New Windows XP data transfer tool and end of support notifications

Hi there.

Forgive my being obtuse here but what does this actually DO that Windows explorer or a program like Acronis can't do already ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE FASTER using a usb stick / drive (and you get a backup too)-- you aren't copying APPLICATIONS but only DATA (inc music etc)

This IMO can be accomplished far more easily and quickly via these sorts of programs -- also by using something like a USB stick / drive you've also got a BACKUP too of your files / data.

The laplink method over any sort of network - using Wireless which is what I would imagine most people who would probably use the laplink method will take HOURS if not days - assuming they have any sort of decent size video / music collections.

Ms would have done far better to have come to an arrangement with Acronis / Macrium or whatever to provide a limited free version of these programs (rather like you get when buying some types of external USB portable drives).

Technical users or most users on these forums will probably have LAN (wired connections) but the average joe will be reliant on Wi-Fi -- and even with a decent Wi-Fi system try and see how long it takes to copy 300 GB data for example.

Incidentally in any case - even on an XP system you should ALWAYS HAVE BACKUP -- and if you already have backed up your data simply restore it to the new machine (Data here - not applications as this process isn't for upgrading the OS).

Seems to me this hobbled laplink software is about as useful as a chocolate teapot. They obviously want you to buy the PRO version which works with a cable --even here though IMO you are better off with a decent backup program.


(Finally in any case you can use IE itself for FTP if you really want to copy files from one computer to another using this type of method - or even any old free FTP program so the whole piece of software is totally redundant anyway. However using a transfer via a USB stick / drive is simply the quickest and easiest for most people and this of course doesn't require any sort of LAN and can be done without having to connect the computers together (another sort of issue for non technical people).

Cheers
jimbo

jimbo45 said:

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...what does this actually DO that Windows explorer ... can't do already...
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...but the average joe will be reliant on Wi-Fi ...

In other forums that I frequent, members (average Joes?) have a hard time grasping the abstract concept of folder structures. They open Word, create a document and save it wherever Word saves stuff. They would not know how to find their documents via Windows Explorer. And they would never be able to find/transfer IE's Favorites and the Favorites bar.

This transfer tool seems to handle finding the files (as long as the files are in the correct location?) and putting them into the new* folder structure.

*users vs. documents and settings

As far as the idea of backing up files... that too is beyond lots of users.


Along the same lines, I was helping a person to stop using Word as I described above. I wanted this user to get used Windows Explorer. The next day, I get an e-mail asking me "why the info at the top is different from the info in the window". It took a few e-mails before I realized that this user had discovered folder aliases (My Documents vs. Documents).

When that user asked my why MS made things so confusing - I had no answer. What could I say?

Computer0304 said:

And isn't this endorsed by Microsoft unlike the others?

Which explains all too clearly why it is so inadequate and useless. What I find odd is that M$ has, in the past, produced tools for this purpose (FASTwiz and Easy Transfer) which are actually pretty good. Why contract this to someone with such a poor track record? I thought Laplink was long gone.