A Look at Improvements to Windows Easy Transfer for Win

[z3r010]

Windows Easy Transfer is an application designed to help people move their important files, user accounts, and application settings from their old PC to a new PC. The new version of Windows Easy Transfer for Windows 7 comes with improvements based on feedback received from Windows Vista customers. I wanted to take a closer look at these improvements.

For the new version of Windows Easy Transfer, people can move their files from PCs running Windows XP and Windows Vista.

NOTE: For the Windows 7 RC, Windows Easy Transfer can also be used to move files from a Windows 7 Beta PC to a PC running the Windows 7 RC.



The first thing people will likely notice about the new version of Windows Easy Transfer is that is has an updated, cleaner and much simpler UI.

People can transfer files 1 of 3 ways:

• Using a Windows Easy Transfer Cable (direct PC-to-PC)
• Over a network
• External hard drive

Many folks have PCs in their homes that are used by multiple family members and thus may also have multiple user profiles. The new version of Windows Easy Transfer detects all user profiles on a single PC and allows customers to pick and choose which of the user profiles they want to transfer files from. The idea behind enabling this scenario is that it permits users to “split” a PC. For example, let’s say a family PC becomes a kids-only PC after the purchase of a new laptop for the parents. With the selectivity Windows Easy Transfer now offers, selected user profiles can be migrated to one PC and other user profiles can be transferred to another. The UI also displays the size for each user profile.



Windows Easy Transfer also allows for enhanced selectivity of what is to be transferred. It is now possible to see every file that is selected for the migration and make changes on a per file basis. Do you have a big file (like a video) you don’t want to transfer to your new PC? You can now prevent that file from being transferred.



The same “enhanced selectivity” I spoke about above for gathering files also applies when restoring files. It is now possible to see every file that is pending restoration and make changes on a per file basis. Did you include a file in the transfer that you don’t want to migrate to your new PC? No problem – just deselect that file.



We are also introducing a new feature with this version: Windows Easy Transfer Reports. Any time after a migration has been completed it is now possible to view a report that details everything that was moved during the migration, where it was moved to, and a list of programs that were installed on the old PC complete with links for more information including where to re-download if possible.





If you are an IT professional and have multiple PCs you would like to migrate, check out the User State Migration Tool for Windows 7 and new features like hard-link migration and migration from windows.old. 

Give Windows Easy Transfer a try if you haven’t already!

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More...

 

[DocBrown]

Nice info.

Iused this to move from Beta 7000 to Rc 7100, very smooth with an external USB hard drive.

 

[Digger]

one other tidbit is that if you forget to create the original user account on the new install/pc, it will prompt you to then make and associate the old account with a new created account. So you could still change your named user account to something different instead of the same, if desired. Other than that, i'm a long time back-er-upper, first time user, and all went smooth for me, pleasantly shocked

 

[seano]

I have used this tool twice now for rebuilds - putting the data onto another HDD. In both cases it has run very smoothly, and has certainly saved a whole lot of time with migration of user data, settings etc etc. Pleasantly surprised also!

 

[turbomcp]

very cool stuff

didnt know you can do that on offline files windows moved
cool.
one question to the poster above me
you migrated from xp or form 7 to 7?
what do you mean by moved data to another hd? you moved the data to it or the hardlink store to it?
thanks

 

[seano]

didnt know you can do that on offline files windows moved
cool.
one question to the poster above me
you migrated from xp or form 7 to 7?
what do you mean by moved data to another hd? you moved the data to it or the hardlink store to it?
thanks

I used the tool for migration from 7 to 7 - just moved it all to another internal HDD.

 

[turbomcp]

I used the tool for migration from 7 to 7 - just moved it all to another internal HDD.

but you used hardlinks or just userstate(usmt) in general?

 

[XGUNTHERC]

Can I use easy transfer to transfer files from one internal HD to another. the first one having Vista. and send it all to Win 7?

 

[Jonmor68]

Can I use easy transfer to transfer files from one internal HD to another. the first one having Vista. and send it all to Win 7?

You could , but unless you plan to get rid of Vista, why would you want to? if you want to use data files in both Vista & W7 just add the folders to the W7 Library, love that feature.
You will need to take ownership in both, but that's no bigie, you can always ask for more help if you get stuck.

 

[brummyfan]

Thanks John, I have never realised this App.existed in Vista. When I typed "Windows Easy Transfer" in the start orb, it started. Very handy tool indeed.

 

[Snufffed]

What a life saver this thread is... I really appreciate all the links and info here.
I think by reading this and what was on Technet MS site on easy filetransfer. I can
afford to buy Win7 Home Premium $50.00 and then transfer all my Vista Ultimate files-settings and data to the new system.

Any way makes sense to me that it is POSSIBLE.

 

[Old Guy]

Hi,

Tried all of the above. Thinking of taking HD (160gig Maxtor ATA) instaling into new computer with Windows 7, then internally transfer to new HD (SamsungHD502HI) 500gig. Whadda' you think?

Old Guy

 

[Mark Phelps]

Unless they've dramatically changed how this works, it does NOT transfer applications. There used to be something called the Windows Easy Transfer Companion, which DID transfer applications. It was an MS rebranding of an earlier application of the name Alohabob PC Relocator.

From what was posted here, it looks like the Companion part is no longer available.

 

[Old Guy]

I have all the apps loaded into windows 7; work great. Whadda' you think about installing old hard drive into new computer , then copyer to new 500 gig hd?.. OR.........subscribing to "Go To My Pc" and transfer via their system?

Thanks.

Paul

 

[Mark Phelps]

Copying files will work -- as long as you know exactly what to copy and where to copy it to. Using a transfer app makes this a lot easier to do.

As to Copy My PC, don't have any experience with that.

 

[Burgurne]

I used it to transfer settings aso from RC to 7229, and it worked almost 100%.
I use Windows Live Mail, but the mailprogram itself did not come along in the transferfile. After installing it in 7229, I was totally surprised to see, that all my settings and accounts from RC was there in Windows Live Mail :shock:, including my adress-book.

 

[Muad Dib]

I used it to transfer settings aso from RC to 7229, and it worked almost 100%.
I use Windows Live Mail, but the mailprogram itself did not come along in the transferfile. After installing it in 7229, I was totally surprised to see, that all my settings and accounts from RC was there in Windows Live Mail :shock:, including my adress-book.

That is because Live Mail is an IMAP server. The email, contacts and calendars are maintained on the server and mirrored on the desktop (or vice versa depending on your viewpoint ). When you installed Live Mail on 7229 and logged in, the desktop Live Mail was synchronized to the server Live Mail.

It is this feature that allows Live Mail to be accessed/updated from remote points via any pc with Internet access (your work computer) or a portable device (Blackberry) and all remote activity will be updated on your desktop when you get home.

It really is pretty nice for people on the move.

 

[SSubZero]

I used this over the weekend. The hard drive I bought to put Win7 on was acting up and giving some errors and stutter, so on a whim I used the Easy Transfer thing to back everything up, nuked the drive, exchanged it, re-installed Win7, then did the Easy Transfer restore. It did a really good job. While it doesn't transfer apps, after the restore it will tell you what apps it thinks you need to reinstall, probably derived from registry settings.

 

[Old Guy]

Thanks. I am out to buy a 4gig usb thumb drive. Tried with a lower capacity; works slick. Thanks for help
Paul

 

[y70ll0p]

Print the results of "easy tranfer wizard"

How can you print out the 'Easy Transfer Report' other than "Cut and Paste"? If there are a large number of issues (i.e. files that did not tranfer, programs that did not transfer, etc) how do you get a printout in order to help you work though those issues?
Unless I've missed something, it seems a significant ommission that the report cannot be printed. Any suggestions please?