# Laplink PCmover Express

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Transfer selected files, settings and user profiles to a new Windows PC without moving installed applications.

## Move files, settings and user profiles to a new PC

Laplink PCmover Express transfers selected files, settings and user profiles between Windows computers. It does not transfer installed applications, so plan to install the programs you need separately on the destination.

Begin with the material you want available on the new computer: documents, pictures, music and other working folders. Decide which settings and profiles should accompany those files before starting the transfer wizard.

## Choose what to transfer and where it belongs

The transfer summary lets you review file categories and user accounts. Advanced selections provide controls for drives, folders and file types, helping you exclude material that does not belong in the new setup.

Check the intended destination for each account and review folders that contain shared or personal material. Keep a short list of important files to open after migration so that checking the result is based on real work rather than only a completion message.

## Connect the computers or use a transfer file

The documented connection methods include a Wi-Fi or wired network and supported Laplink transfer cables. The Express user guide also describes a file-based workflow that saves transfer data to storage for loading on the destination.

Choose the method available in your installed release and follow that workflow from start to finish. Keep the source and destination roles clear, and preserve any transfer file until the imported data has been checked on the new PC.

## Install applications separately and check their data

Moving a document or a profile does not install the application used to open it. Express is a data-and-settings migration tool, so the destination still needs the appropriate programs and access to the accounts used with them.

After installing essential software, open representative documents and check application-specific data such as local archives. Keep sign-in and activation information available, and do not assume that copying a protected media file automatically transfers the right to play it.

## Compare Express with Home by the transfer scope

Express focuses on files, settings and profiles. [PCmover Home](https://find-your-software.com/laplink/pcmover-home/) adds selected application transfer, with its own limits on users and drives. These editions should not be treated as interchangeable simply because they share the PCmover name.

Choose around the complete migration you need. If moving installed software is essential, review an edition that supports it before beginning; if you want a fresh application setup, Express provides a way to bring selected data and settings across.

## Keep the source and a recovery copy until verification is complete

Check the files and profiles on the destination before retiring the old computer. A migration is a change to a working setup, not an ongoing backup or a complete image of the source system.

For recovery copies, explore [Laplink DiskImage](https://find-your-software.com/laplink/diskimage/) and our [file-backup guide](https://find-your-software.com/solutions/how-to-backup-files.html). The [Laplink software catalog](https://find-your-software.com/laplink/) provides related products already on this site.

## Compare migration with repeated file synchronization

Read our [Laplink Sync vs PCmover Express comparison](https://find-your-software.com/solutions/laplink-sync-vs-pcmover-express.html) to choose between ongoing folder exchange and moving selected files, settings and profiles to another PC. For the folder-pair workflow itself, see [Laplink Sync](https://find-your-software.com/laplink/sync/).

Explore [PC migration software](https://find-your-software.com/products/disk-cloning.html) for related catalog tools and workflows.

## Laplink PCmover Express FAQ

### What does Laplink PCmover Express transfer?

It transfers selected files, settings and user profiles between Windows PCs. It does not transfer installed applications.

### Do I need to reinstall my programs?

Yes. Plan to install the applications you need separately on the destination. Transferring their documents does not install the software used to open them.

### Can I choose which files and profiles move?

Yes. Review the transfer summary and account selections, and use the available folder and file-type controls to exclude material you do not want to move.

### Which connection methods are documented?

The Express guide describes Wi-Fi or a wired network and supported Laplink transfer cables. Choose the connection offered by your installed release and follow its setup workflow.

### Can I use an external storage device for the transfer?

The Express user guide includes a file-based transfer workflow: create a Transfer File, store it on suitable media and load it on the destination. Check that option in your installed release.

### How does Express differ from PCmover Home?

Express transfers data, settings and profiles without installed applications. Home adds selected application transfer but has its own user and drive restrictions, so compare the complete scope before choosing.

### Does a transfer replace my backup?

No. Keep independent backup copies and retain the source until important files and profiles have been checked on the destination.