Microsoft: Two Computers, One Network, and a Subscription?
The cloud was supposed to make computing easier. So why does moving files between two computers suddenly need it?
By The Open Source Outlaw 🤠
Well, folks, Microsoft has done it again.
Imagine this. You’ve just purchased a brand-new computer. Your old computer is sitting right beside it. Both computers are connected to the same network, probably even the same Wi-Fi router. You’ve got years of family pictures, documents, music, and other files that you want to move from the old machine to the new one.
Seems pretty simple, doesn’t it?
Apparently, somebody at Microsoft thought otherwise.
According to a November 2, 2026, article published by MakeUseOf, Microsoft has removed Windows 11’s built-in PC-to-PC Migration feature. This feature allowed users to transfer files directly between computers over their local network. No uploading to the internet. No cloud storage required. Just two computers talking to each other.
You know, the way computers have been doing things for decades.
But now Microsoft is directing users toward Windows Backup, which uses OneDrive to store and restore personal files.
And there’s just one tiny little detail.
OneDrive only gives you 5GB of free storage.
Five. Gigabytes.
I’ve got individual video files bigger than that!
Wait a Minute. They’re Sitting Right Beside Each Other!
Let’s think about this for a second.
You’ve got Computer A sitting on your kitchen table. Computer B is sitting about twelve inches away. Both are connected to the same network.
You want to move 100GB of files from A to B.
With a direct network transfer, those files travel across your local network. Depending on your equipment, you could have everything transferred in a relatively short time.
But with Microsoft’s recommended cloud-based approach, those files first have to travel from your computer to Microsoft’s servers. Then they have to travel from Microsoft’s servers back to your new computer.
And that’s assuming you’ve got enough cloud storage to hold them.
If you don’t?
Well, Steve, I believe Microsoft has a subscription they’d like to discuss with you.
Now, before somebody fires up their keyboard to tell me I’m wrong, let me make something clear. Windows can still transfer files locally. You can use an external drive, a network share, or other methods. Microsoft hasn’t taken away the ability to move files between computers.
What they’ve reportedly removed is a simple, guided way for everyday users to do it.
And THAT is the problem.
The Subscription That Nobody Asked For
I’ve said it before, and I’ll keep saying it.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with cloud storage.
I use cloud services. I even operate my own private cloud using Nextcloud. Cloud storage can be incredibly convenient, especially when you need access to your files from multiple devices.
But there’s a difference between offering people a useful service and making that service the easiest path to accomplish something that never required it in the first place.
Think about the average computer user.
Maybe it’s a grandmother who wants to move twenty years of family pictures to her new laptop. Maybe it’s a college student moving schoolwork. Maybe it’s somebody who just wants their documents and music on a new machine.
These folks aren’t necessarily interested in learning how network shares work. They don’t want to figure out drive mappings or file permissions.
They just want their stuff.
And when Windows Backup tells them their cloud storage is full, what’s the easiest answer?
Buy more storage.
Now, I’m not claiming Microsoft removed this feature specifically to sell subscriptions. I don’t know that, and neither does anyone else outside the decision-making process.
But I do know this.
When a free, local solution disappears and the recommended alternative has a paid storage tier, consumers have every reason to ask questions.
Meanwhile, Back at the Outlaw Ranch
Over the past several weeks, I’ve been moving more and more of my computers to Ubuntu Linux.
Old laptops. Newer laptops. Machines that Microsoft might not consider worthy of running the latest version of Windows.
And you know what?
They’re working beautifully.
I’ve got computers connected to my home network, accessing shared files, connecting to my Nextcloud server, and doing everything I need them to do.
If I want to move files from one computer to another, I’ve got options.
I can use the file manager to connect to a network share. I can use an external drive. I can use SSH or rsync. I can even use Nextcloud if I WANT to involve my private cloud.
Notice something about that last sentence?
IF I WANT TO.
That’s the entire point.
Linux doesn’t require me to send my personal files to somebody else’s server just to move them across the room.
And before Steve jumps in, no, Linux doesn’t automatically provide a magical one-click migration experience for every application, setting, and file either. Some methods require a little setup.
But the tools are there, the choices are there, and I get to decide which method works best for me.
That’s what personal computing should be about.
When Did Convenience Become Dependence?
This is the bigger issue, folks.
It’s not really about moving files.
It’s about a gradual change in how we use our computers.
There was a time when buying a computer meant you owned the machine, installed your software, stored your files, and decided how everything worked.
Today, more and more everyday tasks encourage you to create an online account, connect to a cloud service, or purchase a subscription.
Want to use your computer? Sign in.
Want to store your files? Here’s our cloud.
Need more space? Here’s a subscription.
Want to move to another computer? Well, we’ve got a cloud service for that, too.
Individually, some of these services are useful. Some are genuinely excellent.
But taken together, they raise an important question.
Are we making computers easier to use, or are we making people more dependent on the companies that sell them?
Those aren’t necessarily the same thing.
And I think it’s a question every computer owner ought to consider.
Linux Isn’t Perfect. That’s Not the Point.
Now, before somebody accuses the Outlaw of claiming Linux is the answer to every problem, let me stop you right there.
Linux isn’t perfect.
Some hardware doesn’t work as smoothly as we’d like. Some applications aren’t available. Occasionally, you have to do a little troubleshooting.
Trust me. I’ve spent enough time tinkering with Linux to know that firsthand.
But here’s something I’ve discovered.
I would rather spend a little time learning how to control my computer than spend the next ten years paying somebody else to control it for me.
And that’s not just about money.
It’s about freedom.
Freedom to use older hardware.
Freedom to choose my applications.
Freedom to store my files wherever I want.
Freedom to decide whether I need the cloud at all.
That’s why I keep telling people that switching to Linux isn’t simply about replacing Windows with another operating system.
It’s about changing the relationship you have with your computer.
And for a growing number of people, that’s becoming a pretty attractive idea.
The Outlaw’s Final Word
Microsoft, I’m going to make this really simple.
If I’ve got two computers sitting on the same desk, connected to the same network, I shouldn’t need to send my family pictures halfway across the country and back just to move them from one machine to another.
And I certainly shouldn’t have to consider purchasing additional cloud storage to make that happen conveniently.
The technology to transfer files directly has existed for decades.
We know how to do this.
You know how to do this.
Even Steve knows how to do this.
Well, probably.
The issue isn’t whether cloud storage is good or bad. The issue is whether consumers should have meaningful choices without being pushed toward another paid service.
Because somewhere along the way, we’ve started confusing convenience with dependence.
And those two things are not the same.
So here’s my advice.
Use OneDrive if you like it. Use Google Drive if it works for you. Use Dropbox, Nextcloud, an external hard drive, or a good old-fashioned network share.
I don’t care which one you choose.
Just make sure YOU are the one making the choice.
Because your computer should work for you.
Not the other way around.
And remember, folks…
USE THE CLOUD. DON’T LET THE CLOUD USE YOU.
You bet your sweet GRUB! 🤠
Source: Hamed Paydarfar, MakeUseOf, November 2, 2026, “Microsoft made the worst part of buying a new PC even worse.”
The Open Source Outlaw
Make Linux Boring. Make Freedom Normal.