Am I worrying unnecessarily about getting a new laptop?

I wouldn’t be worried about it. Every tech problem you might have is covered on YouTube. Plus there will be a help site for whatever name you choose.

Buy and external hard drive before you change laptops and download every file you have on your present laptop to the external drive.

Keep this as a back-up until you have transferred everything from your old laptop to your new one. This way nothing is irretriviably lost if anything goes wrong.

Is there an independent computer shop that you could pay to do the changeover for you? We are fortunate enough to have one near here. Good luck.x

It's ages since I've used Windows, so don't know if this applies, but Macs do it for you. You just connect them both to wifi and follow the instructions (as in press keys to agree to T&Cs and so on). It couldn't be easier.

I'd be surprised if Windows laptops don't do the same. If so, you really don't need to pay anyone.

Thanks all for the advice...and for not making me feel like an idiot!

My dear sister in law has just bought a new laptop. DH and I went with her to Currys. We asked if someone could help. Got a lovely helpful young man who said he’s a nerd! She got fixed up quickly and he advised her what to do. Think if she has a problem she just go back to the shop or some hand holding !

Im spoiled because my nephew is a techie. He has just set up a new laptop for me.

I just popped into Currys too and bought my new one all set up for me and so much easier and quicker. I bought my husband the same model for his birthday. He wasn't pleased as he wanted to choose for himself but that's just him it's a very annoying trait. Same with the golf bag I bought him.

We have a local computer shop that sorted mine out for just £30, I had been going round in circles for days so I won’t hesitate next time.

The Apple store did mine for free.

My husband's numbers were off. We needed a quick solution and it seemed my chromebook was at issue. A nice young person at Currys took care of setting up my new one quite quickly. I highly recommend Currys.

You're not an idiot. HousePlantQueen. I felt exactly the same before replacing my old laptop and put it off for ages.
I'm lucky in that I have two sons who are tech savvy and did most of it for me. But as others above have said, Curry's are helpful. And others. I hope you find someone.

I once had trouble with a new laptop - it was doing very weird things, so I phoned the John Lewis helpline.

I could hear the poor bloke on the other end trying not to show that he was getting more and more frustrated, thinking he was dealing with some utterly clueless old bag who couldn’t follow simple instructions (despite my telling him that this was at least my 4th laptop) - but it was still doing very weird things.

Eventually - thank goodness! - he twigged that for some weird unknown reason the L and R click buttons had been reversed!
So that was - finally - quickly fixed. Talk about phew! He said he’d never known such a thing before,

I must have saved a fortune having a nephew who fixes computers and designs websites. My two desktops he built for me to my own specifications. I just bought a new laptop and my old one was getting a bit slow and gave it to him to re-home for me. He often meets people who just want a computer for a bit of shopping and browsing and are not bothered about having the latest high end machine.

My Chrome Book is on its last legs. Apps are interchangeable with my Android phone and tablet, so unlikely to be lost in a changeover. It has taken to blacking out unpredictably and I have to wake it up again. Very disconcerting. If you aren't acquainted with Chrome Books, you might have a look at them though they are very different from Microsoft and Apple systems.

As others have said there is plenty of help on the internet. There are other things to worry about nowadays!

Grantanow

As others have said there is plenty of help on the internet. There are other things to worry about nowadays!

There are, indeed, other things to worry about nowadays. However, for the lady asking for help and advice, it is a worry to her. And, fortunately, many other kind posters have answered her.

Exactly so, Forsythia, and I’m pleased to see that the other poster has received constructive advice. Like you, I find such comments about there being other things to worry about unhelpful, un-called for and unkind.
As some other posters have suggested, houseplantqueen, I found curry’s extremely helpful. Like you, I find certain technological things tricky to fathom.

It has taken to blacking out unpredictably and I have to wake it up again

I know how it feels!

Good afternoon all. I am writing this on my brand new, super fast laptop! The deed has been done. I was able to do all the stuff to do with loading the new program and such, Microsoft are quite user friendly, but I baulked at transferring my data and files as I have stuff that I just cannot afford to lose...so, one call to our local village IT chap, he took time and care, showed me where everything is now stored, and I am up and running! Gosh, it is only when you get a new laptop that you realise just how slow the previous one was, rather like a valve radio, I had to give it ten minutes warm up time. So, thank you all for your empathy and understanding

Hm. I’m in trouble probably as I’ve given up on all bar the iPad.

I think Currys do the setup thing too BTW.

My mother-in-law (98) had a new laptop just before Christmas last year. She hated the Windows 11 at first but is totally fine with it now.
She is often amazed at how responsive it is. We set up the basics with her and my son transferred some old stuff she felt necessary by logging in remotely.
When I did our computer last year I did buy a huge external hard drive for backup but actually it was all super-easy.
Don't put it off. I'm sure you won't regret it.

Good news HPQ

Doodledog

It's ages since I've used Windows, so don't know if this applies, but Macs do it for you. You just connect them both to wifi and follow the instructions (as in press keys to agree to T&Cs and so on). It couldn't be easier.

I'd be surprised if Windows laptops don't do the same. If so, you really don't need to pay anyone.

My experience: Dell has an app to transfer files, but at an additional charge. And, at the risk of stating the obvious, not everything will transfer -- e.g. Windows operating system and apps such as MS Office that need to registered with the operating system.