BleepingComputer.com: Xp To Vista Transfer

This is my first time posting to the BC site, but the site has been helpful a number of times. My daughter just got a PC with Vista, which is now connected to the cable modem through the wired router to which the old XP PC is connected. Is it possible to transfer her itunes library and other files to the new PC(and remove them from the old) using the instructions for network connected computers without doing anything more? If not what is the easiest way to accomplish this? The old PC does not have a CD or DVD R or RW drive. Thanks very much for any help anyone can provide.

If the old and new PCs have network ports you can buy a crossover cable and connect them directly to each other but you will have to manually setup their IP addresses on the same subnet but different address. If you don't understand the last part don't try.

There's also the USB memory stick but don't bother if you have small capacity stick. Even better is a USB hard drive - the sort of thing Freecom do at about £50 for 80Gig but then you'd really need USB2 on the old PC which is unlikely.

Incidentally the Windows XP "files and transfer wizard" does not produce the right file format for Vista so that is a bit of a fiddle too.

If you can use a memory stick on the old computer, try backing up your daughter's music to that. iTunes in the new computer will recognize the memory stick as a backup and will load it. iTunes will also count the new computer as a second installation and tick it off of your maximum allowed transfers.

My daughter seems to have taken care of the itunes library using her ipod to transport it but that leaves her school documents and photos. The first reply to this post leads me to believe they can't be transferred easily enough to be worth doing.

Do you have a flash drive? It is very easy to copy the documents and photos from the old computer to a flash drive and then save to the new computer. That should be easier thant the iPod transfer. If she needs the documents and wants the pictures it would be worth the effort. If the old computer has a burner just burn the documents and pictures to a CD and copy them over to the new computer. That should be relatively easy.

Jazzgirl

In my experience it not just a few files that need transfering. Typically it could be 50G of music and photos, then there is the desktop icons, favourites, cookies, address book, email account settings. Its a big job which was made easier by the "files and transfers" wizard. However Vista uses a different file format although it does provide a program you can load onto the XP machine to create the new file. If the file is large it will take you a long time using a portable drive on a USB1 port. network the 2 machines is probably the quickest way.

But you could always take the old drive out of the old machine and put it in with the new drive and transfer the files manually that way without too much time wasting.

Another way to consider is to use a program like Laplink to interlink the two units. I noticed one yesterday name for less than $50 and it came with a cable.