Windows 7: File Transfer from XP to Windows 7

I recently backed up my files from my last computer which was running windows xp onto an external hard drive using the files and settings transfer wizard. The files were compressed onto my hard drive as .dat files. Now, when I attempt to restore the files onto my new computer running windows 7, the files are not recognized under.

My last computer is crashed and out of commision. I do not know which service pack it was running.

Any tips on how I can recover my old files?

You could take the old drive out of the old system and put it in a USB adapter and get all your files off it. That is if that drive is still any good.

im pretty sure that drive is corrupted. any software that can recognize the .dat files and transfer their contents into the original format maybe?

Type "Transfer" in the start menu search. You will then be presented with "Transfer files from another computer" follow the wizard.

If that does not work try 7zip on the files.

thats what i used, it wont recognize the .dat files from my external. i think its because xp was running windows 32 bit, and my new comp. is running 7 in 64 bit

You need to know the program which created the .dat files - was it a backup program? That is the program which needs to be installed to open them.

Once you determine which program was used to compress the files, install it's 64 bit version to open or extract them. If the program isn't available in 64 bit use a 32 bit OS to do it.

If you compressed the drive itself, decompress it in the Properties box.

How to read and open .DAT files in Windows

the program that i used was the "Files and Settings Transfer Wizard" included with windows xp. the external hard drive is not compressed, but the files were compressed into the .dat files on the external. do you know if there is a link to download that program in 64 bit?

Read through the results to find your solution: Files and Settings Transfer Wizard - Google Search

are you kidding me? maybe i should have gone with a mac

No I am not kidding. This is how troubleshooting is done.

Do you expect someone here to read all of the results for you, just to get to the answer for what happens when you don't research whether the built-in XP transfer tool won't work from Windows 7? It should have been done beforehand.

Let's hope someone who knows happens by, or maybe someone will do the work for you.