I received a great new Windows XP machine , I love it, but I'm having a hard time getting it all set up. How can I get all my files and software from my old machine onto the new one? I've transferred some of my smaller files via floppy disk, but I'm not sure how to get the rest transferred. I know there's no simple answer, but any tips anyone could give would be greatly appreciated.

   Windows XP comes equipped with a utility called the "Files and Settings Transfer Wizard," designed to facilitate the movement of both documents and personal settings from your old computer to the new one. Thanks to this utility, transferring everything, from the entire contents of your My Documents folder to your network and/or dial-up connections data, screensaver, and display preferences to your Web browser and e-mail client customizations, is simplified. As long as your old computer is running a Microsoft operating system from Windows 95 or later, you should be able to run the wizard without trouble.

Unfortunately, this tool will still require you to manually install many of the programs in your old computer onto your new one. As implied in its name, the Windows XP "Files and Settings Transfer Wizard" will transfer some program files and program settings, but it will not install programs. Still, the wizard is arguably one of the more pragmatic approaches to the task at hand - and you already have it in your PC.

Understand, you might be better off manually installing programs onto your new computer for a number of reasons:

1. Clean installations of software repair files that might have become corrupted over time - possibly solving subtle software conflicts present in your old computer.
2. You are likely to be notified of updates, fixes and new program versions during installation. It's possible to transfer everything from your old computer, only to end up having to update a significant number of programs right away!
3. Transferring a program also transfers all of the junk left behind by previous upgrades. A clean installation avoids this problem, and keeps your new hard drive from collecting junk right away.
4. Some of the programs in your old PC - or newer versions of them - might already be installed in your new PC.
5. Programs copied from backup disks and drive images (clones) might not actually be installed, and the missing registry entries might prevent you from starting them, uninstalling them, or both.
6. Reinstalling software gives you a chance to determine whether some programs are truly needed, or simply taking up space in your hard drive. There's no point in transferring a three year-old copy of Real Player when you listen to your music files through iTunes.

Even if you have to reinstall a bunch of programs manually, doing so will still be less painful and less time-consuming than relying on floppy disks.


Before running the Wizard, there are some measures you can take to get everything ready:

Start by making a list of the programs present in your old computer. You can use it to keep track of what you need to install, as well as to identify entries that might be redundant or completely unnecessary.

Because the Wizard will not install programs but rather merely transfer some of their settings, you should start by installing your firewall, antivirus and other security software, as well as programs that you frequently use. As you'll see later, the Wizard will alert you to any other programs that ought to be present in your new computer if their settings are to be transferred.

Next, you need to decide on the physical means by which the data will move from your old computer to the new one. The best choice for moving large amounts of data is a network. In the absence of a network, your best bet would be connecting the computers directly using a null modem serial cable. You can find this inexpensive cable at electronics stores and those carrying office and computer supplies, such as Comp USA and Staples.

A third option would be using removable media such as CD-Rs and DVD-Rs. The Files and Settings Transfer Wizard will essentially back up files from your old computer onto the blank media, then restore them to your new machine. However, this process will be significantly more tedious and time-consuming than using a direct cable, and it should be reserved for situations in which relatively small amounts of data are being migrated.

Once you have settled on a transfer method, make sure the antivirus and antispyware software in your old computer are up to date, and scan the machine thoroughly. There is no reason to migrate infected and worthless files!

Now let's get started.

You can find an excellent discussion on how to use the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard here:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/expert/crawford_november12.mspx

I've distilled some of the information in that and other Knowledge Base articles below. Still, it wouldn't hurt to read that article to get an overview of the task at hand, or to refer to it afterward to help you put everything together.

To run the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard, simply click the START button on your new computer, then click ALL PROGRAMS / ACCESSORIES / SYSTEM TOOLS / FILES AND SETTINGS TRANSFER WIZARD. If you have any questions regarding how to connect your computers before proceeding, click on the appropriate link on the wizard's welcome screen. (The wizard will give you a chance to connect the computers at a later time.) Once you are ready to proceed, click NEXT.

The wizard then asks you whether the computer you are using is the new computer, or the old one. Make sure New Computer is selected, and click NEXT. The wizard will prepare your computer for the next step.

At this point, you are informed that the wizard needs to be run in your old computer as well, and are given the choice to either use your Windows XP CD, or create a Wizard Disk. If your new PC came with a Windows XP CD-ROM, select this option. Otherwise, insert a blank disk in the appropriate drive in order to create a Wizard Disk. Click NEXT to proceed to the Go now to your old computer screen. (You will need to return to this screen once the files are collected from your machine. If at some point you need to install programs on this new PC before their settings can be transferred, close the wizard, install the software, then repeat the above steps to get back to the Go now to your old computer screen.)

Now you are ready to collect files and settings from your old computer. The next steps will vary slightly depending on your previous choice:

If you chose to use a Wizard Disk:

(The following steps are taken from http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306187/en-us)
1. Insert the Wizard Disk into the appropriate drive in your old computer.
2. Click Start, and then click Run.
3. In the Open box, type:drive:Fastwiz
Where drive is the drive that contains the Wizard Disk (such as A:Fastwiz).
4. Click OK
5. On the Welcome to the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard screen, click Next.
6. On the Select a transfer method screen, click the transfer method that you want, then click Next.
7. On the What do you want to transfer? screen, click the selection that you want, and then click Next. I recommend you click on Both files and settings. Note that when you make a selection, a summary of the items to be transferred appears in the Based on your current selection, the following items will be transferred list on the right side of the wizard. If you wish, you can scroll down the list to verify that everything you want (for example, mp3s) will be transferred.
8. The wizard will now collect your files and settings. If you selected a removable media in step 6, you are prompted to insert the media (floppy disk, or other removable media) and then click OK.
9. On the Completing the Collection Phase screen, click Finish.
If you chose to use your Windows XP CD-ROM:

(Instructions taken from http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306186/en-us)

1. Insert the Windows XP CD-ROM into the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive.
2. Right-click Start, click Explore, and then open the Support\Tools folder on the Windows XP CD-ROM.
3. Double-click the Fastwiz.exe file to start the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard.
4. Click Next.
5. Click Old Computer, and then click Next.
6. Click the transfer method that you want to use, for example, floppy drive or other removable media, and then click Next.
7. On the What do you want to transfer? screen, click the selections that you want to transfer, and then click Next.
8. The wizard will now collect your files and settings. If you selected a removable media in step 6, you are prompted to insert the media (floppy disk, or other removable media) and then click OK.
9. Click Finish.

Regardless of the method chosen, the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard may alert you of programs that need to be installed in your new computer before their settings can be transferred. Chances are, some of the entries might be older versions of programs, or software you might not wish to install. If the list contains a program you want, install it in your new computer before proceeding. Otherwise, you can safely ignore the message.

Once the files have been collected, go back to the Go now to your old computer screen on your new computer, and follow the instructions. The wizard will guide you through the rest of the process.

Congratulations! Your new XP computer should now have a familiar feel and look, and contain most if not all of the files present in your old machine.

 

Building an External Drive !
The How's and Why's

If you are like me, there is never enough storage to keep all of your data intact. Many manufacturers offer external hard drives, but you pay a premium to buy them. If you want to save some money and get more storage space—consider building your own device. By doing this, you can custom make your own device and it’s easier than you might think.   Getting Parts   To build your own hard drive, you really just need to buy an external enclosure kit. Companies such as A-Power make them very inexpensively. When choosing a box, you just need to consider how you want to connect it to your computer. The three options you have include: 1) USB 2) Firewire 3) SCSI The USB devices come in two flavors: USB 1.0 and 2.0 devices. The latter supports greater transfer speeds of data between the device and your computer—but don’t waste your money unless your computer can support a USB 2.0 device. Only the newer computers over the past three years have been built with the capabilities of supporting higher speed USB devices. Another caveat you have to consider is that most USB hubs DON’T support USB 2.0 speeds even if they are connected to a computer than can support it. What you need to do is check the computer and the hub to make certain that the manufacturers have listed that they both support USB 2.0 devices. There is a noticeable increase in speed, so it is most definitely worth your time. SCSI devices are somewhat obsolete in most systems. I used to run my Macintosh and PC using a SCSI adapter card because that was a reliable method. Today, you don’t see Macintosh computers with SCSI as a standard feature any more. Adaptec and SIIG are two common manufacturers who build PCI adapter cards for the PC and PCMCIA adapters for your laptop to permit SCSI communications. While this technology has its merits, it is not as common today as either the USB or Firewire equivalents. Like SCSI, several manufacturers build PCI and PCMCIA adapters that enable high speed data transfer through Firewire. Many hard drive enclosures support both USB and Firewire—giving you the option to connect any standard hard drive to your computer. The most common type of hard drive that fits into these enclosures is a standard 3.5” IDE unit. The enclosure is easily opened and includes two connections: 1) IDE Cable 2) Power Adapter It is really as simple as popping the drive right into the enclosure, plugging in the power cables, and connecting it to your PC. Considerations   Remember that your new drive is still unformatted. Formatting your drive so that it's usable, however, is easy enough. When you first connect your new drive to your PC or Macintosh, the computer will recognize the device as new hard drive and ask you to format it. Assuming you are going to be connecting this drive to one or more PCs running the Windows XP Operating System, "NTFS" is the clear choice for the file system you should select for formatting. If you plan to move your new drive between PC and Macintosh systems, "FAT32" might make a better choice for a cross-platform device. Automated Backups   There are a number of automated software backup tools that you can install to backup all of your data to these devices. If you are very worried about your drive, (especially if it is nearing its end of life), you can boot to a special program CD that will allow you to backup your entire C Drive to this unit. If something ever happens that causes your primary drive to fail, all you have to do is take the hard drive out of your external enclosure and install it in your PC. Transporting Large Files   Best of all, nothing beats the price, speed, and capacity of an external hard drive for transporting very large files. If you are someone who deals with very large Photoshop, digital video, music, or PowerPoint files, an external drive lets you quickly store your images and transport them to any other computer. This is not only faster than burning a CD, but provides greater capacity and can be much cheaper in the long run than other storage alternatives. Glossary Universal Serial Bus (USB), an external bus standard that supports data transfer rates of 12 Mbps. A single USB port can be used to connect up to 127 peripheral devices, such as mice, modems, and keyboards. USB also supports Plug-and-Play installation and hot plugging. Firewire, a very fast external bus standard that supports data transfer rates of up to 400Mbps (in 1394a) and 800Mbps (in 1394b). Products supporting the 1394 standard go under different names, depending on the company. Apple, which originally developed the technology, uses the trademarked name FireWire. Other companies use other names, such as i.link and Lynx, to describe their 1394 products. A single 1394 port can be used to connect up 63 external devices. In addition to its high speed, 1394 also supports isochronous data -- delivering data at a guaranteed rate. This makes it ideal for devices that need to transfer high levels of data in real-time, such as video devices. Similarly to USB, 1394 supports both Plug-and-Play and hot plugging, and also provides power to peripheral devices. Small Computer System Interface (SCSI), a parallel interface standard used by Apple Macintosh computers, PCs, and many UNIX systems for attaching peripheral devices to computers. Nearly all Apple Macintosh computers, excluding only the earliest Macs and the recent iMac, come with a SCSI port for attaching devices such as disk drives and printers. SCSI interfaces provide for faster data transmission rates (up to 80 megabytes per second) than standard serial and parallel ports. In addition, you can attach many devices to a single SCSI port, so that SCSI is really an I/O bus rather than simply an interface.

Identity Theft No matter what you do online, there is always a risk that someone could glean enough private information about you to usurp your identity. Your financial credit affects nearly every facet of your life, so in order to maintain control over your information, the following tech tips are in order. There are several types of information that are appealing to thieves: Credit card numbers CW2 security numbers (those 3- or 4- digit codes on the back of your credit cards) Credit reports Social security numbers Driver’s license numbers ATM cards Telephone calling cards Mortgage information Dates of birth Online passwords PIN numbers Home/business addresses E-mail addresses Phone numbers   Compromised Accounts When any of account is compromised, close it immediately. E-mails can “phish” for information about you. If an e-mail sounds like it is from Pay-Pal or your bank telling you there is a security concern, and you should click the embedded link to go the site to correct it, DON’T! These links are often tailored to take you to look-alike Web sites designed to trick you into entering your personal information directly into the malicious hacker’s computer. What you should do instead is open your Web browser and manually type in the link to the Web site you wish to visit to check on your account (don’t ever cut and paste a link). This is the only way you can be reasonably certain you won’t be misdirected to someone waiting to prey on your information. Sometimes it isn’t even your fault. The security at some companies that have your personal information is lax and vulnerable to a malicious hacker attack. Low Tech Backups In any case where you suspect that your information has been stolen, you need to be prepared and to have organized your paper bank records for at least one year. You will need to prove your account balance to the financial institution’s fraud department as soon as possible. Detailed steps to take if your ID is stolen can be found at the following links: The plan to follow if your ID is stolen (FTC document) “When bad things happen to your good name” U.S. Department of Justice ID theft kit Identity Theft Resource Center   Online Passwords The biggest Achilles’ heels are online passwords. To protect yourself, always use combinations of upper and lowercase characters (including symbols and numbers) so that hackers who concentrate on commonly used words in the dictionary won’t guess it easily. Use longer words with more characters and combine two words together with a symbol. You may even want to use words from two different languages so that automated password guessing tools won’t work. Computers aren’t the only way thieves can get your personal information. Telemarketers are often hardworking people, but there are those who are persistent for the wrong purposes. If someone calls you and hassles you to give them your personal information, don’t! Even if they sound legit, you never know to whom you are talking to over the phone. Voice over IP Privacy The Bush Administration is asking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to order Net telephony providers to comply with a law that would permit police to wiretap conversations carried over the Internet. Unlike regular voice calls, where wiretaps would have to physically connect to the line, VoIP could be tapped anywhere at anytime. The problem that forces us to sacrifice our privacy and rights stems from the FBI’s belief that Internet telephone calls are a national security threat that must be countered with new police wiretapping rules. The way this would work is that the FBI would require broadband Internet providers to provide more efficient, standardized surveillance facilities, effectively changing the way Internet providers do business. The reasons for these changes are because a terrorist could potentially use VoIP to circumvent legitimate wiretaps from calls being placed over the Internet. If terrorists can evade lawful electronic surveillance though technology, it puts everyone at risk. The real trick is to find a new way in which to effectively trace Internet phone conversations. The federal government is funding the development of surveillance tools through scientific projects that would allow police to identify whether suspects have been using VoIP to communicate secretly. VoIP communications are hard to track. Think about the great expanse of the Internet where traffic can go literally anywhere. Vonage and ATT phone adapter boxes are portable and can be installed virtually anywhere in the world. You can take your box, plug it into the Internet halfway across the world and still receive calls on your local phone number. Anonymity If that’s not enough, there are a number of services on the net that make your Internet traffic go through a special service that removes all tracing information, making you invisible or anonymous to the world. When such services are used, it becomes almost impossible to wiretap a call. The only way around this problem is to work with the VoIP providers directly by placing tracing information embedded within the VoIP call itself. In this way, if traffic is routed through an anonymous server, there is still a way to find out who the call is coming from/going to and trace the people on each end of the call. Privacy advocates, however, are infuriated by the federal government’s initiatives to have the ability to tap our VoIP calls at will. They see this as a direct attack on our privacy. VoIP providers are nonetheless working with the FBI and FCC to facilitate the approval of wiretapping requirements so that the Internet does not become a haven for secret communications between terrorists and spies. Conclusion Everything you do online can be tracked whether it is making a purchase through a website or calling someone using your internet phone adapter—you must be very careful not to give out personal information that could potentially be used against you. We live in a wired world, and finding anonymity amongst the digital media is difficult if not impossible. Keep records, burn information on CDs that are not readily accessible over your home network or local computer. If you are detail-oriented about your personal information, you can save yourself many headaches later on.