What are the main features and advantages of PC Mover 11?
Automated Migration – Transfers selected programs, files, settings, and profiles.
Application Transfer – Reduces manual reinstall work during PC upgrades.
User Profiles – Moves personal settings while preserving access details.
Transfer Flexibility – Supports network, cable, and file-based migration methods.
Selective Control – Lets users choose what should be moved.
Workflow Excellence – Keeps PC transitions organized for long-term productivity.
Download: PC Mover 11
Application transfer – Installed programs move over and run without reinstallation.
Full selectivity – Choose which apps, folders and profiles migrate.
Drive restore – Pulls data from old drives and disk images.
Undo function – Reverses a finished transfer on the new PC.
Core Capacity – Covers Windows 7 through 11, including domain users.
Important – Commercial use rights and Windows Server support are not included in this edition.
PC Mover 11 is Laplink's PC migration tool that copies applications, files, folders, settings and user profiles from an old Windows PC to a new one. It is the only migration software of its type that Microsoft recommends, and it reinstalls most programs on the destination PC in working condition rather than only copying data.
No manual reinstall – Saves hours of reinstalling programs and settings.
Old PC untouched – Nothing is changed or deleted on the source.
Flexible connections – Wi-Fi, network, Ethernet, USB or Thunderbolt cable.
Offline transfers – File-based migration works through external media.
Dead PC rescue – Recovers programs from a drive that no longer boots.
Free migration support – Laplink specialists assist by phone or chat.
PC Mover 11 moves selected applications, files, folders, Windows settings and complete user profiles, and most transferred programs are installed ready to use on the destination PC. That means you usually do not have to hunt down old installers, download links or serial numbers for software you have been using for years. File ownership and access-control information is preserved for each migrated user account. The migration also works when the two machines run different Windows versions, for example from a Windows 10 laptop to a new Windows 11 machine.
Yes. PC Mover 11 supports a transfer directly from an old hard drive or from a disk image, which is a function the Home edition does not have. In practice this means you can pull an unbootable machine's drive, connect it to the new PC and still recover installed applications and settings, not just documents. The same path is used for restoring an old PC image onto a newer operating system. This makes it useful in break-fix situations where a manual reinstall would otherwise be the only option.
Hardware drivers and security software such as antivirus and anti-spyware programs are deliberately not migrated, because they are tied to the old machine's hardware and operating system. Files protected by DRM, and applications whose licence is bound to a hardware fingerprint, may need to be deactivated on the old PC and reactivated on the new one. Laplink also states that PC Mover is not designed for migrations from a newer Windows version to an older one, and doing so can leave the target system unstable. Before a migration, check that your key applications are actually supported on the destination operating system, because PC Mover moves a program but does not make an old program compatible with a newer Windows release.
PC Mover 11 can transfer over a wired or Wi-Fi network, a Wi-Fi Direct connection, a Laplink Ethernet cable, a Laplink USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 cable, or a Laplink Thunderbolt cable, and it auto-detects the fastest available route. A SuperSpeed USB 3.0 cable moves data at up to 5 Gbps, which matters when the source drive holds several hundred gigabytes. If the two PCs cannot be connected at all, a file-based transfer to an external drive works as an alternative, with the transfer file restored later on the new machine. Laplink cables are sold separately and are not part of the download version.
The main differences sit in profile handling, domain support and the recovery scenarios. PCmover Express does not move applications at all; PCmover Home moves applications but only for the currently logged-on user and cannot transfer domain accounts; PCmover Professional 11 adds multiple-profile selectivity, domain users, file-based transfers and restores from images or old drives. PCmover Business is the edition intended for company deployments and can be run from a memory stick, attached drive or server share.
| Feature | Home | Professional 11 | Business |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transfers applications | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multiple user profiles | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Domain users | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Restore from image or old drive | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
| File-based transfer | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Deployment from share or stick | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
PC Mover 11 fits anyone replacing a Windows PC that has years of installed software on it and no complete set of installers or licence codes left. Home users with a single account and a workgroup PC can manage with the Home edition, but as soon as several Windows user accounts or a domain-joined machine are involved, only Professional handles them. Repair shops and technicians use the image and old-drive restore path to move a customer's working environment onto replacement hardware after a failure. For company-wide rollouts across many workstations, Laplink directs buyers to PCmover Business rather than this edition.
Check three things: the Windows versions on both machines, whether the source PC is domain-joined, and whether your critical applications are supported on the newer operating system. PC Mover 11 covers Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10 and 11, and Laplink supplies a separate build on request for older Windows releases. Apply pending Windows updates on the new PC before starting, since the transfer writes into a fully patched system more reliably. Plan for the transfer to run for several hours on large drives, and remember that the Undo function lets you roll the new PC back if the result is not what you wanted.
No. Laplink states that PC Mover is not designed for migrations from a newer operating system to an older one and advises against it, because the target system can become unstable. The supported direction is from the older PC or Windows version to the newer one.
Most applications arrive installed and ready to use, so old installers and codes are usually not required. Programs with DRM or a hardware-bound serial number are the exception and may need to be deactivated on the old PC and reactivated on the new one, which is worth doing before the old machine is wiped or sold.
No, a normal Wi-Fi or wired network connection between the two PCs is enough, and PC Mover selects the fastest detected connection automatically. Laplink Ethernet, USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt cables are optional accessories sold separately and are mainly useful when no usable network is available or when the data volume is very large.
No. Nothing is modified or removed on the source PC, and nothing existing on the destination PC is overwritten, so the old machine stays usable as a fallback until you are satisfied with the new one. If the result on the new PC is not right, the Undo function reverses the transfer so you can repeat it with different selections.
Yes. Laplink includes free Transfer Assistance with PC Mover, available around the clock by phone and chat, where a migration specialist helps with installation, connecting the two PCs and configuring the transfer. This is part of the product itself and is the fastest route when the two machines will not connect to each other.
| Operating Systems | Windows 11: Home / Pro / Education / Enterprise Windows 10: Home / Pro / Education / Enterprise Windows 8.1: Core / Pro / Enterprise Windows 8: Core / Pro / Enterprise Windows 7 SP1: Starter / Home Basic / Home Premium / Professional / Ultimate / Enterprise |
| Processor | Same as required by the operating system. |
| Memory RAM | Same as the minimum required by the operating system. |
| Hard Disk | 200 MB available hard disk space. |
| Display | Standard display compatible with the respective operating system. |
| Special Features | Transfers selected applications, files, folders, settings, and user profiles. Application selectivity. Folder selectivity. Multiple user profile selectivity. Domain user transfer. Undo function. File based transfer. Restore old PC image to a new operating system. Rescue hard drive contents from a non-working PC. Transfer across a network, Laplink USB cable, or Laplink Ethernet cable. Laplink AI Assistant for PCmover help and transfer plan customization. |
| Note | Internet connection required for software download and registration. PCmover 11 supports Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, and Windows 7 SP1 64-bit. For 32-bit operating systems, contact Laplink Customer Service for a special compatible version. The operating system on the new PC must be the same as or newer than the operating system on the old PC. All Windows Important Updates must be applied to the new PC before migration. Make sure to apply all appropriate Windows Updates including .NET before performing a migration. PCmover does not support full server restorations. Antivirus and anti-spyware programs are not moved to the new PC. Specific hardware drivers are not moved to the new PC. |