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General discussion

File Transfer from Windows XP SP1 to Windows 7

Oct 22, 2009 11:58AM PDT

Hey everybody,

I'm trying to transfer all my files from my Windows XP SP1 computer to my new Windows 7 computer. I would love to use windows easy transfer via home network, but I cannot install windows easy transfer becuase I am not running SP1. Upgrading to SP2 is not an option (one of the reasons I bought a new computer), so what are my other possibilities to connect the computers? Can I create some kind of home network to transfer the files?

Thanks.

Discussion is locked

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File Transfer from Windows XP SP1 to Windows 7
Oct 22, 2009 12:13PM PDT

You can hook them up together using a back-to-back LAN cable (Cat 5 back to back) and do it that way. Frys Electronics has then.

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More commonly known as
Oct 22, 2009 12:47PM PDT

More commonly known as: Crossover cable.

If you don't have a Fry's in your area, a Best Buy or even Staples/Office Depot/Office Max will likely have one. Or if you're willing to wait a couple days to save a good amount of money, I might recommend the website Monoprice. Hate to sound like a commercial, but they are a great place for all your cable related needs. Only gripe is no free shipping, but given how cheap their stuff is compared to pretty much anywhere else, you still make out like a bandit.

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Home Network
Oct 22, 2009 12:52PM PDT

Hey,

thanks for the reply. However, I'd really like to be able to connect them using some kind of network without buying a cable. Any other possebility of allowing the two computers to connect?

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Wifi?
Oct 22, 2009 10:33PM PDT

Seems like a good time to learn about wifi. Even without a home network I could do this with an ad hoc wifi setup. Sorry, but setup of such is well documented.
Bob

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Ok let me see
Oct 23, 2009 2:38PM PDT

you have a home network and both computer on it?

What I do is set up sharing - make a folder shared on the new computer, turn on network discovery etc and copy everything over to the new computer's public folder. Long way and not automated but it's the way I have always done it. I have had a problem seeing things from Vista and 7 but I am usually able to see shared folders on them from XP to be able to copy and paste to them.

I just ended up doing that with a Windows 98 computer I got in here that I needed to back up all personal data from that did not have any other way to do it, no CD R/W drive, my flash drives needed drivers to install to work - boy those where the days.

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File transfer from XP SP1 to Win 7
Oct 24, 2009 3:12PM PDT

Why not use a USB device? I bought a 350 GB HDD for $80.00 and 16 GB thumb drive for $35.00. The beauty is you have a perfectly good USB storage device when you're finished. Even if you can only afford a small device, you can transfer the info in segments.

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maybe try creating a partition
Nov 16, 2009 6:27AM PST

im a bit of a novice but im in a similar position to you so if you have plenty of spare disk space you could create a new partition on your disk of just the empty space then move files to that partition then install win 7 on the smaller system partition...it makes sense to always do this because whenever you want to do a clean install in future you never have to mess around with data files hope thats helpful and no one says im a newbie what do i know lololol ..i use symantec partition magic ver 8 but i dont think it'll be compatable with win 7 so check if they have a compatable version or look about there may be some free utilities to do it.

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ooops got it wrong
Nov 16, 2009 6:30AM PST

sorry didnt read your question as i should have however its still an idea to partition a hard drive to keep operating system separate from data files

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Transfer methods
Nov 17, 2009 5:45AM PST