Moving Day for That Vista Machine
- From: "Jim Higgins" <gordian238@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 19 Apr 2007 12:41:24 -0400
Moving Day for That Vista Machine
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/19/technology/19basics.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print
BUYING a new computer is a lot like buying or renting a new home. First you
have to pick it out and pay for it, and then you have to move your stuff.
And as if PC moving day weren't hard enough, most people now faced with this
task have to migrate from an older version of Windows to the new Windows
Vista, which typically stores user files in different folders from previous
versions.
Fortunately, there are a number of tools to copy folders and files from one
machine to another. The Windows Easy File Transfer program that comes with
Vista can help migrate program settings while Laplink's PCMover can migrate
settings and try to move your software.
Before settling on a moving tool, consider how you want to set up your new
PC. One strategy is simply to copy your data files from one machine to
another and reconfigure everything from scratch. That might mean losing all
your browser bookmarks and desktop icons and having to re-enter your e-mail
settings, but it also means you get a fresh start with your new machine.
When it comes to moving software, simply copying program files from one
Windows machine to another rarely works because most programs have to be
properly installed before they will run. With the exception of PC Mover,
none of the products I tested even try to move programs, but they will move
your pictures, documents, music and other data, and in some cases your
program settings.
For software, the most reliable plan is to install your programs from their
original CDs or DVDs or by downloading them from the Internet. If your
programs (like recent versions of Microsoft Office) require activation
before they work, you can try reactivating them over the Internet, but the
program vendor's antipiracy policies might prevent that. In most cases you'll
get a phone number to call so you can explain that you're taking an old
machine out of service and moving the software to a new one.
Although most of the tools' creators say they "move" files, what they are
really doing is copying them, leaving the original machine as it was. Unless
you plan to keep the original machine in your possession, you should be
certain to use software that permanently deletes files before you give it
away, sell it or recycle it.
One way to get files to the new machine is to connect the two machines by a
wired or wireless local area network and use built-in Windows tools to copy
files. You can also back up the old machine to an external hard drive, CDs
or DVDs and restore them to the new machine - or you can create an ad hoc
network of sorts by connecting the two machines with a cable designed
specifically to move files.
One advantage to using an external drive to move files from one machine to
another is that you'll have a backup of your data when you're done and can
continue to use that drive to back up data from the new machine. Also, the
machines don't have to be in the same location - handy if you're setting up
the new PC in a different room from the old one.
For $210 you can buy a 500-gigabyte Maxtor Personal Storage external U.S.B.
drive that comes with backup-and-restore software. Other options include a
160-gigabyte U.S.B. drive from SimpleTech ($100). These drives have software
that can back up data from your old machine and restore it to your new one -
or, to make things simple, you can use Windows Explorer to copy your data
directories to the external drive and from the drive to your new PC.
Seagate's new line of FreeAgent U.S.B. 2.0 drives it calls "data movers,"
starting at $110 for an 80-gigabyte version, allow you not only to move data
between machines, but also to run programs from one computer on another
without having to copy programs, data or configuration files between them.
If you have a wired or wireless Ethernet network, you can use the network to
copy files from one machine to the other. Networking two or more Vista
machines is pretty easy, and while it is possible to network a Vista machine
to one running Windows XP or an earlier operating system, getting it to work
properly with XP can be tricky. If you do use a network, you have to give
the two operating systems permission to share the appropriate folders, then
drag the folders from one machine to the other.
Vista comes with a data and settings migration program called Windows Easy
Transfer that you can use with a cable, a network, CDs, DVDs or an external
drive to transfer files and settings between Windows XP and Vista (or files
only from Windows 2000). When you run the program you get a message telling
you that it can be used to transfer "user accounts, folders and files,
program settings, Internet settings and favorites and e-mail settings,
contacts and messages," but that's not entirely correct.
Although it works with some third-party programs, don't count on it to copy
settings from all non-Microsoft browsers, e-mail programs or other software
or to find documents that aren't where Windows expects them to be. It didn't
copy settings from the latest version of Firefox, and it was necessary to
use an advanced configuration to have it copy documents stored in the
directories I set up myself. On the plus side, it will automatically copy
documents stored in XP's default folders to the appropriate folders on
Vista.
Machines with earlier operating systems don't come with Windows Easy
Transfer, but when you run the program on your Vista machine it will create
the necessary software for you to copy to a removable drive for installation
on your XP or Windows 2000 machine.
If you're not using removable media or a local area network, you'll need a
cable to connect the machines. Microsoft recommends the Easy Transfer Cable
for Windows Vista from Belkin ($40), which comes with a CD-ROM with software
for your older machine along with an eight-foot U.S.B. cable with some
electronics to speed the transfer. As with all transfer strategies, how long
it takes depends on the number and size of your files as well as any
software or disk activity running that can slow the process. It can easily
take an hour or longer.
Laplink's PCMover software ($60 with a cable or $50 for download version)
works with Windows versions going back to Windows 95. In addition to moving
files and settings, it also moves your software. As with the Microsoft
product, you can use it with a network, external media or a cable.
After installing the software on both machines and connecting the cables, it
took about three hours to migrate software, data and settings from my XP
machine to a new Vista PC. While the software did move all my program files,
not all of the programs worked right away.
Microsoft Office, for example, required me to insert the original CD-ROM to
validate that it was a legitimate copy. A program I use to connect to a
virtual private network moved over nicely, but the necessary configuration
didn't work on the new machine. By the time I finished getting everything
working, it might have been just as easy to reinstall my programs.
When it comes to copying data, I found the Tornado to be the simplest and
fastest approach because it was extremely easy to install. The $60 transfer
device consists of an oval box (approximately 4 1/2 by 3 by 1 inch) with a
retractable U.S.B. cable on each end. The Tornado doesn't even come with a
CD; the software it needs to transfer files is stored on its own flash
memory and is automatically installed on both computers as soon as they are
connected to it.
While setup and installation are automatic, you do have to select the
folders you wish to copy, so you will need to know where your old machine
stores its data files and where Vista expects them to be. A list of
frequently asked questions on the company's Web site documents all that.
As with any other move, it will take some time before you feel comfortable,
so never try to configure a new PC or upgrade an old one just before a
deadline. No matter how much thought you put into the process, there will
always be some application you forgot to copy over, or a file you'll need to
hunt for. Kind of like that set of towels from your old home that you still
haven't unearthed.
--
I am extraordinarily patient, provided I get my own way in the end.
- Margaret Thatcher
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