Inside the Windows 7 Easy Transfer Utility

by Ed Bott  |  April 12, 2009 3:45pm PDT  |  Image 1 of 17

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Inside the Windows 7 Easy Transfer Utility

By Ed Bott

Windows 7 includes a utility called Windows Easy Transfer that allows you to migrate files and settings from an old PC to a new one. You can also use it to save files and settings from your current Windows installation so that you can restore them after performing a clean Windows installation.

For more details, see How hard will it be to move to the Windows 7 Release Candidate?
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Drive restrictions in EasyTransfer
dcrane@... 9th Jan
My old XP PC has drives C: and D: The new Windows 7 PC has just one hard drive with a partition (C:) plus the manufacturer's restore partition (D:).

Easy transfer is brain dead and insists on transferring C: to C: and D: to D: How do I combat this idiocy?
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Windows 7 transfer
nalanw 13th Apr 2009
First of all I would not use the easy transfer system. I would simply install the old hard drive into my new computer set it as a slave. Then I would just copy files as I needed them. As far as IE is concerned I would import my book marks. I would run all my software from the old hard drive as drive letter D:\ and the Cd-Rom would now be E:\ and if there were any virtual drives they would assume the next availablr drive letter. There would be no need to select which files I would transfer. I hope the file manager utility in Windows 7 can read the old hard drive. Once the old hard Drive was installed it will boot from c:\. So I have not lost any of my files. Worse comes to worse I would use a flash drive. If microsoft should have made it backwards compatable to all of the software unless MS forgot to include the abilty to run software mode in old windows X versions as I have now with XP. I know my method is not what some people want, but my old drive is only 20 gigs. Not much of big drive, bbut then again I have been using it since 2001 and it has gotten me bu so far. The size of a hard drive for me should not have to exceed 60 gigs to satisfy me. I am not sure how many people spend all there time download big DVD movies but I did see recently a laptop by Sony offering a 288 gig drive. My word all the salesforce now spend there free time downloading from porn sites so their wives won't find out, yikes. What has this world come to anyway, and besides MS will release this Version like all others 1 yr early so they can get a market share and use the revenue for Service packs or bug fixes or continous udates that seem to last forever.

Well that is only my opinin, and that and 3.50 will get you a cup of coffee.
Thanks for letting me have my say... PS That is why MS is the biggest target for all the new viruses and now conflicker worm.
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Windows Easy Transfer
mustang_z 11th May 2009
I used Windows Easy Transfer with the appropriate cable, and all my settings, document, emails, photo, videos, favorites, programs even (though these must be reinstalled to be registered and to run) where transfered in a surprisingly short time! I was able to do everything in less than a day, which includes reinstalling all my programs. I got the best results by letting it do the recommeded default transfer - had problems when doing a custom transfer.

My transfer was from a Vista 32-bit computer to a Vista 64-bit new system, so the custom transfer might of had problems because of the difference in OS versions. Don't know. But recommended, default transfer worked flawlessly.

I would definitely use Windows 7 Transfer if I wanted to move data from an old computer to a new one. I've done it by hand, as you suggest, many times before, and it is an absolute pain! Never again!!
Its look easy. I'll try and then will see.
Will Windows Easy Transfer actually transfer installed programs from the old computer?
is there a way of doing this over network there must be have not tried yet
I am just a little curious about whether or how Easy Transfer handles registry data entries. Does Easy Transfer only transfer data/settings files? What about program files/registry files? I am running XP and would like to virtually clone my current "C" drive (except o/s). Is this an easy task?
0 Votes
+ -
My old XP PC has drives C: and D: The new Windows 7 PC has just one hard drive with a partition (C:) plus the manufacturer's restore partition (D:).

Easy transfer is brain dead and insists on transferring C: to C: and D: to D: How do I combat this idiocy?

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ie8 fix

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