transferring data via USB cable

Hello All,
a newbie here,

My wife is getting a new computer this Christmas which will have
Windows 8 OS loaded in. Her old computer is running Windows XP. I
seemed to remember reading that Windows 7 had a program by which you
could hook your new computer together to your old computer using a
(special?) USB cable and transfer data from the old rig to the new
one. I also thought it said that program could be installed on any old
OS if it didn't have it? Does Windows 8 also have that program
whatever it's called?
Albert

Albert wrote:

My wife is getting a new computer this Christmas which will have
Windows 8 OS loaded in. Her old computer is running Windows XP. I
seemed to remember reading that Windows 7 had a program by which you
could hook your new computer together to your old computer using a
(special?) USB cable and transfer data from the old rig to the new
one. I also thought it said that program could be installed on any old
OS if it didn't have it? Does Windows 8 also have that program
whatever it's called?

No idea what that might be, but you can network the machines together (either
via a regular wired network, a crossover cable, or a wireless connection) and
do the transfer that way. No special programs or drivers necessary.

--
I didn't put you in a prison. I just showed you the bars.

"Albert" wrote in message
...
Hello All,
a newbie here,

My wife is getting a new computer this Christmas which will have
Windows 8 OS loaded in. Her old computer is running Windows XP. I
seemed to remember reading that Windows 7 had a program by which you
could hook your new computer together to your old computer using a
(special?) USB cable and transfer data from the old rig to the new
one. I also thought it said that program could be installed on any old
OS if it didn't have it? Does Windows 8 also have that program
whatever it's called?
Albert

"Windows Easy Transfer" Save to an external drive.

Chris

Albert wrote:
Hello All,
a newbie here,

My wife is getting a new computer this Christmas which will have
Windows 8 OS loaded in. Her old computer is running Windows XP. I
seemed to remember reading that Windows 7 had a program by which you
could hook your new computer together to your old computer using a
(special?) USB cable and transfer data from the old rig to the new
one. I also thought it said that program could be installed on any old
OS if it didn't have it? Does Windows 8 also have that program
whatever it's called?
Albert

There is an article here on Windows Easy Transfer, and it mentions
the "Easy Transfer Cable". At one time, that was referred to perhaps
as a "Laplink USB cable". Apparently, Microsoft has a driver for it,
loaded in some OS.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Easy_Transfer

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easy_Transfer_Cable

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/w...-easy-transfer

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/w...other-computer

"... Windows Easy Transfer can't transfer files from a 64-bit
version of Windows to a 32-bit version of Windows."

Hmmm. So far, I'm not getting the impression it's
"universal enough" for usage.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928634/en-us

I also read one report, where someone used WET from the WIndows7 page, to
transfer files between two Windows 8 installs (Developer Preview to Consumer Preview).
So maybe it does work for Windows 8 as well. At least Microsoft
has this stuff well documented.

It's possible a move from WinXP to Windows 8, might have a
problem because of the OS "bitness". 32 bit on WinXP, and
perhaps 64 bit on Win8.

*******

If you really want the Easy Transfer cable, I can find a number of
manufacturers of it on the Newegg site.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16812200198

The reviews there are mixed, because many of the people don't realize
the software is a Microsoft package.

The chip inside the "bump" in the middle of the cable,
is typically a Prolific USB2 chip. The chip is simple in
design, and has bidirectional mailboxes. (Other companies
made similar chips, but at least one of the companies
got into patent trouble. I don't know who owns the patent.)

At one time, Microsoft had no software for it, and crude
utilities were included in the box. One utility provided what
looked like an FTP utility. Another utility provided
what looked like networking (so one machine might end
up as 192.168.1.1 and the other as 192.168.1.2). And
when the machines were networked, you could then transfer
files with file sharing.

This is the only kind of chip, which allows connecting two
PCs directly to one another over USB. Normally, USB chips are
only "host to peripheral". Host to host isn't normally
allowed. This cable fakes it, in a way, by doing
"host to peripheral" and "peripheral to host" in the
same cable, such that the cable looks to the user like
it's host to host. All that each computer knows, is it
puts something in a mailbox, and something comes back
in the other direction "magically". In a way, it's run
like a "prisoner exchange" :-)

"PL-25A1 USB2.0 Host-to-Host Bridge Controller"

http://www.prolific.com.tw/US/ShowPr..._id=34&pcid=43

I don't see a download link on that site anymore, so perhaps
you can't get the old software for it. That leaves WET
from Microsoft.

The 25A1 is the current device, while the older one is the
2501, as described here. The 2501 predates WET software,
while the 25A1 seems to use WET instead.

http://web.archive.org/web/200610060...e%20091102.pdf

"Support both Peer to Peer and Network functions" --- 2501 with
homegrown sw.

So that's a tiny sampling of the history.

Laplink still sells the cable as well.

http://www.laplink.com/index.php/ind...dows-8/cables/

HTH,
Paul

Hi, Albert.

Yes, there was such a cable. I tried it once, about 10 years or so ago.
But the cable hookup was not very straightforward and the transfer rate was
abysmal. I finally gave up and use floppies and "sneakernet". :(

But, as Chris said, the program you want is WET (Windows Easy Transfer) and
it is included in each Windows since about WinXP, including Win8. And, yes,
the newer WET can be run on the older Windows.

Choose your transfer media: USB thumb drive; external hard disk; floppy (if
your computer still has one - mine doesn't); or even that transfer cable.
My favorite (since I have multiple HDDs and many partitions on them) is to
use a location on my disk - but make sure that it will not be reformatted
during the Win8 installation and will be accessible from the new OS.

Run WET twice: First run WET from the "old" system, to transfer your data,
settings and tweaks to that safe temporary storage space. The program will
guide you through the process, which can take minutes or hours, depending on
how much data you want to transfer. Then boot into the "new" system and
recover as much - or as little - of the saved material as you want. You
don't have to do it all today; you can do it in stages; WET will "hold your
place" between sessions.

WET can't transfer everything. It can move all your data and most of your
settings and some of your tweaks. And it can help you remember which apps
you need to re-install. But you will need to re-install each of them so
that its setup process can write the proper entries into your new Register.

RC
-- --
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX

Microsoft Windows MVP (2002-2010)
Windows Live Mail 2012 (Build 16.4.3505.0912) in Win8


"Albert" wrote in message
...

Hello All,
a newbie here,

My wife is getting a new computer this Christmas which will have
Windows 8 OS loaded in. Her old computer is running Windows XP. I
seemed to remember reading that Windows 7 had a program by which you
could hook your new computer together to your old computer using a
(special?) USB cable and transfer data from the old rig to the new
one. I also thought it said that program could be installed on any old
OS if it didn't have it? Does Windows 8 also have that program
whatever it's called?
Albert

I've done the numerous times for clients but haven't yet needed a cable.

You have to download and install "Windows Easy Transfer" software from MS to
your XP computer (google it.)

Run the program on the XP computer and select the device you want to save
the file the programs compiles to. The best choice is an external drive -
if you have one. The second best is a USB drive if you have one big enough.

When you've completed the above, plug the device you chose into the Win8
computer. Type Windows Easy Transfer into the search box. Optionally you
may find the program on the Metro page. Right click on the Metro page and
select the All Apps ? in the lower right corner. You should be able to see
the programs in the list.

In any case, run the program and select "This is My New computer" when
prompted. Browse to find the file created from the XP computer.

If you have a lot of pictures, video or mp3 files this all could take a long
time and create a huge file.

Good Luck

"Albert" wrote in message
...
Hello All,
a newbie here,

My wife is getting a new computer this Christmas which will have
Windows 8 OS loaded in. Her old computer is running Windows XP. I
seemed to remember reading that Windows 7 had a program by which you
could hook your new computer together to your old computer using a
(special?) USB cable and transfer data from the old rig to the new
one. I also thought it said that program could be installed on any old
OS if it didn't have it? Does Windows 8 also have that program
whatever it's called?
Albert

On Sun, 25 Nov 2012 16:20:25 -0700, Albert
wrote:

Hello All,
a newbie here,

My wife is getting a new computer this Christmas which will have
Windows 8 OS loaded in. Her old computer is running Windows XP. I
seemed to remember reading that Windows 7 had a program by which you
could hook your new computer together to your old computer using a
(special?) USB cable and transfer data from the old rig to the new
one. I also thought it said that program could be installed on any old
OS if it didn't have it? Does Windows 8 also have that program
whatever it's called?
Albert

I want to thank everyone here that's taken the time (promptly I might
add) for all this information. I do have a hard drive enclosure that I
could use and I also have a network set up (hardwired) between my
wife's computer and mine. Anyway again all want to thank everyone for
their input and it's been all very informative and just exactly what I
needed to know.
Again thank you,
Albert

Albert wrote:
On Sun, 25 Nov 2012 16:20:25 -0700, Albert
wrote:

Hello All,
a newbie here,

My wife is getting a new computer this Christmas which will have
Windows 8 OS loaded in. Her old computer is running Windows XP. I
seemed to remember reading that Windows 7 had a program by which you
could hook your new computer together to your old computer using a
(special?) USB cable and transfer data from the old rig to the new
one. I also thought it said that program could be installed on any old
OS if it didn't have it? Does Windows 8 also have that program
whatever it's called?
Albert

I want to thank everyone here that's taken the time (promptly I might
add) for all this information. I do have a hard drive enclosure that I
could use and I also have a network set up (hardwired) between my
wife's computer and mine. Anyway again all want to thank everyone for
their input and it's been all very informative and just exactly what I
needed to know.
Again thank you,
Albert


I'll add a +1 to using WET.
But in addition, since you'll be using an external HD, I would take a
clone of the whole XP drive (if there's enough space). I've found in the
past that despite all my well planned lists of files to transfer that
I've kept going back time and again to get something I need.
Then you can have the whole lot readily to hand at any time; accessed by
mounting the clone as a virtual drive.

Ed

On Mon, 26 Nov 2012 12:03:45 +0000, Ed Cryer
wrote:

Albert wrote:
On Sun, 25 Nov 2012 16:20:25 -0700, Albert
wrote:

Hello All,
a newbie here,

My wife is getting a new computer this Christmas which will have
Windows 8 OS loaded in. Her old computer is running Windows XP. I
seemed to remember reading that Windows 7 had a program by which you
could hook your new computer together to your old computer using a
(special?) USB cable and transfer data from the old rig to the new
one. I also thought it said that program could be installed on any old
OS if it didn't have it? Does Windows 8 also have that program
whatever it's called?
Albert

I want to thank everyone here that's taken the time (promptly I might
add) for all this information. I do have a hard drive enclosure that I
could use and I also have a network set up (hardwired) between my
wife's computer and mine. Anyway again all want to thank everyone for
their input and it's been all very informative and just exactly what I
needed to know.
Again thank you,
Albert


I'll add a +1 to using WET.
But in addition, since you'll be using an external HD, I would take a
clone of the whole XP drive (if there's enough space). I've found in the
past that despite all my well planned lists of files to transfer that
I've kept going back time and again to get something I need.
Then you can have the whole lot readily to hand at any time; accessed by
mounting the clone as a virtual drive.

And another +1 for WET. Its only disadvantage is that it copies
*everything* from *all of the drives* on your original system and
reloads all of that onto your new system assuming same drive setup. You
cannot copy just the system drive unless you unplug the others.
I ended up with two copies of everything on my D: drive --
fred.pdf
fred(1).pdf
etc.

--
Robin Bignall
Herts, England

Robin Bignall wrote:
On Mon, 26 Nov 2012 12:03:45 +0000, Ed Cryer
wrote:

Albert wrote:
On Sun, 25 Nov 2012 16:20:25 -0700, Albert
wrote:

Hello All,
a newbie here,

My wife is getting a new computer this Christmas which will have
Windows 8 OS loaded in. Her old computer is running Windows XP. I
seemed to remember reading that Windows 7 had a program by which you
could hook your new computer together to your old computer using a
(special?) USB cable and transfer data from the old rig to the new
one. I also thought it said that program could be installed on any old
OS if it didn't have it? Does Windows 8 also have that program
whatever it's called?
Albert

I want to thank everyone here that's taken the time (promptly I might
add) for all this information. I do have a hard drive enclosure that I
could use and I also have a network set up (hardwired) between my
wife's computer and mine. Anyway again all want to thank everyone for
their input and it's been all very informative and just exactly what I
needed to know.
Again thank you,
Albert


I'll add a +1 to using WET.
But in addition, since you'll be using an external HD, I would take a
clone of the whole XP drive (if there's enough space). I've found in the
past that despite all my well planned lists of files to transfer that
I've kept going back time and again to get something I need.
Then you can have the whole lot readily to hand at any time; accessed by
mounting the clone as a virtual drive.

And another +1 for WET. Its only disadvantage is that it copies
*everything* from *all of the drives* on your original system and
reloads all of that onto your new system assuming same drive setup. You
cannot copy just the system drive unless you unplug the others.
I ended up with two copies of everything on my D: drive --
fred.pdf
fred(1).pdf
etc.


WET is highly customisable. I select just system & Windows settings.
Otherwise you end up with your *everything*, which includes all the
dregs and dross.

Some people might find that reassuring. I don't. I hate clutter that
gets in my way and slows me down.

Ed

On Mon, 26 Nov 2012 17:30:31 +0000, Ed Cryer
wrote:

Robin Bignall wrote:
On Mon, 26 Nov 2012 12:03:45 +0000, Ed Cryer
wrote:

Albert wrote:
On Sun, 25 Nov 2012 16:20:25 -0700, Albert
wrote:

Hello All,
a newbie here,

My wife is getting a new computer this Christmas which will have
Windows 8 OS loaded in. Her old computer is running Windows XP. I
seemed to remember reading that Windows 7 had a program by which you
could hook your new computer together to your old computer using a
(special?) USB cable and transfer data from the old rig to the new
one. I also thought it said that program could be installed on any old
OS if it didn't have it? Does Windows 8 also have that program
whatever it's called?
Albert

I want to thank everyone here that's taken the time (promptly I might
add) for all this information. I do have a hard drive enclosure that I
could use and I also have a network set up (hardwired) between my
wife's computer and mine. Anyway again all want to thank everyone for
their input and it's been all very informative and just exactly what I
needed to know.
Again thank you,
Albert


I'll add a +1 to using WET.
But in addition, since you'll be using an external HD, I would take a
clone of the whole XP drive (if there's enough space). I've found in the
past that despite all my well planned lists of files to transfer that
I've kept going back time and again to get something I need.
Then you can have the whole lot readily to hand at any time; accessed by
mounting the clone as a virtual drive.

And another +1 for WET. Its only disadvantage is that it copies
*everything* from *all of the drives* on your original system and
reloads all of that onto your new system assuming same drive setup. You
cannot copy just the system drive unless you unplug the others.
I ended up with two copies of everything on my D: drive --
fred.pdf
fred(1).pdf
etc.


WET is highly customisable. I select just system & Windows settings.
Otherwise you end up with your *everything*, which includes all the
dregs and dross.

I didn't notice that on the XP version, but maybe I missed it. Does
'system and windows settings' copy application settings and data?
That was what helped do a clean install of Win 7 from XP. When I
installed a program its data was in the right place waiting for it.


Some people might find that reassuring. I don't. I hate clutter that
gets in my way and slows me down.

I de-cluttered XP before I ran it. I don't have much software that I
don't use.
--
Robin Bignall
Herts, England

Robin Bignall wrote:
On Mon, 26 Nov 2012 17:30:31 +0000, Ed Cryer
wrote:

Robin Bignall wrote:
On Mon, 26 Nov 2012 12:03:45 +0000, Ed Cryer
wrote:

Albert wrote:
On Sun, 25 Nov 2012 16:20:25 -0700, Albert
wrote:

Hello All,
a newbie here,

My wife is getting a new computer this Christmas which will have
Windows 8 OS loaded in. Her old computer is running Windows XP. I
seemed to remember reading that Windows 7 had a program by which you
could hook your new computer together to your old computer using a
(special?) USB cable and transfer data from the old rig to the new
one. I also thought it said that program could be installed on any old
OS if it didn't have it? Does Windows 8 also have that program
whatever it's called?
Albert

I want to thank everyone here that's taken the time (promptly I might
add) for all this information. I do have a hard drive enclosure that I
could use and I also have a network set up (hardwired) between my
wife's computer and mine. Anyway again all want to thank everyone for
their input and it's been all very informative and just exactly what I
needed to know.
Again thank you,
Albert


I'll add a +1 to using WET.
But in addition, since you'll be using an external HD, I would take a
clone of the whole XP drive (if there's enough space). I've found in the
past that despite all my well planned lists of files to transfer that
I've kept going back time and again to get something I need.
Then you can have the whole lot readily to hand at any time; accessed by
mounting the clone as a virtual drive.

And another +1 for WET. Its only disadvantage is that it copies
*everything* from *all of the drives* on your original system and
reloads all of that onto your new system assuming same drive setup. You
cannot copy just the system drive unless you unplug the others.
I ended up with two copies of everything on my D: drive --
fred.pdf
fred(1).pdf
etc.


WET is highly customisable. I select just system & Windows settings.
Otherwise you end up with your *everything*, which includes all the
dregs and dross.

I didn't notice that on the XP version, but maybe I missed it. Does
'system and windows settings' copy application settings and data?
That was what helped do a clean install of Win 7 from XP. When I
installed a program its data was in the right place waiting for it.


Some people might find that reassuring. I don't. I hate clutter that
gets in my way and slows me down.

I de-cluttered XP before I ran it. I don't have much software that I
don't use.


Well, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, eh? Your way of doing
the cooking seems to have worked for you. And I guess it would do for
the majority of computer-users, given the large size of HDs these days.

Does that copying of application program data across before doing the
actual install on the new system work ok? It seems a bit questionable in
theory, given the possibility of ending up with incompatible data for
program version number.

I can see two very different approaches here; yours and mine. Yours
seems very trusting, mine is definitely UNtrusting.

Ed

On Mon, 26 Nov 2012 22:49:35 +0000, Ed Cryer
wrote:

Robin Bignall wrote:
On Mon, 26 Nov 2012 17:30:31 +0000, Ed Cryer
wrote:

Robin Bignall wrote:
On Mon, 26 Nov 2012 12:03:45 +0000, Ed Cryer
wrote:

Albert wrote:
On Sun, 25 Nov 2012 16:20:25 -0700, Albert
wrote:

Hello All,
a newbie here,

My wife is getting a new computer this Christmas which will have
Windows 8 OS loaded in. Her old computer is running Windows XP. I
seemed to remember reading that Windows 7 had a program by which you
could hook your new computer together to your old computer using a
(special?) USB cable and transfer data from the old rig to the new
one. I also thought it said that program could be installed on any old
OS if it didn't have it? Does Windows 8 also have that program
whatever it's called?
Albert

I want to thank everyone here that's taken the time (promptly I might
add) for all this information. I do have a hard drive enclosure that I
could use and I also have a network set up (hardwired) between my
wife's computer and mine. Anyway again all want to thank everyone for
their input and it's been all very informative and just exactly what I
needed to know.
Again thank you,
Albert


I'll add a +1 to using WET.
But in addition, since you'll be using an external HD, I would take a
clone of the whole XP drive (if there's enough space). I've found in the
past that despite all my well planned lists of files to transfer that
I've kept going back time and again to get something I need.
Then you can have the whole lot readily to hand at any time; accessed by
mounting the clone as a virtual drive.

And another +1 for WET. Its only disadvantage is that it copies
*everything* from *all of the drives* on your original system and
reloads all of that onto your new system assuming same drive setup. You
cannot copy just the system drive unless you unplug the others.
I ended up with two copies of everything on my D: drive --
fred.pdf
fred(1).pdf
etc.


WET is highly customisable. I select just system & Windows settings.
Otherwise you end up with your *everything*, which includes all the
dregs and dross.

I didn't notice that on the XP version, but maybe I missed it. Does
'system and windows settings' copy application settings and data?
That was what helped do a clean install of Win 7 from XP. When I
installed a program its data was in the right place waiting for it.


Some people might find that reassuring. I don't. I hate clutter that
gets in my way and slows me down.

I de-cluttered XP before I ran it. I don't have much software that I
don't use.


Well, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, eh? Your way of doing
the cooking seems to have worked for you. And I guess it would do for
the majority of computer-users, given the large size of HDs these days.

Does that copying of application program data across before doing the
actual install on the new system work ok? It seems a bit questionable in
theory, given the possibility of ending up with incompatible data for
program version number.

I can see two very different approaches here; yours and mine. Yours
seems very trusting, mine is definitely UNtrusting.

I just dumbly followed what I'd read on M$'s site. Installed 7 onto my
system disk. Then installed drivers for my new mobo. Then ran WET.
Then installed applications. Kaspersky's Pure was first, and upon
activation it picked up all of its settings and I didn't have to tweak a
thing.
The only programs I had to tweak were those that keep their data on D:;
I had to change the "start in" settings in their shortcuts.
Dunno about trust; I had full backups of XP in case it didn't work. But
it did.
--
Robin Bignall
Herts, England

Easiest way is to buy a USB flash drive and copy stuff from old computer to
it... stick the flash drive in new computer and copy from it to the new
computer. You can get a 16 GB flash drive for under $10 on Amazon and then
you'll have it for back up space or any other use in the future.

"Albert" wrote in message
...

Hello All,
a newbie here,

My wife is getting a new computer this Christmas which will have
Windows 8 OS loaded in. Her old computer is running Windows XP. I
seemed to remember reading that Windows 7 had a program by which you
could hook your new computer together to your old computer using a
(special?) USB cable and transfer data from the old rig to the new
one. I also thought it said that program could be installed on any old
OS if it didn't have it? Does Windows 8 also have that program
whatever it's called?
Albert