When the time comes to replace your PC, moving your files needn’t be a chore. We explain how to make the transition and how to dispose of your old computer
While a lot can be done to prolong the life of a computer, there will come a time when a replacement is needed. Setting up a new computer is not a time-consuming process but what about all the personal documents and settings from your old PC?
In this article we’ll reveal the easiest ways to ease the transition to a new computer ensuring that everything you need is transferred. We’ll also take a look at the options for reusing, donating or disposing of your old PC safely.
If your PC has been in use for some time, the hard disk will contain a large number of personal documents as well as settings for Windows and other applications. It is relatively easy to copy the majority of files from one computer to another, but the same cannot be said of settings. While these can be manually replicated on a new PC, this is a time-consuming process. Whether you are moving from a computer that has Windows XP installed to one running Vista, or both computers have Vista installed, there is a tool to ease the transition to a new computer.
To simplify the process, Windows XP provides a tool, the Files And Settings Transfer Wizard. While this is great for transferring files and settings between computers that are running XP or earlier versions of Windows, it is not compatible with Vista. A similar tool exists in Vista in the form of Windows Easy Transfer but this is not included with XP by default. Windows Easy Transfer Wizard can be downloaded and installed on a computer running XP, making the process of transferring files and settings as simple as possible.
Windows Easy Transfer cannot transfer full applications, such as Microsoft Office. These will need to be reinstalled from their original installation discs or downloaded from the internet. Drivers for any hardware that connects to the PC will also need to be reinstalled.
