For content, if you don't want to transfer it all to a flash drive and then transfer it to the new machine, register for an account at any (or all, your choice) of the following sites:
Dropbox (2GB free)
https://drive.google.com/ (15GB free)
Welcome to OneDrive (15-23GB free)
Once the programs of your choice are downloaded and installed, use them to back up your personal files to the internet. Then, on the new computer, install the programs and allow them to sync. This will download them from the internet. Move the files out of the folders to free up space, wait for the removal to sync to the old computer, and go back to the old computer to move more in to be moved over. Repeat this as much as needed to have all of your files moved over.
For programs, transfer any installation files you still have (the program you download and then click to install) through the cloud storage programs from above that you choose, then use these .exe files to install to the new laptop. If you don't have the .exe files lying around, then you can either hunt them down individually on the new computer (in which case, make a list from your old computer) or use a service like
Ninite Install or Update Multiple Apps at Once (it's free, by the way) to mass download/install most common programs so that you don't have to go hunting for them.
For programs that were installed via disc, you're probably just going to have to install those on the new machine the old fashioned way. You cannot just copy/paste program folders (though it's tempting) because installing programs writes values to your computer's registry, which cannot be transferred and certainly don't tag along with the program files installed on the computer. These registry values are what tell the computer how to handle that installation, so while some programs MIGHT work, most will not work well or at all without.
Hope this helped!
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