Dell sets up a new Migrate service to help users set their new PC up just like the last one

[Redaktion]

Migrate is a new addition to Dell's SupportAssist consumer services portfolio. It allows a user to transfer their files and settings from an old PC to a new. This is not really anything new; however, the OEM claims that it is more effective in finding and applying data that makes a machine one's own.

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Dell-sets-up-a-new-Migrate-service-to-help-users-set-their-new-PC-up-just-like-the-last-one.464403.0.html

[Jpeckster]

Added migrate to latest dell purchase. Did not work. Dell tech tried and also failed to get data moved from old dell to new.
Tried calling support to get refund of $39. After 3 days, countless time on hold and twenty one answers on not my department I'll transfer you I gave up and disputed transaction on VISA.

[sHARON NICHOLS]

 This should be free on all Dell computers. One can't even see what it costs until you get into the purchase process.  YUck

[Ela]

Have tried for 3 days to get Dell Migrate to work on my new computer.  Been on hold with tech support for hours.  Terrible service.  Support knows nothing. Waste of money.

[Kravdave]

I purchased a new 3880 desktop PC just this week from Dell.com and bundled Migrate Software.

When the computer arrived there was NO documentation on how to run Migrate. I tried CHAT three different times and they didn't know what they were doing. They told me to call the 800-624-9896 support number. I called at 1:40PM Eastern time on a Friday. The automated answering asked me for a 7 digit extension. I had no idea what extension. After a series of false starts I asked for an agent. The response was I was calling out of normal working hours and hung up on me. Hours later I somehow got to talk to a real person on Premium Support. After giving him my Service Tag, he said he couldn't help and transferred me to Basic Support and I got a very helpful sounding guy in Manila. We spent 3 hours on a cell call during which time he was on both my new and old computers trying to get Migrate to work. He didn't.

So here is where I find myself a day later. He told me to run the Dell Data Assistant on my old Windows 10 computer and I did so over night. It has a screen that says "Give us a moment while we get things ready for you." Version 1.1. I have three seemingly happy dots bouncing up and down on my screen but no results. Meanwhile on my new 3880 computer I am running Migrate and the screen says "We're having trouble finding your old PC". It has been looking for hours and hours.

I am running in Admin Mode on both computers. I found IP addresses of both computers (They are only separated by about two feet) using Ipconfig and was able to ping each computer from the other. They are both on the same LAN plugged into the same router switch. I also disconnected them from switch and used Wi-Fi and that didn't work either.

The support tech said it must be that my old Dell computer, which is seven years old, didn't support Windows 10 that it was running. The Migrate documentation on line says that the old computer must be running Windows 8 or newer.

Someone at DELL must know how to make this work. Are you out there Mike Dell?

[Ela Beck]

Be aware of the fact that the software is programmed to migrate ONLY to the C-drive of your new Dell computer.  There is NO WAY to change the destination to the much larger D-drive (data drive).  Therefore, if you have a large number of large folders and files to migrate from your old computer, it will crash the new computer.  Save yourself hours of frustration and do not purchase this program if you are trying to migrate a large amount of data.

An easier option is to connect both computers to your router (or use the same wifi connection for both computers) and using the networking option on your new computer (open File Explorer and scroll down to Network - you should see your other computer there) and just copy all the folders at one time from the old computer to the new one.

[Larry W]

I recently use the Dell Migrate feature to transfer files from a 7-year old Acer PC to a new Dell Inspiron laptop.  I got it to work after numerous attempts to get the 2 PCs to see each other. Finally got them to connect after switching them to the other WiFi band. Transfer speed was extremely slow, and after it was done the process removed the file attributes including file date modified, date created, etc.  So I ended up having to re-transfer all of the files manually using a portable USB hard drive.  Very disappointed in their Migrate feature.

[Jenny]

Horrible, horrible product. It is advertised as bringing over all your files and folders and all it did was bring over my folders of data. It didn't bring over email or email settings, none of my software preference files, most of my software. Plus, it put all my files onto the C drive, which should have gone onto the D drive. Such a waste of money.