Hey,
I’ve got a new computer and I would like to migrate all my files, settings and favorites from the old to the new. What is the EASIEST (think slow on the uptake), simplest and EASIEST way to accomplish this?
Both comps are PC’s and both are XP.
Thanks.
Ivan
Either remove the hard drive from the old computer and install it as a 2nd drive in the new computer, or get an external enclosure for it and hook it up that way, then copy files from one to the other as needed.
Depending on the size of your files and how many, you could also transfer them via USB ‘jump’ drive.
Depends on what you mean by Migrate and simple.
Simple, take old hard drive out of old computer attach as second drive in new computer, and move what ever you want.
Thanks guys. We’ll see how that goes.
ivan
What you want to do is copy your profile from the old PC to the new. Putting the old drive in the new PC won’t move the settings and favorites to the new PC. Can you network the PCs?
EDIT: misread the other post. You can use an external USB enclosure for COPYING the files, not to use the old drive as a second drive and expect to have the settings automatically recognized.
The proper method is to go into System Properties and use the User Profile copy feature. This is kind of complex and has it’s issues, so it may be tough to do.
The simpler method is to copy the folder with your user name from the Documents and Settings folder from the old PC to the same folder on the new PC. You will have needed to log in to the new one at least once and it is best if you can do all of these tasks logged in as Administrator. You can do this across the network or use a large enough jump drive.
Even more simple is to use an application such as these:
Are you running MS Office on them? If so Start/Programs/Microsoft Office/MS Office Tools/Save My Settings Wizard.
Fire all your settings into the .OPS file, copy that to the new machine and use the same procedure to load them from the .OPS file.
In Explorer, go File/ Import/Export . That allows you to move your Favourites and Cookies over.
Outlook is more of a PITA. I usually do that by exporting each folder (Inbox, Sent Items, Calendar etc) to a .PST file (again, File/ Import/Export), copy over the .PST files and then import them into the new Outlook.
For data, as others have said, copy your user name folder from the Documents and Settings folder.
I was doing this only this weekend. What fun. How I miss those times. Not. No doubt someone who actually knows something about MS software will be along in a moment to tell me how I could have done it a lot more easily.
You can make life a bit simpler if you have a router: connect both machines to the router and set up a mini-network, then fire the files across the network. Easier than USB sticks or CDs/DVDs.
iTunes + an iPhone, OTOH, is a gigantic mofo’ing PITA to migrate over. At least I found it so.
My wife’s brother is a computer guru. A sixer of some good microbrew and I pick it up the next day. You probably know someone like that.