Technique to Transfer Data files from XP to Vista Using XP Hard Drive

Question

ggeoff 4 Junior Poster- 72 years old :)

16 Years Ago

Hi, I have had advice on another forum: http://www.daniweb.com/forums/post512196-3.html that I could transfer my data from my dead XP Pro to a new PC using a powered ATA/IDE to USB 2 connector from my XP system's hard drive to the new machine.

The problem is that the new machine is running Vista Home OS. And that does not have Outlook or Outlook Express it has Windows Mail. I have set up a number of user accounts and would like to be able to provide the existing users with their data files from the XP machine.

Can anyone suggest the best way to do this. Apart from Office 2003 data files which could be simply copied the main problem would seem to be the email PSD files

windows-vista-7-8

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Latest Post 15 Years Ago Latest Post by pnorten462

hughv 104 Veteran Poster

16 Years Ago

I've never liked those transfer programs because they're slow and confusing.
I bet you'll find those files in some new identity in Docs and Settings that you didn't mean to create. Look there for all (most) of your files.
It's much easier and faster to import the mail and just copy the files.

hughv 104 Veteran Poster

16 Years Ago

visit www.pcmigrationkit.com
There's a great deal on 3 products that will get the job done for you. Plus the products will help keep Visat and/or XP running smooth.

I'd hesitate to spend $80.00 for software that is only used once and is completely
unnecessary. A clean install sounds much better to me.

hughv 104 Veteran Poster

16 Years Ago

That's your third post about this software, so I suspect that there's a profit motive involved here. Care to enlighten us about your real agenda?
This software is unnecessary, unproven and expensive. No sale.

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hughv 104 Veteran Poster · Answer 1 · 2008-01-23T04:51:21+00:00

Hi, I have had advice on another forum: http://www.daniweb.com/forums/post512196-3.html that I could transfer my data from my dead XP Pro to a new PC using a powered ATA/IDE to USB 2 connector from my XP system's hard drive to the new machine.
The problem is that the new machine is running Vista Home OS. And that does not have Outlook or Outlook Express it has Windows Mail. I have set up a number of user accounts and would like to be able to provide the existing users with their data files from the XP machine.
Can anyone suggest the best way to do this. Apart from Office 2003 data files which could be simply copied the main problem would seem to be the email PSD files

Just find the appropriate .wab (OE) files or the .pst Outlook) files and use the Windows mail import function.

http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/26079ffc-a56f-46aa-b1e8-fcfc9f60be4b1033.mspx

ggeoff 4 Junior Poster- 72 years old :) · Answer 2 · 2008-01-24T20:44:19+00:00

Thanks hughv
As i have the hard drive out I thought I would try to use Windows Easy File Transfer. Several hours later! It completed, but I can't find any files on the new PC. I have tried to find any large files using the 100files program from www.files.net but can't find anything very large that might account for the lost space. The copied files seem to have disappeared. Although the new 500GB hard drive on the Visa machine has used 124GB of space. I also reinstalled Office 2003.

I'll now do what you suggested!

geoff

ggeoff 4 Junior Poster- 72 years old :) · Answer 3 · 2008-01-26T02:44:17+00:00

Thanks hughv, I located the appropriate file and was to told I do not have permission! So I copied the file to a jumpdrive and used that without any problems.
I have not managed to spend any time locating where the files in the Easy File Transfer went, but will report when I do so.

Valda Hilley 0 Newbie Poster · Answer 4 · 2008-01-27T22:47:33+00:00

visit www.pcmigrationkit.com

There's a great deal on 3 products that will get the job done for you. Plus the products will help keep Visat and/or XP running smooth.

Valda Hilley 0 Newbie Poster · Answer 5 · 2008-01-27T23:19:52+00:00

On the contrary... the products can be used beyond getting your files moved that one time.

You'll probably install and uninstall products over the life of your system, Your Uninstaller is good for that. And partitioning hard drives, as well as deframenting and all the other hard drive maintenance is something that needs to be a part of on going maintenance. PC mover, beyond the initial move, is a good tool to take applications off your system to install again when you want complete with all the settings you want.

I'd hesitate to spend $80.00 for software that is only used once and is completely
unnecessary. A clean install sounds much better to me.

ggeoff 4 Junior Poster- 72 years old :) · Answer 6 · 2008-01-28T01:10:32+00:00

visit www.pcmigrationkit.com
There's a great deal on 3 products that will get the job done for you. Plus the products will help keep Visat and/or XP running smooth.

Thanks for the suggestion but my problem, that Hughv has solved for me was that the PC was inaccessible due to a heat sink bracket failure and I needed to get the data off the hard drive on to a new PC that is a Vista machine.

There is no information, on the quoted website, about whether pcmigration kit could solve that particular problem.

I am also concerned that 'The Terms of Use' for the software is not posted on the website. The relevant webpage just has a message 'coming soon'.

pnorten462 -1 Newbie Poster · Answer 7 · 2008-12-17T17:42:54+00:00

Hi friend,
you could install the old hard drive as a slave in the new machine - setting the jumper to slave. However, unless you have a lot of stuff in My Documents, wouldn't it be easier to back the stuff up to a flash drive or external hard drive?And yes, you could use the old hard drive for storage after formatting.