Aged Computer-Illiterate Idiot needs to know which method to use to backup old to new laptop

Jack,

The first thing that needs to be cleared up is, are you only thinking about copying over your wifes emails and documents, or do you want to include programs as well?

If the latter, this is not something True Image can do, as Windows 7 wasn't designed to be that user helpful.

There is a 3rd party program that says it can copy programs as well as documents over and update the registry of W7 correctly. However, some programs that worked OK with XP may not be OK with W7.

True Image will be able to copy your files and folders and re-instate them on the new laptop.

Colin,

Many thanks for taking the time to reply to my question; I really appreciate it. I suppose if I can get all her Word files, e-mails, address book, photographs, etc., i.e. all her personal data, then that should suffice. When I get the new laptop will I have to load my copy of MS Office 2003 on it before trying to copy her files to it? I can’t really afford to go buying a more up-to-date copy of MS Office because it would never get used to its full potential.

TrueImage gives me the following backup options, “My Data”, “System State”, “My E-mail” and “My Application Settings”. Could you suggest which I should use, please? I have never tried anything like this before so I don’t know how easy or hard it will be. I will look forward to doing it with some trepidation! I told you I was an old-aged computer idiot! Again, I would really appreciate any help you can give me and for which I thank you in advance.

JACK

The OS on the old is probably not transferrable to the new machine -- OEM releases of windows are usually tied to only one machine. n any event the hardware would be diff and working around that is not easy for novices, as a rule.

The best way, imo, to transfer various data files (word documents, sreadsheets, pics, etc. is to do a My Data backup and select all the directories that contain the files you want to move. then restore that backup to the new machine, telling it to use new locations -- this lets you specify were to put them.

It might be easier for you to just copy files to a usb connected disk and then copy them from there onto the new machine.

If you don't know where your docs are, they are all probably under the My documents directory on the XP machine -- jsut copy that whole directory and its contents and subdirectories to a disk and then to the new machine.

Scott,
Thanks for your reply, it is appreciated. I may do as you suggest and just copy all her files onto an external disc and then copy them onto her new laptop when it arrives. It may save me some heartache and worry.
Once again, many thanks,
Jack Keating

In XP alll your stuff typically gets put into My documents or subdirs of that. In Vista and Win 7, things are a bit diff. This article covers the diffs reasonably well.

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

But it if all seems like too much to swim through, copy the entire My documents directory onto some place on your new machine, and then when you open Word or Excel, or Whatever, navigate to that location to sees those files.

Microsoft is making your life easier, no matter how much trouble it causes you. ;)

Scott,

I have just thought of something that did not occur to me when I said I would just copy all her documents, i.e. Word Files, Excel, photographs, etc. How would I go about finding all her e-mails in Outlook Express, i.e. her e-mails sent, e-mails received and address book, etc.? In XP I can see in My Documents folder: Excel Files, My Pictures, Word Files, etc. but there is no mention of Outlook Express! Could you either point me in the right direction or recommend something I could read to help me, please?

Once again thank you for taking the time to help me.

Jack Keating

The default file extension will be "dbx." Try looking here:

Documents and Settings\[Username]\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook Express\

Or else in the Outlook Express program, click Tools > Options > Maintenance > Store Folder. This will tell you where
Outlook express is storing its data files.

Once you have these copied somewhere on your new machine you might find this helpful:

http://www.howto-outlook.com/howto/migratefromoewlm.htm

Scott,

Once again a big thank you for your time and effort. I really do appreciate it.

Jack Keating