UserNest vs Windows Backup and OneDrive

• Windows Backup: an app built into Windows 10 and 11. It syncs Desktop, Documents, Pictures, Videos and Music to OneDrive, and saves your app list and part of your settings to your Microsoft account. Restoring happens while you set up a Windows 11 PC.
• OneDrive on its own: cloud folder sync, available from any PC signed in to the same account. A free Microsoft account includes 5 GB of storage.
• Manual copy: you copy your folders to an external drive or USB stick yourself, then copy them back onto the new PC.
• UserNest: an app for Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit) that backs up the user profile (folders, browsers, classic Outlook, Thunderbird, printers…) to a folder of your choice, then restores it. There is no direct PC-to-PC transfer: the backup goes through an external drive, a USB stick or another folder.

• Free and already there: nothing to buy or install.
• Wi-Fi and Windows passwords: Wi-Fi networks and credentials saved in Windows follow your Microsoft account, which UserNest does not do.
• Windows settings: theme, colors, Start layout, accessibility, language and dictionary.
• Restore during setup: sign in with the same account while setting up the new PC and your settings and app pins come back, then your files through OneDrive.
• Microsoft Store apps: they reinstall from their pin; for other apps, Windows points you to the download website.

Limits: you need a personal Microsoft account, folders go through OneDrive (5 GB free), restoring happens while setting up a Windows 11 PC, and app settings are not restored. For Edge, Microsoft points to the browser's own sync. For Outlook, Microsoft warns that a large PST file can slow down OneDrive sync. Businesses have a managed variant for Microsoft Entra joined PCs, limited to Windows settings and the list of Microsoft Store apps.

• No account, no cloud: the backup stays on the drive you choose, with no online storage to buy. Several profiles can sit on the same drive, each in its own user@PC folder.
• Full browsers: the Chrome, Edge and Brave data folder (bookmarks, history, extensions, settings, profiles) and the Firefox profile, not just bookmarks.
• Classic Outlook: PST files, Outlook profiles, signatures and AutoComplete. On restore, the profile is reimported and its PST and OST paths are updated automatically.
• Thunderbird and Sticky Notes: the full Thunderbird folder, profiles included, and your Sticky Notes.
• Printers: network printers reconnected and default printer restored; drivers and local queues carried over through the Windows PrintBrm tool, with administrator rights.
• Work and domain accounts: no personal Microsoft account is needed.
• Every profile on the PC: with administrator rights, the All profiles option handles each account on the machine.
• Control: the Analyze button estimates the size before copying, and the final report links to a detailed log.

Limits: UserNest does not transfer installed apps or their licenses, Wi-Fi networks, or most Windows settings (only the desktop wallpaper is carried over). Chrome, Edge and Brave encrypt passwords for the original Windows account, so they stay unreadable on the new PC. Sync them with the browser account or export them before migrating; for Firefox, check after restoring or use Firefox Sync. The new Outlook (Outlook for Windows) is not covered, as its data lives in the cloud.

• Personal Microsoft account, mostly documents and photos, synced Edge: Windows Backup is enough, and free.
• A few folders to move, nothing else: a manual copy to an external drive does the job. For bookmarks, see Back up Chrome, Edge and Firefox bookmarks.
• Local, work or domain account: Windows Backup requires a personal Microsoft account; UserNest backs up the profile without any online account.
• Classic Outlook with PST files, Thunderbird, network printers or several browsers: UserNest covers these items, which Windows tools leave aside.
• More than 5 GB of files without a OneDrive subscription: manual copy or UserNest, to an external drive.
• Technician, service provider or IT department: the UserNest Pro edition runs from a USB stick without installation, with per-computer or unlimited licenses valid for 12 months.
• Software to move along with its settings: none of these methods does that; see the UserNest vs PCmover comparison.

The two tools are not mutually exclusive. With a personal Microsoft account, each one covers what the other leaves out: Windows Backup for Wi-Fi, settings and the app list, UserNest for browsers, Outlook, Thunderbird and printers.

1. Sync your browser passwords with their accounts, or export them.
2. On the old PC, open Windows Backup (search for it from the Start menu) and back up your settings.
3. Then back up the profile with UserNest to an external drive.
4. On the new Windows 11 PC, sign in with the same Microsoft account during setup and accept the restore you are offered.
5. Reinstall your software, then restore the UserNest backup from the drive.

If your Documents folder already syncs with OneDrive, there is no need to copy it twice: untick it in UserNest and keep the drive for everything else. The Consumer edition is available from the Download page.