

Read more: 6 things you should know about backing up your PC Set up your Windows 10 machine: The first things you need to do Allotting a few hours for the task is the safest bet. Setting up a Windows 10 machine should take you under an hour, though it could be longer depending on how fast you move and what you're customizing. Hopefully you have a lot of that material in a cloud drive already, which is even easier. If you saved any files from your previous PC or laptop to a backup drive like a USB drive or external hard drive, you'll want to have that handy too. That may sound counterintuitive, but having your passwords on a single physical notebook or piece of paper keeps them locked down to a single source you can monitor the location and security of, so it's not as archaic as it sounds. If you do use a piece of paper, make sure you keep it locked up after you're done, so no one else can access your account. Make sure you have a piece of paper or, better yet, a password manager handy, so you can write all of your new usernames and passwords down (trust us, it's easier than trying to remember).

You'll need the device's charger, and a Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection. There will be instructions in the box if you need them. To set up a new personal Windows PC or laptop, carefully unpack it from its box, and connect your external keyboard and mouse if you have them.
