Okay, you say, that should be easy since Windows XP comes with a built-in “File and Settings Transfer Wizard” program.  Ah, but in this case, the old computer had no network connection since he used Dial-up to access the Internet. And it didn’t have USB connections either, preventing me from using the USB transfer cable. I could have used a Laplink style transfer cable from the printer ports if I really had to, but fortunately he did have a CD Burner installed on the old computer that I could use. I would have saved the file to his hard drive on the old PC and then transferred that file to the new one, but his old computer only had 231 MB of free space on the drive. I needed about 3GB of space to build this transfer file.

I tried running the XP Wizard to transfer the settings and files, only to find out it wouldn’t auto-span multiple CD’s and the files were larger than a single CD would hold. So I saved only the “Settings” using the Wizard, and manually copied the “My Documents” folder to the CD Burner using the CD Burner software. I added other folders as the customer told me that he used those items, or didn’t use them as the case may be.

Fortunately for the customer, he had the original installation disks for most of the software he commonly used, and I had the rest of the software with me. The only thing we missed were the new XP drivers for his multi-function printers. He had driver disks that covered every OS up through Windows ME and 2000, but not XP. We had to go on the Internet to download those.

Using the XP Wizard..
Even when you use the Wizard, connect two computers via Ethernet Cable direct (easiest way to do it), you won’t get the actual programs transferred to the new computer. Ever hear of something called “copyright infringement”? If Microsoft allowed their program to duplicate the software from the old computer onto the new one, they would be guilty of software pirating, something they hate with a passion when others do it to them!  The Wizard will transfer the settings to the new computer for these applications, but you must first install those applications on the new computer so that it can transfer the settings to them.

Ready to upgrade?
If you have bought, or are thinking about, a new Windows XP computer and plan to transfer from the old computer, don’t wait until you are facing a short deadline to get it done. This is a full Saturday afternoon or weekend type project in most cases if you have any quantity of programs to install and data to transfer. It typically takes 4-6 hours to complete such a project, and that’s with me doing it. If your connection between the computers is slow, if you have lots of data to transfer, or you are having to use the CD-R method I mentioned using above, plan on taking a longer time to get finished. Forget about using floppy disks to transfer your files (other than “settings only”) unless you own your own floppy disk manufacturing company.

Before you begin. . .
Perform an inventory of software on your old computer to decide what you really need on the new one. Some software won’t run under Windows XP and you might need to buy or get an upgrade. Pay special attention to your anti-virus software and firewall software. Old versions won’t run.  Check your drivers for printers, cameras, scanners, video cards, etc. In fact, Microsoft still has a Windows XP Upgrade Advisor program online that you can download from their website Note this particular advisor was for upgrading to the PRO version of XP only, but it ought to work okay for the HOME version of XP as well. In fact, the Microsoft Website for HOME version also refers back to this same Upgrade Advisor for folks wanting to see if their system could support XP.

Installing Service Packs. . .
Windows XP has multiple updates and one major service pack available for download. It has been my experience that you should install these updates and service pack to fix numerous known bugs and security vulnerabilities in this operating system. There have been reports of Service Pack 1 (SP1) causing systems to slow down tremendously or have other serious problems. According to one source I trust, most of these occurrences have been on computers which had been upgraded from an earlier version of Windows rather than being a “clean install” (i.e. erase old version and install new copy). Because of this report, I have been very reluctant to upgrade existing systems to Windows XP. I tend to buy or build new systems designed for Windows XP from the beginning with all software and hardware certified as compatible with Windows XP to prevent problems down the road.

Still on slow Dial-up Internet?
After reading this article, and noticing how much Windows XP depends upon the ability to access the Internet to download updates and software drivers, you might want to look into switching over to one of the choices for high-speed broadband Internet connections. Your choices are Cable or DSL, or pay big bucks for a Direct TV system ($1300 first year). Ask for the current specials from each provider and shop around. Ask other users for references.  If you want Cable (my preference), you have four choices in San Antonio. Time Warner is the carrier for all four, but you can have Road Runner, Stic.Net, EarthLink, AOL, or Inter-Net (from Virginia I believe). All are price competitive and each have their advantages or differences. Be aware that with AOL you must use their software to log onto the Internet and you won’t be able to use a router to connect multiple computers to the same cable modem. I’m running with Stic.Net because they are a local, long time well known company in the San Antonio area, but Road Runner is offering a low introductory rate of $29.95 for the first six months if you sign up now. Shop around, ask advice, and decide whether you could use the higher speed access. One warning, once you try the higher speeds, you won’t go back to dial-up, so be ready to adjust your monthly budget accordingly. Regular rates for Cable or DSL tend to be in the $40-$50/month rate at present time.