Start on the old computer while everything still works
The best time to document your Pro Tools setup is before you unplug the old machine. Open current projects, check older sessions, confirm where your audio files live, and make a simple migration plan before installing everything on the new computer.
A DAW move usually fails for small reasons: a plugin that was never reinstalled, a sample folder that stayed on the old desktop, a license manager you forgot about, or a preset folder that was never backed up. This page gives you a focused checklist for moving Pro Tools with less guesswork.
1. Create clean Pro Tools session copies
- For important work, create a fresh copy of each session to a dedicated transfer drive or archive folder.
- Include audio files and any relevant video or session assets so the new copy is not referencing files from random old locations.
- Open copied sessions from the backup location before disconnecting the old drive.
2. Prepare iLok, Avid Link, and license managers
- Confirm that your Pro Tools license and third-party plugin licenses are available through iLok, cloud licensing, or the appropriate vendor account.
- Install Avid Link, iLok License Manager, audio interface drivers, and any control surface software early in the rebuild.
- Do not wipe the old machine until the new machine can launch Pro Tools and see the licenses you need.
3. Reinstall AAX plugins before opening old sessions
- Pro Tools sessions can open with missing-plugin warnings when AAX plugins are absent or not authorized.
- Use FX Locker on the old machine to create a cloud-synced list of installed plugins so you can reinstall the essentials first.
- After installing plugins, restart the computer, launch Pro Tools, and test a few sessions from different years of your archive.
Use FX Locker before you wipe the old machine
Your DAW projects may remember plugin settings, but they do not install the actual plugins on the new computer. That is why a plugin inventory is one of the most useful things you can create before migrating.
Turn your old computer into a plugin checklist
Run FX Locker on the old machine, scan your installed audio plugins, and sync the inventory to the cloud. Then open FX Locker on the new computer and use that list as your reinstall roadmap.
Pro Tools migration checklist
- Back up important Pro Tools projects and test the backups before wiping the old machine.
- Collect or copy audio files, samples, presets, templates, and custom folders used by your sessions.
- Scan the old computer with FX Locker and sync your plugin inventory to the cloud.
- Add notes for plugin vendors, license portals, serial number locations, and install reminders.
- Install the DAW, audio interface drivers, license managers, and essential plugins on the new computer.
- Open current projects first, then test older projects that may depend on discontinued plugins or old sample paths.
- Keep the old computer or old drive untouched until real projects open correctly on the new setup.
FAQ: moving Pro Tools to a new computer
Can I move Pro Tools sessions by copying the folder?
Sometimes, but the safer approach is to create a clean session copy that includes the needed audio and session assets, then test that copied session from the new location.
Do Pro Tools plugins transfer with the session?
No. Sessions store plugin settings and references, but the AAX plugins themselves must be installed and authorized on the new computer.
Why use FX Locker for Pro Tools migration?
FX Locker helps you create a plugin inventory on the old machine, making it easier to know which AAX and other audio plugins you need to reinstall on the new setup.
Moving Pro Tools to a new computer?
Scan your old machine with FX Locker first. Your cloud-synced plugin inventory gives you a clear list of what to reinstall before opening important sessions.