Inside the Windows 7 Easy Transfer Utility
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Inside the Windows 7 Easy Transfer Utility
Inside the Windows 7 Easy Transfer Utility
By Ed Bott
rnrnWindows 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.
rnrnFor more details, see How hard will it be to move to the Windows 7 Release Candidate?
Choose your transfer method
Choose your transfer method
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rnrnThe two options at the top of this dialog box are appropriate when you’re moving from an old PC to brand-new hardware. When you’re doing a fresh Windows install on the same hardware, use the final option shown here.
rnrnFor more details, see How hard will it be to move to the Windows 7 Release Candidate?
Old PC or new?
Old PC or new?
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rnrnThe option shown here can be confusing if you’re doing a reinstallation of Windows 7 on the same hardware. Think of your current Windows installation as the “old” PC and the fresh install as the “new” PC.
rnrnFor more details, see How hard will it be to move to the Windows 7 Release Candidate?
What's going to be transferred?
What's going to be transferred?
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rnrnThe first thing Windows Easy Transfer does is inventory existing files and give you an estimate of how much will be transferred. Click the Customize link to adjust these settings.
rnrnFor more details, see How hard will it be to move to the Windows 7 Release Candidate?
Customize what gets transferred
Customize what gets transferred
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rnrnWhen you click Customize, you see a list like this one. Clear a checkbox to prevent that item from being saved in the Easy Transfer file. If you have multiple drives, click Advanced to specify any files or folders that you want to omit from the transfer.
rnrnFor more details, see How hard will it be to move to the Windows 7 Release Candidate?
All files and settings saved
All files and settings saved
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rnrnThe green check marks to the left of each category indicate that Windows Easy Trancfer has saved all the files and settings you specified earlier.
rnrnFor more details, see How hard will it be to move to the Windows 7 Release Candidate?
First part of the transfer complete
First part of the transfer complete
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rnrnThis confirmation dialog box lets you know the filename and location where your files and settings have been saved. You can now do a clean installation of Windows.
rnrnFor more details, see How hard will it be to move to the Windows 7 Release Candidate?
Beginning the restore operation
Beginning the restore operation
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rnrnAfter Windows setup is complete, start Windows Easy Transfer again and specify that this is your new PC. Click Yes to open a dialog box where you can select the file containing your saved files and settings.
rnrnFor more details, see How hard will it be to move to the Windows 7 Release Candidate?
Opening the Easy Transfer file
Opening the Easy Transfer file
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rnrnUse this dialog box to specify the location of the file you saved earlier. Note in this case that the drive letter of the external drive changed (from I: to G:) with the new Windows installation.
rnrnFor more details, see How hard will it be to move to the Windows 7 Release Candidate?
Choose what gets transferred
Choose what gets transferred
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rnrnThis dialog box is amirror image of the one you sed when saving files and settings earlier. In most cases, you’ll want to accept the defaults and restore everything you saved.
rnrnFor more details, see How hard will it be to move to the Windows 7 Release Candidate?
Customize restore settings
Customize restore settings
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rnrnIf for some reason you decide you don’t want to restore every saved file and setting for a specific account, click Customize and clear the check boxes shown here. Note that Program Setgtings and Windows Settings are all-or-nothing propositions; you can’t choose specific settings to transfer or omit.
rnrnFor more details, see How hard will it be to move to the Windows 7 Release Candidate?
Map one user account to another
Map one user account to another
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rnrnNormally, Windows Easy Transfer migrates settings and files from each account on your old PC to a matching account on the new one. If you want files and settings from one user accounts on your old PC to be transferred to a different account on the new PC, use this Advanced dialog box.
rnrnFor more details, see How hard will it be to move to the Windows 7 Release Candidate?
Transfer in progress
Transfer in progress
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rnrnAs the transfer progresses, you can see how much has been transferred and get an estimate of time remaining. If any errors occur, click the View Errors link to see details and resolve them.
rnrnFor more details, see How hard will it be to move to the Windows 7 Release Candidate?
Transfer complete
Transfer complete
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rnrnWhen Windows Easy Transfer completes its restoration, it offers to diaplay two reports. This is a good time to check the top report and ensure that there were no unforeseen problems.
rnrnFor more details, see How hard will it be to move to the Windows 7 Release Candidate?
Get details about the restore operation
Get details about the restore operation
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rnrnThe report shown here offers a summary of what Widnows Easty Transfer did. Click the Details link for any category to get a more in-depth report.
rnrnFor more details, see How hard will it be to move to the Windows 7 Release Candidate?
Get details about what was transferred
Get details about what was transferred
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rnrnThe detailed transfer reports can run on and on. Note that clicking the column headings here allows you to sort the listing by that column.
rnrnFor more details, see How hard will it be to move to the Windows 7 Release Candidate?
Ready to begin reinstalling programs
Ready to begin reinstalling programs
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rnrnAlas, the one thing that Windows Easy Transfer can’t do is reinstall programs for you. Insgtead, it displays this complete list of every program that was installed on your old PC. If the software developer supplied links for more information (including downloads) you can click them here.
rnrnFor more details, see How hard will it be to move to the Windows 7 Release Candidate?
