PC migration is the process of transferring the entire user environment (e.g. personal documents and settings) between two computer systems.[1] The migration problem is often associated with the concept of Total Cost of Ownership where the requirement to migrate information is considered a "cost" in purchasing a new PC, similar considerations exist for businesses upgrading hardware/software.[2][3]
PC migration is required whenever the needs to move to a new computer (i.e. purchasing new hardware), or upgrade to a new OS. Because of intrinsic differences and strong OS-hardware coupling, PC migration is considered to be a problem for both consumers and enterprises.[4][5]