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Question

How do I transfer files via flash drive

by Apr 4, 2015 7:06AM PDT

I'm absolutely pulling my hair out in frustration. I have an old Dell XP and am trying to transfer my files to a newer HP Win7. I have copied the whole "my documents" file on a flash drive on the XP and I can insert it in the HP Win7 and I can read all those files but can't figure out how to transfer or copy those things into the HP..........help!.......

Discussion is locked

7 Posts
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Answer
Re: transfer files
by Former Forum moderator Apr 4, 2015 7:23AM PDT

Use 'drag and drop' or 'copy/paste' or right click>copy to folder or the command line copy or xcopy or robocopy command.
In fact, these are exactly the same options you chose from when you copied those files to your USB-stick. You didn't tell how you did it, but you told that you did it, and that's all that counts.

Two notes:
- "My Documents" is a folder, not a file. And in XP it contains more file types than the Documents folder in Windows 7. To have your files organised according to the Windows 7 standards, you should copy different kinds of file to different folders.
- You say you can "read" those files. How do you 'read' a picture in My Documents? I only can 'open' or 'view' it, but not 'read' it.

Kees

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And ...
by Kees_B Former Forum moderator Apr 4, 2015 7:32AM PDT

My guess is that you'll get an error message if you try this. But since you didn't tell about any error message, I didn't elaborate on it, because that would only be confusing. But don't hesitate to tell more than you did if necessary.

By the way, why don't you just copy those files from your backup? Depending on the way you make your backups, that might go without any errors at all (or just be impossible). But you didn't tell about your backup methods either, so I won't go into details about that now.

Kees

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transfer files
by TWOBAGGER Apr 4, 2015 8:43AM PDT

backup? I have no idea how to do that! I am totally lost at this. when I moved files to flash drive the choice of where to copy was presented, I get no such choices trying to go from flash to new comp. None of the above choices are given, just how to view or print.... I could put the different files in the appropriate Wn7 folder IF I COULD MOVE THEM, NO MEANS OF MOVING IS PRESENTED.

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(NT) Why not COPY to the Win 7 folder?
by Dafydd Apr 4, 2015 9:12AM PDT
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re: copy
by Kees_B Former Forum moderator Apr 4, 2015 8:35PM PDT

Indeed, the right-click>Copy to ... lets me choose from a drive or an e-mail recipient or the desktop (making a shortcut), but not to copy it to a specific folder. So you use the only way that doesn't work.

Why not drag-and-drop or copy-paste like you did on the XP machine to copy files across folders on the hard disk? Or use "copy to folder ..." from the right click menu?

About backup: that's what you just did: copying the files on your hard drive that you don't want to lose to another device, so that you still have a copy if something happens to your hard drive. Most people do that regularly. Some don't and risk losing all. Let's hope you're not one of them.

Kees

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Answer
copy
by Apr 5, 2015 6:44AM PDT

Right click the folder and select copy. Then on your desktop, create a new folder and select paste in that folder.

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trying to transfer
by TWOBAGGER Apr 5, 2015 8:04AM PDT

I don't know what I'm doing wrong (or just plain doing!). I can't right click and get copy, none of that comes up, anywhere, at all. However, somehow or other I managed to get the whole list of stuff that was put on the flash drive in a window next to the Win7 locations (documents, pictures etc.) and to my utmost surprise and delight was able to drag selected files & folders into the proper folders in my Win7. I haven't been able to figure out how to transfer my "favorites" from the browser or trans. the contacts in my Email address book. Is there a way or should I just enter that stuff manually?

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