computer. Since all your files and settings and personalizations are stored in the cloud, they follow you around to whatever device you sign on to. Disclaimer, I believe that’s mostly correct, but my knowledge is limited to my daughter having one for school. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2022, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/migrating-to-a-new-computer/969266/12 "2022-08-08T13:59:19Z")
I suspect it is just one of those things most of us only do a few times. In any case, I am up and running. Amazon, my bank, email and the important stuff are up. I will just rebuild my bookmarks organically and if I end up with new ones, so what? My final step was going to the recruiting office and getting a new Army sticker for the back. ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2022, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/migrating-to-a-new-computer/969266/13 "2022-08-08T18:09:03Z")
If you are going to type them - why not open each bookmarked page on the old computer, copy the address from the address bar (I assume Brave has that) and paste them into an email to yourself. Then from the email on the new PC, open each and “add to bookmarks”. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2022, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/migrating-to-a-new-computer/969266/14 "2022-08-08T18:54:04Z")
OH, a lot of those old links are simply not important. I never got around to deleting them. Now I have a brave new beginning. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2022, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/migrating-to-a-new-computer/969266/15 "2022-08-08T18:58:18Z")
> [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](#): > > OH, a lot of those old links are simply not important. It was literally the point of the thread. > [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](#): > > But how do I get all the little bookmarks for Brave over to the new machine? > [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](#): > > I have gone to the old computer. I have opened Bookmark Manager. I have smashed Export Bookmarks. I have saved the to a USB. I have imported to the new computer. > > Then nothing much has happened. > [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](#): > > I am now retyping all my bookmarks like some sort of cave man. > [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](#): > > I am starting my bookmarks from a blank slate > > Still, migrating is a more troublesome process than it ought to be. > [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](#): > > I will just rebuild my bookmarks ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2022, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/migrating-to-a-new-computer/969266/16 "2022-08-08T19:04:48Z")
Yes, I have decided to just rebuild my bookmarks. I decided this after I started the thread. I looked at the bookmarks and decided I would enjoy a new fresh start.