[Drjones]

Ok, I'm tired of manually moving files from old computers to new ones - how do I automate this? What are the best programs: Laplink, Windows built-in transfer wizard, what?

What's the best way to connect the machines? Crossover ethernet? Moving FROM XP to Win7.

Enlighten me!

[Pierre!]

I still don't like the way Windows treats files these days... even in Win7.

I make my own directory for Data... it's called Data and sits off the root of C: I cannot abide these long file names... I get to type enough!

So I just grab that folder, and what's below it... copy it over or restore from a backup, then start installing programs.

I got burned pretty bad by XP's little "Transfer Wizard"... so my way is soooo much easier than having to reinstall a horked up system that I JUST finished installing...

But, I am set in my ways on this... just like some won't touch an operating system till SP1 comes out! Some superstitions are rooted in deep stuff that won't go away...


Let me know how it treats you, I am interested to know, but I will watch someone else get frustrated first... :LOL:

You check Technet or MS Community for any issues or errors???

Good Luck!

[Drjones]

That's a good idea, but it doesn't really help me when working on someone else's computer, as they obviously have their stuff scattered all over the place.

[Sgt. Schultz]

I use xxcopy and I usually slave the drives into my work computer to move everything from one to the other.

[smullen]

Originally Posted by Pierre!

I make my own directory for Data... it's called Data and sits off the root of C: I cannot abide these long file names... I get to type enough!

So I just grab that folder, and what's below it... copy it over or restore from a backup, then start installing programs.

I do pretty much the same thing, except I do it to two external USB Hard Drives... One is the Mirror of the other....

But if I ever want to rebuild or move computers, it makes it real easy...

[HKUSP45Css]

If you're moving a bunch of stuff from XP all the time you may want to get comfortable using the USMT (User State Migration Tool) which is the backbone that the "transfer Wiz" uses.

Once you get the syntax down you can bend it to your will. I used it quite a bit at my last job and got a product so comprehensive, elegant, stable, free and trainable that we ended up deploying it world wide as out "standard backup" for 27,000 PCs.

Quite a feather in my cap if I do say so.

You can download the "base" files for the USMT from MS and thew help file will teach you the syntax for the xml files. Once you understand how the tool thinks it becomes trivial to maipulate or creat multiple tools for different environments.

There's a bunch of stuff it transfers automatically (like MS product files, strangely enough and user profile data) but you can get as broad or granular with the rules as your environment(s) demand.

Did I mention it's free?