New computer

Redmatlot

Hi I am in the process of buying a new computer as the screen on my Toshiba laptop is showing lines its 8 years old I am using XP and the new comp is an Asus all in one desk top with the windows 7 system pre loaded. Can anyone advise me on transferring all my programs and files to the new one including 0utlook express?

Many thanks in advance

Redmatlot

Straight_Man

Redmatlot wrote:

Hi I am in the process of buying a new computer as the screen on my Toshiba laptop is showing lines its 8 years old I am using XP and the new comp is an Asus all in one desk top with the windows 7 system pre loaded. Can anyone advise me on transferring all my programs and files to the new one including 0utlook express?

Many thanks in advance

Redmatlot

There are ways to get your email transferred, but the only way to get Outlook Express to run is with XP Mode (for advanced users and pros to install) When I did this, I set up a Hotmail account, sent my email to it, then got the Hotmail to forward my email to me with my new install of Thunderbird.

I made sure XP Mode was installed, and that it came with my new computer when I configured it. I could have set up a transfer of data with a data transfer program in Windows 7 (Windows Easy Transfer), but the programs I reinstalled anyways so I just hooked up the USB drive and copied the data I wanted to it off the old computer and then off the USB drive onto the new computer for some data.

What you want to do, just copy everything, could cause problems. There ARE programs that do some of this, but inevitably they are not perfect and there are things to clean up after them.

John.

Tushon

There are a multitude of issues with what you want to happen, and best practice with what you should do. The first thing that I highly suggest is getting a 500+ GB external HDD for backing up your existing data (documents, pictures, emails, etc) before getting rid of your old laptop (you can also ask us how to wipe the old machine when you are ready and sure that you have pulled all relevant data off, but that is for another thread). This will help in the transition process as well as provide you something to backup your new computer to in its entirety. The integrated Windows 7 backup tool is really easy to use and does a decent job.

Mail: Outlook Express doesn't exist anymore. In Windows 7, the program you are looking for is called Windows Live Mail and is a component of Windows Live Essentials. Here is information on how to backup your existing data and here is a link explaining how to install and import data to Windows Live Mail. There are links at the second page I provided detailing various aspects of using the newer program if you want to go that route.

Alternatively, you could use this time to setup a gmail/hotmail account and then you are no longer dependent on a desktop based client and have access to your emails anywhere. If you go this route, my personal preference is GMail and you could do as Straight_Man suggested (forwarding all your current emails, though they will not be identical in terms of "who" they appear to be from). You retain the existing emails (sort of) and then have an address that isn't tied to a particular desktop setup.


Programs: there are some programs that will work perfectly just copy-pasting the files, some that will sorta work, and others that will break completely. In any of those cases, unless you absolutely know that the program is one of the first category, then I would recommend installing it fresh on the new computer and pulling any data files over separately. If you have questions about specific programs, perhaps you could give us a list of what you are looking to do and we can work from there.

Good luck and enjoy your new machine!

Redmatlot

Straight_Man wrote:

There are ways to get your email transferred, but the only way to get Outlook Express to run is with XP Mode (for advanced users and pros to install) When I did this, I set up a Hotmail account, sent my email to it, then got the Hotmail to forward my email to me with my new install of Thunderbird.

I made sure XP Mode was installed, and that it came with my new computer when I configured it. I could have set up a transfer of data with a data transfer program in Windows 7 (Windows Easy Transfer), but the programs I reinstalled anyways so I just hooked up the USB drive and copied the data I wanted to it off the old computer and then off the USB drive onto the new computer for some data.

What you want to do, just copy everything, could cause problems. There ARE programs that do some of this, but inevitably they are not perfect and there are things to clean up after them.

John

Many thanks new machine arrives early next week i will probaly need to get back to you

Cheers

Redmatlot

Tushon wrote:

There are a multitude of issues with what you want to happen, and best practice with what you should do. The first thing that I highly suggest is getting a 500+ GB external HDD for backing up your existing data (documents, pictures, emails, etc) before getting rid of your old laptop (you can also ask us how to wipe the old machine when you are ready and sure that you have pulled all relevant data off, but that is for another thread). This will help in the transition process as well as provide you something to backup your new computer to in its entirety. The integrated Windows 7 backup tool is really easy to use and does a decent job.

Mail: Outlook Express doesn't exist anymore. In Windows 7, the program you are looking for is called Windows Live Mail and is a component of Windows Live Essentials. Here is information on how to backup your existing data and here is a link explaining how to install and import data to Windows Live Mail. There are links at the second page I provided detailing various aspects of using the newer program if you want to go that route.

Alternatively, you could use this time to setup a gmail/hotmail account and then you are no longer dependent on a desktop based client and have access to your emails anywhere. If you go this route, my personal preference is GMail and you could do as Straight_Man suggested (forwarding all your current emails, though they will not be identical in terms of "who" they appear to be from). You retain the existing emails (sort of) and then have an address that isn't tied to a particular desktop setup.


Programs: there are some programs that will work perfectly just copy-pasting the files, some that will sorta work, and others that will break completely. In any of those cases, unless you absolutely know that the program is one of the first category, then I would recommend installing it fresh on the new computer and pulling any data files over separately. If you have questions about specific programs, perhaps you could give us a list of what you are looking to do and we can work from there.

Good luck and enjoy your new machine!

Thanks for post have printed off as suggested, can I transfer Word etc in the same way or would I be better off getting a program like PC mover by lap link? Appreciate any thoughts


Cheers

Straight_Man

Redmatlot wrote:

Thanks for post have printed off as suggested, can I transfer Word etc in the same way or would I be better off getting a program like PC mover by lap link? Appreciate any thoughts


Cheers

Well, make sure any mover program you use is compatible with XP and Windows 7 64-bit. And be prepared to perhaps clean up some stuff after it, as you will find that PC Mover and the like can move things that do not work on Windows 7 64-bit and Windows 7 32-bit will limit how fast the computer will do multiple things. And get one with a USB data transfer cable, please.

John.

Tushon

Redmatlot wrote:

Thanks for post have printed off as suggested, can I transfer Word etc in the same way or would I be better off getting a program like PC mover by lap link? Appreciate any thoughts


Cheers

The short answer is: no (you shouldn't). Moving installed programs, especially a version that matches your 8 year old PC, is a bad idea. I would strongly encourage you to seek out either a newer version of the Office suite (available very inexpensively through student/teacher discounts and many employers have agreements with MS to offer vastly reduced copies) or move to one of the open source suites, such as LibreOffice.

Straight_Man

Tushon wrote:

The short answer is: no (you shouldn't). Moving installed programs, especially a version that matches your 8 year old PC, is a bad idea. I would strongly encourage you to seek out either a newer version of the Office suite (available very inexpensively through student/teacher discounts and many employers have agreements with MS to offer vastly reduced copies) or move to one of the open source suites, such as LibreOffice.

True. Also, http://www.openoffice.org/ is back up, offering Openoffice 3.3 which works well on Windows 7. It can export Microsoft Office documents, for some versions of Microsoft Office.

John.

Tushon

I've heard poor reports about open office due to the new management (i.e. the Oracle acquisition) but that may have changed since it was given to the ASF. I heard more recent positive reports about Libre, hence my recommendation. All good either way. I'm happy to support open source solutions.

ardichoke

LibreOffice is pretty solid... but I'm not exactly an office power user.

shwaip

libre/open office is fine...unless you need to collaborate/share documents with people using MS office.

Tushon

Same and exactly, respectively.

ardichoke

shwaip wrote:

libre/open office is fine...unless you need to collaborate/share documents with people using MS office.

and even then, it depends on how advanced the docs you're sharing are. LibreOffice is pretty damn good about reading/writing in MS Office's format, until you start using some of the crazy advanced Macro stuff.

shwaip

ardichoke wrote:

and even then, it depends on how advanced the docs you're sharing are. LibreOffice is pretty damn good about reading/writing in MS Office's format, until you start using some of the crazy advanced Macro stuff.

Or doing anything with powerpoint.

ardichoke

Ugh... fuck powerpoint. I hate that program, I hate presentations given using that program, it is the epitome of suck.

Straight_Man

ardichoke wrote:

Ugh... fuck powerpoint. I hate that program, I hate presentations given using that program, it is the epitome of suck.

For those that like it, or need to use it, Word Perfect Office will work in a Power Point mode in its Presentations maker. I don't think much of the most modern version of it either (Microsoft Office Power Point).

Redmatlot

Straight_Man wrote:

Well, make sure any mover program you use is compatible with XP and Windows 7 64-bit. And be prepared to perhaps clean up some stuff after it, as you will find that PC Mover and the like can move things that do not work on Windows 7 64-bit and Windows 7 32-bit will limit how fast the computer will do multiple things. And get one with a USB data transfer cable, please.

John.

Thanks for heads up

Redmatlot

Tushon wrote:

The short answer is: no (you shouldn't). Moving installed programs, especially a version that matches your 8 year old PC, is a bad idea. I would strongly encourage you to seek out either a newer version of the Office suite (available very inexpensively through student/teacher discounts and many employers have agreements with MS to offer vastly reduced copies) or move to one of the open source suites, such as LibreOffice.

Thanks will certainly look to replace office etc