Moving Your Photos, Documents and Browser Data From Windows to Linux

A migration copy and a backup are not the same thing.

The backup is your safety copy.

The migrated files are the new working copies you place on Linux.

Keep the backup intact until the Linux system has been used long enough to prove that nothing important is missing.

Start from the verified backup

Before transferring anything, confirm that the backup contains the expected files.

Check:

• Documents;
• Desktop;
• Pictures;
• Videos;
• Downloads;
• project folders stored elsewhere;
• application-specific data you intentionally saved.

Do not start by deleting or repurposing the Windows disk.

Copy normal files into sensible Linux folders

Documents, images, PDFs, music and ordinary cross-platform files can be copied from an external drive, network share or cloud storage.

Place them into the Linux home directory structure that makes sense for your workflow.

Do not assume that because a file copied successfully, the application you plan to use can open it correctly.

Open representative examples as you go.

Watch for cloud-only OneDrive files

A OneDrive folder can show files that are represented locally but stored only in the cloud.

Before removing Windows, confirm that important files really exist outside the old installation.

If the external migration copy was created from files that had not actually downloaded, you may end up with less data than File Explorer appeared to show.

The safe sequence is:

1. confirm access to the cloud account;
2. download any files needed for the migration copy;
3. copy them;
4. open them from the destination.

Chrome data can follow your Google Account

Current Chrome supports saving browser information to a Google Account.

Depending on your settings, that can include:

• bookmarks;
• passwords;
• extensions;
• settings;
• tabs and history.

On Linux, install Chrome, sign in with the same account and verify that the expected data appears.

If browser data is critical, do not rely on memory alone. Confirm the sync state before Windows is removed.

Firefox has both Sync and backup options

Firefox Sync can transfer browser data through a Mozilla account.

Mozilla currently documents syncing items such as bookmarks, history, passwords, add-ons and open tabs.

Firefox also provides backup/export paths, including bookmark export and profile backup.

For important browser state, having both account sync and an independent export or backup can reduce migration risk.

Some application data will not transfer cleanly

A normal file copy does not automatically migrate:

• proprietary application databases;
• licensed software settings;
• local mail archives;
• hidden configuration;
• Windows registry settings;
• device drivers;
• Windows-only application state.

Those items need to be evaluated application by application.

Verify the working copy

After transfer, compare the new Linux system against the backup.

Check:

• folder structure;
• approximate file counts;
• recent photos;
• large files;
• office documents;
• browser bookmarks and passwords;
• any critical project data.

Open representative files in the Linux applications you intend to keep using.

Keep the backup after migration

Do not wipe the external backup the moment the Linux desktop looks complete.

The value of the backup is that it remains independent of the new system while you discover anything that was missed.

For the pre-migration inventory, see What to Back Up Before Moving a Windows Computer to Linux.

For software compatibility, see What Windows Software Should You Check Before Migrating to Linux?.