The lazy way to move your stuff to a new PC.
LazyTransfer is a portable Windows tool that scans your old computer for installed programs and user files, then reinstalls everything on a new machine with one click. No cloud accounts, no subscriptions — just drop it on a USB drive and go.
- Scan — Reads installed programs from the Windows registry. Automatically filters out noise (Visual C++ redistributables, .NET runtimes, WebView2, Windows SDK, etc.)
- Export — Saves your program list as a portable JSON bundle file
- Install — Imports a bundle on the new PC and batch-installs programs using winget (preferred) or Chocolatey as fallback
- Smart Matching — Maps scanned program names to package manager IDs via fuzzy search and a built-in static map
- 10 App Categories — Toggle entire categories on/off: Browsers, Dev Tools, Media, Communication, Gaming, Productivity, Utilities, Security, Runtimes, Other
- 6 User Folders — Documents, Downloads, Pictures, Videos, Music, Desktop
- Browser Bookmarks — Chrome, Firefox, and Edge (raw file copy)
- Two Modes — ZIP archive for storage, or direct copy via robocopy (multithreaded)
- Progress Tracking — Async folder size calculation, real-time progress bar with ETA
- Migration Manifest — JSON audit trail of everything that was copied
- HTTP Server Mode — Start a web server on your old PC and download everything as a ZIP from the new PC's browser
- Direct TCP Mode — Binary protocol for fast LAN transfers with progress tracking
- Shared Folder Mode — Copy to/from UNC network shares via robocopy
- Auto Firewall — Temporary firewall rules added and removed automatically
- LAN IP Detection — Automatically finds your local network IP address
- Auto-Detect — Point at any bundle folder and LazyTransfer identifies programs, files, system settings, and bookmarks
- Selective Restore — Pick exactly which folders, programs, system settings, and browsers to restore
- Bookmark Import — Restore Chrome, Firefox, and Edge bookmarks with automatic backup of existing ones
- Phased Restore — System settings first, then programs (needs network), then files (needs browsers)
- Error Resilient — Continues if one phase fails, reports everything at the end
- Dark Theme — Easy on the eyes, dark WinForms UI throughout
- USB Portable — Settings saved as
settings.jsonnext to the script, travels with the drive - Window Position Memory — Remembers where you left the window
- Real-Time Log — Scrollable log panel at the bottom of every page
- Status Bar — Current operation displayed at a glance
- Admin Elevation — Batch launcher requests admin rights automatically
- CLI Mode — Full headless CLI for scripting and automation
- Windows 10 or 11
- PowerShell 5.1+ (built into Windows)
- Administrator privileges (for program installation)
- winget or Chocolatey (LazyTransfer will prompt to install winget if missing)
- Copy the
LazyTransferfolder to a USB drive (or anywhere you like) - On the old PC: double-click
Start_LazyTransfer.bat→ go to Scan → scan and export your program list - On the new PC: double-click
Start_LazyTransfer.bat→ go to Install → load your bundle → select programs → install - For files: go to the Files tab → pick folders and bookmarks → choose ZIP or direct copy → migrate
- For LAN transfer: go to Transfer → start HTTP server on old PC → download from new PC
- For full restore: go to Restore → point at bundle folder → detect → select what to restore → go
That's it. No setup, no installer, no account.
LazyTransfer/
LazyTransfer-GUI.ps1 # Main application with GUI
LazyTransfer-CLI.ps1 # Headless CLI interface
Start_LazyTransfer.bat # Launcher with admin elevation
settings.json # Created on first run (portable)
README.md # You're here
modules/
NetworkEngine.ps1 # Remote transfer module (HTTP, TCP, shared)
build/
Build-Exe.ps1 # EXE packaging pipeline
profiles/
developer.json # Developer migration preset
gamer.json # Gamer migration preset
office.json # Office migration preset
everything.json # Full migration preset
# Scan programs on this PC
.\LazyTransfer-CLI.ps1 -Action scan -ClientName "MyPC" -OutputFolder "D:\Backup"
# Install programs from a bundle
.\LazyTransfer-CLI.ps1 -Action install -BundlePath "D:\Backup\MyPC\programs.json"
# Migrate user files
.\LazyTransfer-CLI.ps1 -Action files -OutputFolder "D:\Backup" -Folders Documents,Pictures -Mode zip
# Start HTTP transfer server
.\LazyTransfer-CLI.ps1 -Action serve -OutputFolder "D:\Backup\MyPC" -Port 8642
# Download from transfer server
.\LazyTransfer-CLI.ps1 -Action receive -RemoteIP 192.168.1.100 -OutputFolder "D:\Received"
# Full restore from bundle
.\LazyTransfer-CLI.ps1 -Action restore -BundlePath "D:\Backup\MyPC"
# Restore, skip programs
.\LazyTransfer-CLI.ps1 -Action restore -BundlePath "D:\Backup\MyPC" -SkipPrograms
# Show system info
.\LazyTransfer-CLI.ps1 -Action infoLazyTransfer reads from three registry locations:
HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\*HKLM:\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\*HKCU:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\*
Programs without a display name or matching the noise filter are excluded. Results are categorized automatically based on name pattern matching.
For each selected program, LazyTransfer:
- Checks if it's already installed
- Searches winget for a matching package
- Falls back to Chocolatey if winget can't find it
- Runs a silent install with progress reporting
- Logs success or failure for each program
User folders are copied using robocopy /E /MT:4 (direct mode) or compressed to a timestamped ZIP archive. Browser bookmarks are located by their known paths and copied as raw files — no browser extension needed.
Three modes for getting files from old PC to new PC over LAN:
- HTTP Server: Starts a lightweight web server — open the URL in any browser to download a ZIP of all files
- Direct TCP: Binary protocol that streams files directly with 64KB chunks for maximum speed
- Shared Folder: Uses robocopy to copy to/from Windows network shares (UNC paths)
Point LazyTransfer at any bundle folder and it auto-detects what's inside:
programs.json→ program list for installation- User folders (Documents, Pictures, etc.) → file restore via robocopy merge
Bookmarks/→ browser bookmark restore with.bakbackupSystemMigration/→ system settings restore
Restore runs in phases: system settings → programs → files + bookmarks.
- Windows only (PowerShell + WinForms)
- Programs install from public package repositories — custom/enterprise software won't be found
- Bookmarks are raw file copies; the target browser must be installed first
- HTTP transfer server requires admin for the firewall rule
- TCP transfer is unencrypted (designed for trusted LANs)
| Version | Feature | Status |
|---|---|---|
| v1.0 | Program scan, install, files migration, dark theme | Done |
| v2.4 | Remote transfer (HTTP, TCP, shared folder) | Done |
| v2.5 | Restore bundle (auto-detect, selective restore) | Done |
| v2.6 | System settings migration (WiFi, SSH, git, env vars) | Next |
| v2.7 | Migration profiles + settings page | Planned |
| v2.8 | EXE packaging + auto-updater | Planned |
MIT
Built by Kidomigon with Claude Code.