Recipe 4.13. Moving a New Microsoft Application to Another Windows XP System

Problem

You want to move a Microsoft application from one Windows XP system to another because you want to be able to reuse your settings on the new system. If you merely installed the application on the new system, you would lose all of your settings.

Solution

Using a graphical user interface

1. Install the software on your new PC.

2. Connect the old and the new PC, either over a network, or via a null modem serial cable, which you can find at computer stores or online retailers.

3. On the PC that has the settings you want to transfer, run the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard by choosing Start All Programs Accessories System Tools Files and Settings Transfer Wizard.

4. Click Next on the introductory screen, then from the following screen choose Old computer, and click Next.

5. On the Select a transfer method screen that appears, choose the method you're using to connect the two computers (direct cable, network, etc.). If you choose a network, or Other, select the folder location on your new PC where you want to transfer the settings. Click Next.

   

   In some instances, if you choose a network as the way to transfer your settings, the wizard will not be able to recognize the network. If that happens, choose Other. That will let you browse through your network for a location, even though the Network choice didn't recognize your network.

   
   

6. The "What do you want to transfer" screen appears next, as shown in Figure 4-9. You can choose to transfer settings, files, or both files and settings. Make your choice.

7. You now have to choose what settings to transfer. The default is settings for applications and Windows such as taskbar options and Outlook Express, specific folders such as Desktop, Fonts, My Documents, and My Pictures, and file type associations (what files open with what programs). To add or remove settings, select the "Let me select a custom of files and settings" checkbox, and then click Next.

   Figure 4-9. You can transfer all the files and settings found by the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard, or else select from a custom list of your own

   
   
   

8. From the screen that appears, add new files and settings, or remove existing ones. Click Next when you're done.

9. The wizard will gather the files and settings, and save them in the location you've chosen. Click Finish when you're done.

10. Go to the computer onto which you're going to transfer the settings. If you've copied the settings to a removable disk, put the removable disk in its drive.

11. Run the run the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard on the computer onto which you're transferring settings.

12. Click Next on the introductory screen, then from the following screen choose New computer, and click Next.

13. From the screen that appears, choose "I don't need the Wizard Disk. I have already collected my files and settings from my old computer." Click Next and Next again from the screen that appears.

14. From the screen that appears, choose the location where the wizard should look for your settings, for example, direct cable connection, floppy drive, or other. Use other if you've saved it to a removable drive, network drive, or to a location on your new PC. If you choose other, browse to the location of where you saved your settings. Select the folder where the data is stored.

15. Click Next. The wizard will gather your settings and apply them. When it's done, click Next and then Finish. Your settings are now transferred to your new computer.

Discussion

The wizard only transfers settings, not the application itself. So you have to remember to first install the application on the new computer before running the wizard. Simply copying the program's folders, files, and executables from your old computer to your new computer won't work, because there may be Registry settings the program requires, as well as DLLs and other files that it may have installed in folders that you don't know about.

Keep in mind that the File and Settings Transfer Wizard works with Microsoft applications, but with only a very few non-Microsoft applications. So don't count on using it if you want to transfer settings for any applications other than those written by Microsoft.

See Also

For more details about using the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard, see http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/expert/crawford_november12.mspx

PCmover from LapLink (http://www.laplink.com/products/pcmover/overview.asp) will move entire applications and settings from one PC to another, as will Alohabob PC Relocator (http://www.alohabob.com).