Buying a new device is a process that takes quite a bit of thought as there are several time-consuming processes involved with it, especially the question of data transfer, should you transfer all the data or only some parts?
Data transfer can have many facets, some types might be faster than others and some altogether old fashioned. What to pick in such a situation is going to be up to your specific requirements and how much time you have to perform such a task.
From the transfer of millions of billions of bytes to just a few million, different means can perform quite differently. From transferring information between devices or simply transferring data from an old PC to a new PC, there are several different techniques.
With the gifting season at an end, you must have either received or bought new devices. Now the question of how to move data arises, we have a short guide to help you with this:
What device or medium will be best for me?
A simple list would be:
If you have to transfer data fast – wired media.
If you have to transfer to multiple devices – Cloud transfer.
If you want to transfer between different devices or on the go – Wireless or software.
On top of this keep these in mind regarding transfer:
If you require high confidentiality – Local transfer.
If you require transfer over long distances – Internet transfer.
Here are a few ways to transfer your data:
- Transfer over system software:
Transferring information through applications specifically made by the respective OS, like the case of OneDrive for Windows or Androids transfer service, you can be ensured of a safe transfer. However, this will be done through the internet and can be quite slow and may, in rare cases, lead to data breaches.
This, however, comes at a cost, as One drive will cost you for any amount of data greater than 5GB. It costs around $7 per month to maintain 1 TB of files on the application.
- Transferring through an external device:
Transferring data through a device like a hard drive is an alternative to using system software and will ensure your privacy. It also ensures that you will have a backup on the hard drive. The downside to this, however, is that you will have to do the transfer process twice, once from the old PC and once to the new one.
This tends to make the process quite cumbersome even after the massive speeds provided by the hard drive. It also has the demerit of being restricted to the size of the hard drive, thus, restricting data amount.
- Transfer cables to transfer data:
Sometimes people use transfer cables to transfer data. This process will be quite painless on most operating systems, but some might need an external application or programming knowledge.
This is, by far, the fastest way of data transfer and can reliably transport data over short distances fast and reliably, the newer versions like SATA have speeds like no other. This also has no limit on data size, thus making it the best method of transfer between static devices.
- Using external software to transfer data:
There exist several applications, both over mobile phones and PC that are meant to transfer data between devices. They can perform cross-platform and are quite simple to move from place to place.
However, these software can lead to data compromise, and thus be quite the detriment if you are transferring confidential data.
- Transferring over networks wirelessly:
There are two broad ways to do this, you could either choose to transfer over Bluetooth or over a network.
Transferring over Bluetooth has become quite redundant lately and is rarely used. However, you might use networks to transfer over either a homegroup set up on your device. This can be done by most modern systems nearly instantaneously. Or you may choose to transfer over your local network or LAN.
These are far safer means than external software, however, they lack speed.
When it comes to data transfer, whether you choose to use applications or physical mediums or implements, always remember to keep your data safety and the transfer reliability in mind.
Nobody wants their data compromised.
