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When purchasing a new computer one of the most frustrating experiences is moving
existing data to the new computer from the older one. In the past when you wanted
to transfer data you had to copy the data via a network, store it onto a DVD/CD/Floppy
and then copy it back onto the new PC, or physically take the hard drive out of
the old machine and install it into the new machine. The main problem using these
methods was that you could only move files such as documents, pictures, movies,
saved games, etc. E-mail could be moved but was a difficult a process. Moving
settings and program configurations, on the other hand, was not possible, except
for the experts, and you had to reconfigure each of the applications on the new
computer. Windows Vista changes all this with a new bundled application called
Windows Easy Transfer that can easily migrate data from Windows XP SP2, Windows
2000 SP4, and Windows Vista operating systems. It is important to note that though
you can transfer data from Windows 2000, you can not transfer settings.
Windows Easy Transfer is a program that comes bundled with Windows Vista, and
when run, scans our computer for data and settings that
you can transfer to your new computer. This migration can be done via a myriad
of methods including USB flash drives, DVDs, a network, or by using a new product
called a Vista
Easy Transfer Cable.
What makes this program so powerful and easy to use is that it is wizard driven
so you just answer questions, make sure all of your data was properly selected,
and then press a button to start the transfer. For this tutorial, we will focus
primarily on migrating our data using the Vista
Easy Transfer Cable or via a network. We chose these two methods as they
are the easiest and quickest methods to transfer your data.
The types of data can be transferred
Using Windows Easy Transfer you can migrate most files and program settings.
Below is a table describing the types of data and settings that can be moved.
Data Type
Specifics
Files and Folders
Any files found in your My Documents, My Pictures, and Shared Documents
folder will be selected to be moved automatically. You can also add other
documents that are in other locations.
E-mail messages and Settings
E-mail messages, contacts, account settings, and address books from Outlook
Express, Outlook, Windows Mail, and other programs.
Program Settings
Programs that are compatible with Vista will have their settings transferred
to the new computer. In order for this properly to work the program must
already be installed on the Vista computer.
User Settings
Desktop settings, color settings, screen savers, fonts, Windows options,
printers, etc.
Internet Settings
Favorites, cookies, and Internet Explorer settings.
Pictures, Video, and Music
Music files, playlists, and album are. Pictures (gif, jpg, bmp files)
and personal videos.
Preparing the computers to
use Windows Easy Transfer
Before you use Windows Easy Transfer on your older computer you first need
to install the software. The three methods that can be used to install Windows
Easy Transfer on the old computer are:
The Windows Vista DVD
A CD that comes with an Easy Transfer Cable
Media that we create via the Windows Easy Transfer program in Windows Vista.
The two easiest methods are to use the Windows Vista DVD to install the program.
To install the software off of the Vista DVD just insert it into the old computer
and when the setup menu appears click on the Transfer files and settings
from another computer option. If we have autorun disabled then open
the DVD and double-click on the setup.exe program. The setup
screen is shown below.
Figure 1. Vista DVD setup screen
If you purchased a Vista
Easy Transfer Cable then insert the CD that came with it into the old
machine and install the software. If these two options are not available then
follow the instructions below in order to create installation media using
the Vista's Windows Easy Transfer program.
The following instructions should be performed on the new Vista computer.
Click on the Start button.
Click on the All Programs menu option.
Click on Accessories
Click on System tools
Click on the Windows Easy Transfer icon.
When Windows Easy Transfer starts, click on the Start a new transfer
option
At the next screen you should click on the My New Computer
option.
When it asks if we have an easy transfer cable, click on the option labeled
No, show me more options.
At the next screen it will ask if we have Windows Easy Transfer installed
on the older computer. We should select the option labeled No, I need
to install it now.
A new screen will appear asking how we would like to install Windows Easy
Transfer on the older computer. Our options are to use a CD, USB Flash Drive,
External Hard Disk or shared network folder, Windows Installation Disc or
Windows Easy Transfer DVD.
Figure 2. Create installation media options
If you select the CD option, Vista will ask for the
drive letter that corresponds to a CD or DVD writer. Insert blank media
into the writer and select its drive letter in the drop down menu. Then
press the Next button to create the installation software
on this media.
If you select the USB flash Drive option, Vista will
ask for the driver letter of our USB flash drive. Select the driver letter
and press the Next button to copy the installations files
to the drive. This option will be dimmed and unavailable if there is no
USB flash drive plugged into the computer.
If you select the External hard disk or shared network folder
option, Vista will ask for a folder on an external hard drive or a network
share where the installation files will be stored. Under this newly created
folder will be a autorun.inf file and another folder called MigWiz. To
start the setup open the MigWiz folder and double-click
on the Migsetup.exe file.
If you select the Windows installation disc or Windows Easy
Transfer CD option, Vista will assume that one of these two methods
were used and ask how we would like to transfer our data.
When the installation media has finished being created, use this media to
install Windows Easy Transfer on to the older computer.
Using Windows Easy Transfer with
a Easy Transfer Cable
For many users the best method to transfer data to a new Vista computer is
to use a Vista
Easy Transfer Cable. An Easy Transfer Cable is a cable that has a USB plug
on each end of the cable and gets plugged into both computers. This allows you
to transfer data between the two computers using the Windows Easy Transfer program.
For the best speed, it is advised that you plug both ends of the cable into
a USB 2.0 port on each computer in order to maximize your transfer speed. The
steps necessary to use an Easy Transfer Cable to migrate data to our new computer
are outlined below. As you go through these instructions the tutorial will indicate
which computer you should be using.
Do not plug the Easy Transfer
Cable into either computer as of yet!
On the new Vista computer:
Click on the Start ()
button.
Click on the All Programs menu option.
Click on the Accessories menu option.
Click on the System tools menu option.
Finally click on the Windows Easy Transfer icon to start
the program. When the program loads you will be greeted with the welcome screen
below.
Figure 3. Windows Easy Transfer welcome screen
Click on the Next button to continue to the next screen.
You will now be at a screen, shown below, where the program is asking whether
this is a new transfer or if you want to continue an old one.
Figure 4. Select the transfer type
As this is a new transfer click on the Start a new transfer
option
At the new screen the program will ask whether the computer we are performing
these steps on is the old or new one.
Figure 5. Select the computer we are on
As you are doing this step on the new computer, you should click on the
My new computer option.
You will now see a screen asking if we have an Easy Transfer Cable or need
to use another method to transfer the data.
Figure 6. Do we have an easy transfer cable?
Since these instructions are for using the Easy Transfer cable, select
Yes, I have an Easy Transfer Cable.
Your computer is now in a ready state waiting for the two computers to
be connected via the Easy Transfer Cable. An example of this screen is below.
Figure 7. Waiting for the other computer to connect
For now, hold off on inserting the Easy Transfer Cable until you get the older
computer set up and ready to go. Let's move on to the steps that you need
to do on the old computer.
On the older computer:
Insert the CD that came with the Easy Transfer Cable into the older computer.
When the setup program starts you should click on the Next
button.
Select I agree and press the Next button.
When the program is done installing you should click on the Finish
button.
On both the older computer and the new Vista computer:
Take one end of the Easy Transfer Cable and plug it into the old computer's
USB port. If the older computer has a USB 2.0 port you should use that port
in order to achieve the best transfer speeds.
Take the other end and plug it into the Vista computer's USB port.
On the older computer:
When you plug the cable into the older computer a small window will appear
asking if you would like to transfer files. Select the Take no action
option and then press the OK button.
Click on the Start Menu, select All Programs,
and finally click on the Windows Easy Transfer icon.
When the Windows Easy Transfer welcome screen appears click on the Next
button.
You will now be at a screen asking if we want to use an Easy Transfer Cable
to transfer the files.
Figure 8. Select the transfer type
Click on the Use an Easy Transfer Cable (recommended)
option.
Once we select that option, the Windows Easy Transfer program on both
computers will attempt to connect to each other. When they connect, you
will see a screen like the following appear on the Vista machine.
Figure 9. Vista detected the connection and is now waiting for the
data to be transferred
Now that a connection has been established, Windows Easy Transfer on the
older machine will automatically switch to a new window asking what data you
would like to transfer.
Figure 10. Data transfer options
Select the All user accounts, files, and settings (Recommended)
option.
A new screen will appear listing the programs, files, settings, mail data,
favorites, etc that will be moved over to the new computer. This data is grouped
by user so you can easily see what user's data will be moved.
Figure 11. The data that will be transferred
If you are happy with the settings click on the Transfer
button and proceed to the next step in this guide. On the other hand if want
to add files that the program did not automatically select or remove files,
click on the Customize button. This will bring you to a new
screen where you can customize the data that will be transferred.
Figure 12. Customize the data that will be transferred
Using the Add files, Add folders, Select
Drives, and Exclude folders options, customize the
data that will be transferred to the new computer. If there are files or folders
that were not added automatically, use the Add files or Add
folders options to browse to this data so it is added. You can also
exclude data from being transferred by removing the checkmark next to a specific
item in the list.
Once you have customized the data that will be transferred to the new computer,
click on the Next button to continue.
A new screen will appear that allows you to specify whether or not the
data should be transferred to an existing Vista account or if a new account
should be created to transfer the data to.
Figure 13. Account to transfer the data
To specify a new account, type the login name that you would like created.
If you would like to use an existing account then use the drop down menu to
select the account that will receive the data. If you create a new account,
the password of the old account is not transferred to the new computer. Instead
when you log into that account for the first time, Vista will prompt you to
set a new password.
At this point the data will begin to transfer to the new computer.
Figure 14. Data is being transferred to the new computer
Once the data transfer is complete you will see a screen similar to the one
below.
Figure 15. The data transfer is complete
Because the data has finished transferring you should press the
Close button to shut down the program.
On the new Vista computer:
After the transfer has been completed you will be shown a summary screen
of the files that were transferred.
Figure 16. Transfer Summary
If you want to see all the information that was transferred you can click
on the Show me everything that was transferred option. When
done, click on the Close button to exit the program.
Vista will now ask you to log off in order to finish the transfer. Allow
it to log you off, and when you log back on, all your settings and data will
have been transferred to your existing account or the new account if one was
created.
Your data has now been successfully migrated to our new computer.
Using Windows Easy Transfer over a Network
By far the quickest and cheapest method to transfer your data is over a network.
For those of you who have a network set up this is definitely the choice you
should use. A lot of the steps described below have already been discussed with
screen shots in the previous section. Therefore, we have only added screen shots
to this section when the screen is new to this tutorial.
On the new Vista computer:
Click on the Start ()
button.
Click on the All Programs menu option.
Click on the Accessories menu option.
Click on the System tools menu option.
Finally click on the Windows Easy Transfer icon to start
the program.
When the welcome screen appears click on the Next button
to continue.
At this screen you will be prompted to start a new transfer or resume an
existing one. As you are performing a new transfer select the Start
a new transfer option.
You will now be asked what computer, the old or new, you are on. As you
are doing these instructions on the Vista computer, select the My
new computer option.
Windows Easy Transfer will now ask how you would like to transfer the data.
As you are going to transfer the data over the network, and not via a Easy
Transfer cable, select No, show me more options to continue
to the next screen.
At this screen select the Yes, I installed it option as
you should have already installed Windows Easy Transfer on your older computer.
On this screen the program asks if we want to transfer the data over the
network or using removable media.
Figure 17. Select the Transfer Type
You want to transfer the files over the network so select Yes, I'll
transfer files and settings over the network.
In order for the new Vista computer and the older computer to properly connect
and securely transfer files, you need to generate a security key. Windows
Easy Transfer will use this key to find the new Vista computer and connect
securely to it. The screen, shown below, asks if you have an existing key
or need to create one.
Figure 18. Create a Windows Easy Transfer Network Key
As you do not currently have a Windows Easy Transfer key, you need to create
one. To do this click on the No, I need a key option.
Windows Easy Transfer will now create the security and display it to us
in the screen below.
Figure 19. Windows Easy Transfer Network Key
Write down the key as you will need to input it on the older computer before
you can transfer data to the new machine. The program will now wait to be
connected to by the older computer.
On the older computer:
Click on our Start Menu, select All Programs,
and finally click on the Windows Easy Transfer icon.
When the Windows Easy Transfer welcome screen appears click on the Next
button.
At the following screen, click on the Transfer directly, using a
network connection option.
When it asks how you would like to transfer the data over the network select
the option labeled Use a network connection.
You will now be asked whether or not you have a Windows Easy Transfer key.
That is the key you created on our Vista machine and wrote down. As you have
the key select Yes, I have a key.
The program will now prompt you to input your Windows Easy Transfer key.
Type the key into the field labeled Type our Windows Easy Transfer
key. When you are done click on the Next button.
You are now presented with a screen asking what type of data you would like
to transfer. Select the All user accounts, files, and settings (Recommended)
option.
A new screen will appear listing the programs, files, settings, mail data,
favorites, etc that will be moved over to the new computer. This data is grouped
by user so you can easily see what user's data will be moved. If you are happy
with the settings click on the Transfer button and proceed
to the next step in this guide. On the other hand if want to add files that
the program did not automatically select or remove files, click on the Customize
button. This will bring you to a new screen where you can customize the data
that will be transferred.
If you clicked on the Customize button you can use the Add
files,Add folders, Select Drives,
and Exclude folders options, customize the data that will
be transferred to the new computer. If there are files or folders that were
not added automatically, use the Add files or Add
folders options to browse to this data so it is added. You can also
exclude data from being transferred by from being transferred by removing
the checkmark next to a specific item in the list.
Once you have customized the data that will be transferred to the new computer,
click on the Next button to continue to go to the next step.
A new screen will appear that allows you to specify whether or not the
data should be transferred to an existing Vista account or if a new account
should be created to transfer the data to. To specify a new account, type
the login name that you would like created. If you would like to use an existing
account then use the drop down menu to select the account that will receive
the data. If you create a new account, the password of the old account is
not transferred to the new computer. Instead when you log into that account
for the first time, Vista will prompt you to set a new password.
At this point the data will be transferred to the new computer. Once the
transfer is complete, you should press the Close button to
exit the program.
On the new Vista computer:
After the transfer has been completed you will be shown a summary screen
of the files that were transferred. If you want to see all the information
that was transferred click on the Show me everything that was transferred
option. When done, click on the Close button to exit the
program.
Vista will now ask you to log off in order to finish the transfer. Allow
it to log off, and when you log back on, all your settings and data will have
been transferred to your existing account or to the new account if one was
created.
Your data has now been successfully migrated to the new computer.
Using Windows Easy Transfer with Removable Media
Windows Easy Transfer also has the ability to transfer our data using removable
media. This method is not suggested unless we are moving small amounts of data
due to the limited capacities of removable media. As this method will not be
used too often we only provide brief instructions.
On the older computer:
Start Windows Easy Transfer, start a new transfer, on the older computer
and go through the screens until it asks you how we would like to transfer
the data. At this prompt we would select Use a CD, DVD, or other removable
media.
You will now be at a screen where it asks you what removable media you would
like to use to transfer the data.
Figure 20. Removable Media Choice
You should now select the removable media type that you wish to use to transfer
the data. The CD and USB flash drive options will be dimmed and unavailable
unless the appropriate media is inserted into the computer. Therefore we need
blank media in the CD or DVD writer or a USB flash drive plugged into the
computer for these options to be available.
Once you select the removable media that you will use, the program will
prompt you for the driver letter for this media. Select the drive letter and
press the Next button.
The program will start copying the data to the removable media. When it
is done you will be shown a screen stating that you should remove the media
and insert it into the new Vista machine.
Figure 21. Remove the media
Remove the media.
On the new Vista computer:
Insert the removable media it into the new Vista machine.
Launch Windows Easy Transfer on the Vista machine and follow the prompts
until it asks if this is a new or existing transfer. As we are finishing an
existing transfer we select Continue a transfer in progress.
At the next screen when it asks what type of transfer you want to continue,
select Removable media.
When it asks for the location of our files, browse to the removable media
and then press the Next button.
Follow the rest of the prompts to finish migrating the data from your removable
media.
Your data has now been transferred to your new computer.
Using Windows Easy Transfer with clean install
upgrades
When upgrading Windows Vista from a previous operating system you have two
different upgrade methods that you can use. The first is the in-place upgrade
which will take your existing version of XP, other than XP Pro 64 bit, and upgrade
it to Vista while retaining all of your data and settings. The other option
is to use a clean install which will install a brand new version of Vista on
your computer and not migrate over any data or settings. This is considered
the cleanest install as it wont have any legacy data or files copied over from
your previous version of Windows. Unfortunately if you are upgrading from Windows
2000 you must use a clean install method for your upgrade.
For those who like to have fresh installs, the clean install upgrade is definitely
the best way to go. The problem, though, is that using this method your data
and settings are not migrated. It is possible, though, to get the benefits of
retaining your data and settings while having a fresh install of Vista by using
Windows Easy Transfer. Simply start a new Windows Easy Transfer on your old
computer and transfer your data and settings to a file stored on an external
or secondary hard drive. You can then take that data and import it into the
fresh install of Vista at a later date. To do that you would follow these steps:
Click on our Start Menu, select All Programs,
and finally click on the Windows Easy Transfer icon.
When the Windows Easy Transfer welcome screen appears click on the Next
button.
When it asks how you would like to transfer your files click on the Use
a CD, DVD, or other removable media option.
At the following screen where it asks what type of media you would like
to use you should select the External hard disk or to a network location
option.
You will now be asked for a folder to store the data. Either select an existing
folder on an external or secondary hard drive, or create a new one, and then
press the Next button.
If all the data that you want to transfer is selected, press the Transfer
button. Otherwise press the Customize button and add all
of the data you would like to transfer. When done press the Next button.
When the data is finished being stored in the specified folder you can now
close the program.
Now perform the clean install upgrade on your old computer. When done with
the upgrade you can now run Windows Easy Transfer in Vista and import the data
and settings you saved to the external or secondary hard drive.
Conclusion
As you can see the Windows Easy Transfer program provides a myriad of mediums
to transfer your data to your new computer. Not only that, but you now have
the ability to easily move your e-mail, documents, and program settings without
hiring a consultant or having advanced computer skills. As always, if we want
to learn more about, or discuss with our peers, the various features of Windows
Easy Transfer, then feel free to talk about it in our Windows
Vista forums.
Have a problem and would like to ask us for help? To learn how to ask your question Click Here!
Do you have popups or other malware infecting your computer? If so, Start Here!
Are you having trouble using this site? Then you should visit the New User Orientation Center!
BleepingComputer.com -> Tutorials -> Windows Vista Tutorials -> Using Windows Easy Transfer to transfer your data to a new computer
.
What makes this program so powerful and easy to use is that it is wizard driven
so you just answer questions, make sure all of your data was properly selected,
and then press a button to start the transfer. For this tutorial, we will focus
primarily on migrating our data using the 
)
button.
