How to Transfer Claude Cowork to a New Computer

To transfer Claude Cowork work to a new computer, sign into the same Claude account, check which sessions are available there, and move your local working files separately. Reconnect the folders and tools the task needs, then test access before continuing; account-based sessions and local computer access are different parts of the move.

fenbs keeps a portable checkpoint of the goal, completed work, and next step while you rebuild the setup. Save that before changing devices. A successful move means the work can continue from a verified state, not merely that the new computer shows a familiar chat title.

What should you do on the old computer first?

1. Open each task you still need and record whether it is finished, paused, waiting on you, or still running.
2. Save the important outputs and inspect the actual files. Note which copies are on the computer and which are available through your account.
3. List the working folders, connected apps, local tools, and instructions needed for the next action. Record names and locations without copying credentials.
4. Save a progress checkpoint with completed steps, checks, unresolved questions, and the next small action.
5. Keep the old setup available until the new computer passes a simple continuation test.

If a task is still modifying files, bring it to a known stopping point before copying them. Otherwise the two computers may start with different versions. The separate guide to stopping Claude Cowork covers interruption and partial-result checks; this guide focuses on moving the work afterward.

Which parts follow your account and which stay local?

Anthropic’s Cowork architecture overview↗ (opens in a new tab) distinguishes cloud sessions, whose sessions and files are saved to the Claude account, from legacy local execution. Check which kind of task you are moving. Avoid assuming that every older session or every folder on your disk has become account-based.

For example, a cloud session may be visible while the spreadsheet it needs still sits in the old laptop’s working folder. Those facts can both be true. Our Cowork introduction explains the product, and the AI handoffs hub covers keeping work understandable through transitions like this.

How do you set up the new computer?

Install Claude Desktop from Anthropic’s official source and sign into the account and organization you used for the work. Open the required session and compare its last confirmed result with your checkpoint. If your interface no longer has a separate Cowork selector, follow the current interface rather than assuming the installation failed.

Anthropic’s cross-device Cowork guide↗ (opens in a new tab) explains that cloud sessions can be opened on different surfaces, while local folders, local connectors, and computer access still depend on the desktop app. Review that distinction before retiring the old machine or expecting a web session to find a new local folder.

Create a dedicated working folder and put the transferred project files there. Reconnect the intended folder on the new device. If the task contains an old absolute path, tell Claude the replacement path and ask it to confirm the file it found before editing. A folder with the same name is not proof that its contents match.

What if an older local task does not appear?

Keep the old computer intact and check the task there before trying unofficial application-directory copying. Distinguish preserving its outputs from preserving every part of its execution history. You may be able to continue the useful work with the files and a fresh checkpoint even when the old execution environment stays behind.

Anthropic’s linked cross-device guide also documents a specific local continuation route: Download task data, unzip it, open the folder in Claude Code, and run /port-task-data. That is a move into Claude Code, rather than a promise that every Cowork session can be restored unchanged into another Cowork installation.

Check whether that supported route fits your task and account before relying on it. Our Cowork and Claude Code comparison explains the difference between the tools. Keep the reviewed outputs and the fenbs handoff record available whichever route you choose.

How should you check connectors and permissions?

Make a short inventory of what the next step needs: a document source, one working folder, a browser session, or a local tool. Check each item under your own identity on the new device. Ask an administrator about managed settings if your organization controls the installation.

Start with a harmless read, such as locating an approved sample file and reporting its name. Only then try a small change to a disposable copy. Anthropic’s Cowork safety guide↗ (opens in a new tab) recommends careful folder access and backups; use the move as a chance to grant the access this work needs.

Do not paste account tokens into a migration note or assume that copying a configuration file transfers authorization. Keep setup tasks separate from secrets. When the sample check succeeds, record what passed and what remains before asking Claude to resume a larger operation.

How to do this with fenbs

1. Create a free account and add the project you are moving. One person can start free with no credit card.
2. Add tasks for the unfinished work and any setup that still needs checking. Include expected output locations and verification steps without sensitive data.
3. Connect your supported Claude app through the integration guide. MCP is a standard way for an assistant to read and update an outside tool.
4. Before leaving the old computer, ask the connected assistant to save task progress and Where we left off, including the last verified result and what the new setup must confirm.
5. On the new computer, connect the supported assistant, read the project context, and update the checkpoint after the continuation test passes.

fenbs does not back up local folders, copy Claude’s application data, or restore connector credentials. Your ordinary file backup remains necessary. fenbs is useful when the migration needs a durable record of unfinished work; a single finished download may need no extra system.