Using Windows Easy Transfer

For those of you buying Windows Vista PCs today (or thinking about buying Windows Vista PCs in the future) and wondering how best to move all the information on your old PC to your new one, I'd like to update you on some of the new ways Windows can help transfer all your personal stuff:  documents, photos, music, email, address book entries, Windows settings, and now, even programs.

The good news is that we've made this process much easier for the millions of people who will buy Windows Vista-based PCs in the coming years.  Read on to see how we designed Windows Vista's transfer features to work together with special cables from hardware partners, and to learn about the beta release of our new tool for transferring programs, based on the Alohabob PC Relocator software we acquired last year.

Windows Easy Transfer

This wizard is built into Windows Vista and will automatically transfer your personal data from a Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Windows Vista based-PC to a Windows Vista-based PC.  It gathers up the data from your old PC and then applies it on your new PC in the right places.  It will move user accounts, files and folders, email messages and settings, address book entries, and Windows settings.  It does not move programs.

Windows Easy Transfer supports a number of ways to connect the two PCs to actually move the data:

  • Easy Transfer Cable (more info below)
  • Home or small business network
  • Removable or external hard drive
  • Writable CD or DVD

WET 1 

Easy Transfer Cables

In the past, one of the most difficult parts about the transfer process has been connecting the two computers if you don't have a home network.  Fortunately, we've worked with hardware partners to create a really cool new product called Easy Transfer Cables.  These are specially designed to work together with Easy Transfer to move all your data in the easiest and fastest way possible.

WET 2

They're USB 2.0 cables with a special chip that enables them to connect two PCs.  (A standard USB cable cannot do this, even if the USB connectors fit).  The cable will come with a CD which has the Easy Transfer software on it -- you just install it on your Windows XP-based PC and then plug the cable into both PCs.  That's it!  The Easy Transfer wizard will popup automatically on both PCs and you can begin transferring right away.

These cables are being manufactured worldwide by a number of partners, including Belkin International, Vivanco Group AG and Bafo Technologies.  They will be sold at retail stores, online retailers and from PC manufacturers.  Look for the Certified for Windows Vista or Works with Windows Vista logo to know that the cable is supported.

Windows Easy Transfer Companion (Beta)

Although the standard Easy Transfer wizard does not move installed programs, this is a very important capability that's been requested by our customers.  Because of this we have been working on a new tool called Easy Transfer Companion, which will transfer programs and program settings from a Windows XP-based PC to a Windows Vista-based PC.  When used together with Easy Transfer, you will be able to move everything you need to your new PC running Windows Vista.  Easy Transfer Companion has been designed to transfer many of the most popular programs for consumers and small businesses, as well as many others.  You can transfer programs with either an Easy Transfer Cable or a network.  We've released the tool in Beta so that we can take feedback on the overall functionality and get more information about the experience of transferring specific applications outside of those that we've tested internally.  At this point the Easy Transfer Companion is only available in English and designed for use in the US.  It is available for download here.

Easy Transfer Companion is based on technology we acquired from Apptimum, Inc. last year -- makers of the popular Alohabob PC Relocator software.  For reference, here is the original press release on this acquisition.

Because this tool is in Beta, at the end of the transfer process it will ask for your feedback on how well it worked so we can continue improving its performance and bring it to a wider number of users in the future.

WET 3

I hope these features help you and your family quickly and easily set up your new Windows Vista-based PC.

Tags: , ,

Comments

  1. Nick White
    Posted on: April 06, 2007 at 3:29PM  

    Hey Mike McCarthy:  Windows Easy Transfer supports the transfer of only data from Win2000 (no settings).  In order to perform a migration from Win2000 to Windows Vista, you must first run Windows Easy Transfer on Windows Vista to create a down-level installation package for your Win2k machine.  Here are the steps you should follow to create the package:

    - Launch Windows Easy Transfer on your Windows Vista PC

    - On the Welcome Screen click “Next”

    - On the “Do you want to start a new transfer or continue on in progress?” screen, select “Start a new transfer”

    - On the “Which computer are you using now?” screen, select “My new computer”

    - On the “Do you have an Easy Transfer Cable?” screen, select “No, show me more options”

    - On the “Is Windows Easy Transfer installed on your old computer?” screen, select “No, I need to install it now”

    - Choose your installation method to install Windows Easy Transfer on your Win200 machine.  Once Windows Easy Transfer is installed on the Win2000 machine, you can transfer files via either a network connection or intermediate storage (such as removable media, network storage location, etc.).  The Belkin Easy Transfer Cable does not support Win2k.

    Hope this helps resolve your situation.

  2. Mike McCarthy
    Posted on: April 06, 2007 at 3:45PM  

    Hey Nick,

    > Windows Easy Transfer supports the transfer

    > of only data from Win2000

    What is data?  You mean things like docs and music in the My Computer folder?  Can you clarify the definition of "data"?

    For example, what about messages stored in my email client.....is that data?

    (And, if Easy Transfer can move stored email messages from my old PC to my new PC, will Easy Transfer work on non-MS email clients like Thunderbird, or does it only work on Outlook?)

    Thanks.

  3. Mike McCarthy
    Posted on: April 06, 2007 at 3:48PM  

    What is data?  You mean things like docs and music in the My Computer folder?  Can you clarify the definition of "data"?

    Sorry....meant to say "My Documents" folder.

    Meant to say:

    What is data?  You mean things like docs and music in the My Documents folder?  Can you clarify the definition of "data"?

  4. Nick White
    Posted on: April 06, 2007 at 6:55PM  

    Hi again Mike McCarthy:  Yes -- in this case, "data" means things such as docs, music, pictures, etc. in My Documents and on the Desktop.  But, email messages and contacts are not transferred from Win2000.

  5. Nick White
    Posted on: April 06, 2007 at 6:59PM  

    Hey PG-D:  Because the Belkin cable works with Windows Easy Transfer, and Windows Easy Transfer works only with Windows 2000-, Windows XP- and Windows Vista-based PCs, Win98 is not supported.  I'd suggest using a network or storage medium to move your docs and other data; your settings will need to be configured from the outset on the new Windows Vista-based computer.

  6. Mike McCarthy
    Posted on: April 06, 2007 at 8:07PM  

    > "data" means things such as docs, music,

    > pictures, etc. in My Documents and

    > on the Desktop.  

    Nick,

    Thanks for the answers but, come on, it's a stretch to say "Easy Transfer" works with Win2000 if all it does is copy files from My Docs and the Desktop.  You certainly don't need a "package" to do what you can do by just dragging files from the old PC onto a removable drive (or any other file transfer methods using networks or recorded media or whatever).

    IOW, what does "Easy Transfer" do that Explorer can't do (besides copy a lot of things at once)?

    Bottom line, "Easy Transfer" works for XP --> Vista, period.  If you are upgrading from any other OS it will be virtually a 100% manual process.

  7. wallyk52
    Posted on: April 09, 2007 at 11:22AM  

    I copied files OK from my XP to Vista machine, but, when I tried to open the Documents and Settings Folder on the Vista machine, it says Access Denied! How do I fix this problem??

  8. taijidi
    Posted on: April 12, 2007 at 12:35PM  

    I have a question - I downloaded Easy Transfer to my old computer(XP), as the cd drive doesn't work anymore ... it comes up on both computers, and leads me through until I hook up the cable.  Then it stops, there are no more prompts on the screen.  The cable I'm using is from Intellimover, so it should work, right?  

  9. kw35763
    Posted on: April 16, 2007 at 9:24AM  

    I have the same problem.  I used the CD that came with the Belkin cable on the XP machine.  Followed the instructions and after I hook up the cable to both machines, nothing else happens.  Do I need to disable any software, such as virus, spyware software?

  10. kw35763
    Posted on: April 19, 2007 at 9:23AM  

    This fix to this is to disable any spyware software, anti-virus software and the XP firewall.  There is no need to do the same on the Vista pc.  Belkin also recommended that the network card on the XP machine be disabled due to possible conflicts between the network card and the USB cable.

Trackbacks

  1. Posted by: julianhopkins.net on May 26, 2007 at 7:00AM

    Since I left my old job, I had to buy a new notebook. I have used Compaq and HP for the last four years, but frankly kept having niggling problems that prompted me to look elsewhere. Cost is also an issue, and looking around I found that the best price/q

  2. Posted by: The Windows Experience Blog on June 29, 2007 at 6:13AM

    Robert McLaws is letting folks know the beta of Windows Easy Transfer Companion is available at Microsoft.com.

  3. Posted by: How hard will it be to move to the Windows 7 Release Candidate? | Ed Bott’s Microsoft Report | ZDNet.com on April 12, 2009 at 10:56PM

    Pingback from  How hard will it be to move to the Windows 7 Release Candidate? | Ed Bott’s Microsoft Report | ZDNet.com

Recent Posts

Tags

View more
© Copyright 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.   |   Privacy Statement