Switching to a new computer: When and how should you do this?

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I don’t write that much about technology topics; I actually like technology, but in a utilitarian way (What can this technology do for me??) rather than for its own sake. However, I recently had to/needed to purchase a new primary work computer, plus everything that goes along with that (selecting the computer, moving everything over), so I thought that my experience might help you in your own IT struggles! 

Step one: When? 

My old computer was still working well, but I bumped up against a few issues:

• It runs Windows 10, which will only be supported until October 14, 2025
• My last (and, thankfully, only) massive computer failure resulted from upgrading the operating system myself, so I didn’t want to repeat that experience
• The 250GB hard drive was nearing capacity
• I bought that computer in 2020; I’m a fan of the Lenovo ThinkPad, and they’re known for their physical durability (shoutout to my old-old ThinkPad that survived me falling on top of it on a sheet of ice!) but four and a half years is pretty old for a laptop and I don’t like to push my main work computer until it dies.

Step two: What? 

Deciding what to buy can be a major source of stress, but I was pretty set on another ThinkPad. I’ve used ThinkPads for my entire freelance career, and I’ve never had a significant hardware failure. I also prefer to use the integrated keyboard and I like the ThinkPad keyboard a lot. I don’t run “heavy” video or graphics applications. If you do, you might want to consider a gaming laptop. I ended up choosing a ThinkPad E16 with a 16 inch screen (the largest available), an AMD Ryzen processor, and a 500 GB hard drive. I ordered it from Best Buy, simply because they were having a sale, and with tax I paid around US $850 which I thought was reasonable. 

Here, it’s worth mentioning my other favorite piece of computer hardware: my Dell 14 portable monitor. This isn’t an affiliate deal (retail price is around US $290 and lots of brands make these types of monitors now), I just love this little guy so much that I can’t stop talking about it. When folded up, the monitor is about the same thickness as a laptop screen (about a quarter of an inch), and because it runs power and data through one USB-C cable, you can use it anywhere. Not only does it not require a separate electrical outlet, you can even use it while you’re running your laptop off the battery. 

Step three: How? 

I’ve blocked the details out of my mind, but the last time I got a new computer (in 2020), I used PCMover to move my files, and it was a major nightmare. Again, I can’t really remember what went wrong, but it fell into the category of Never Do This Again, so I didn’t. Instead, I did a few things that I think helped the process go much more smoothly: 

• Deleted a lot of unnecessary files before I made the switch. It’s amazing how much space you can take up with translation memories, multiple copies of large files (the 30 MB PowerPoint, of which the client sent you three versions), plus the usual space hogs, photos and videos. 
• Really thought through the applications that I did and didn’t want to move over, or run on the new computer. 
• On the new computer, deleted the pre-installed applications that I knew I didn’t want. For example I used Norton antivirus, so I deleted the McAfee installation that came with the computer. Ditto with OneDrive: I hate it for various reasons and I use Carbonite for backups, so I removed it as soon as I booted the new computer. 

Another reason this computer switch was easier: software subscriptions. I hate the monthly payments as much as you do, but/and it’s definitely easier to just sign out of Office 365 on one computer and sign into it on another one. 

Moving files

As mentioned above, I use Carbonite for backups, and I give Carbonite a 10/10 for portability, although you need to allow a lot of time for your files to download. Essentially, you sign into Carbonite on the new computer, tell it you’re setting up a new computer, and then it goes to work moving everything over. Even over a wired internet connection, it took about 30 hours to move all of my files, but the migration was totally seamless: everything in the right folders, exactly as they were on the old computer. 

New software that I like

I recently switched from Adobe PDF tools to iLovePDF, and while I actually don’t love PDFs, I’m happy with this software. I finally dumped Adobe when they started charging to rotate PDFs (really??); the premium subscription to iLove is $60 a year, and I find its OCR capabilities similar to Adobe Convert. 

I also recently purchased Scrivener for working on book manuscripts. It’s also $60, and although I’ve done fine writing books in Word, Scrivener really does have some awesome features: letting you flag chapters as not started, started, finished, setting daily or weekly progress goals, allowing you to add notes and research, etc. I like it! 

Not exactly software, but a procedure: I used this computer migration as a motivator to set up two-factor authentication on all of my password-protected accounts. I recently talked to two freelancers whose primary work e-mails were hacked, and it’s definitely true that web-based e-mail providers are not super-proactive about getting you to set up two-factor (as opposed to my bank, where I had to enter my password, a code they texted to my phone, and then my debit card PIN in order to send a money transfer!). Set this up now if you haven’t already!! 

The new computer is happily up and running, the hard drive is only 1/3 full, and the migration was fairly painless! Hopefully these tips are helpful if a new computer is in your future!

Corinne McKay (classes@trainingfortranslators.com) is the founder of Training for Translators, and has been a full-time freelancer since 2002. An ATA-certified French to English translator and Colorado court-certified interpreter, she also holds a Master of Conference Interpreting from Glendon College. For more tips and insights, join the Training for Translators mailing list!