Sams Teach Yourself Microsoft Windows XP in 24 Hours

By Greg Perry

• Table of Contents
  • Copyright
  • About the Author
  • Acknowledgments
  • Tell Us What You Think!
  • Introduction
  • Part I: Wake Up with Windows XP
  • Hour 1. Taking a Bird's-Eye Look at Windows XP
  • Hour 2. Getting Started with Windows XP
  • Hour 3. Managing the Windows XP Interface
  • Part II: Morning Windows Desktop Exploration
  • Hour 4. Working with the My Computer Window
  • Hour 5. Navigating Files with Windows Explorer
  • Hour 6. Calling for Help
  • Hour 7. Improving Your Windows Desktop Experience
  • Part III: Early Afternoon Windows Exploration
  • Hour 8. Installing Programs with Windows XP
  • Hour 9. Finding Files, Folders, and Friends
  • Hour 10. Using the Desktop Accessories
  • Part IV: Late Afternoon Internet Integration
  • Hour 11. Surfing the Web with Internet Explorer
  • Hour 12. Tying Windows into the Web
  • Hour 13. Networking with Windows XP
  • Hour 14. Managing E-mail and Newsgroups with Outlook Express
  • Part V: An Evening with Advanced Windows
  • Hour 15. Exploring Your Hardware Interface
  • Hour 16. Understanding Printing and Fonts
  • Hour 17. Using Windows on the Road
  • Hour 18. Giving Windows XP a Tune-Up
    • How the Updates Work
    • Updating Windows Yourself
    • Transferring Settings from One Computer to Another
    • What's in Your System
    • Summary
    • Q&A
    • Workshop
  • Hour 19. Managing Your Hard Drives
  • Hour 20. Tinkering with the Advanced System Tools
  • Part VI: Having Fun at Nighttime
  • Hour 21. Using Media Player
  • Hour 22. Picturing Windows XP Graphics
  • Hour 23. Making Movies with Windows XP
  • Hour 24. Advanced Windows XP Tips
  • Part VII: Appendixes
  • Appendix A. Differences Between the Windows Home and Professional Edition
  • Appendix B. Glossary
  • Appendix C. Answers to Quizzes

Transferring Settings from One Computer to Another

When you purchase a new computer, one of the most time-consuming and difficult tasks in the past was transferring all your old computer's settings and files to the new one. You might have Windows set up a particular way, specific features set in Outlook Express, or perhaps have tasks that you've scheduled for automatic execution, such as a daily backup.

Windows XP supports a new feature called the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard that helps you mirror and transfer the settings from your current computer to a new one that you purchase.

Here are just some of the things the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard transfers to a new computer:

• Display property settings
• Dial-up settings
• Desktop settings such as colors and wallpaper
• Data files such as My Documents, My Pictures, and your shared documents
• E-mail settings
• Mouse and keyboard settings
• Regional settings, such as the time zone and country
• Sounds and other multimedia options
• Folder and taskbar options
• Internet Explorer browser settings

The following To Do item shows you how to use the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard.

To Do: Using the Files and Transfer Settings Wizard

1. Select the Start menu's All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Files and Settings Transfer Wizard to open the introductory wizard window shown in Figure 18.3.
   

   Figure 18.3 The first Files and Settings Transfer Wizard window describes the wizard's operation.

2. Click Next to move to the next window in the wizard. You must tell the wizard whether you're moving your settings from the current computer or to the current computer. In other words, the wizard must know whether the computer you are on is receiving settings from another computer or is sending settings to another computer.
3. If you're working from the existing computer, when you click Next, Windows XP takes a few moments to analyze the current system to see what can be transferred to the machine.
4. Click Next to display the transfer method window shown in Figure 18.4. You must tell the wizard how you are going to get the settings from the existing computer to the new one. You can transfer the settings by disk or by network. If you are transferring via a networked drive, you must tell the wizard the location of the drive by specifying the pathname in the text box labeled Folder or drive.

Figure 18.4 Specify how you want to transfer the settings.

5. Click Next to display Figure 18.5's window where you specify exactly which files and settings you want to transfer.

   

   Figure 18.5 Specify what you want to transfer.

   You must tell the wizard whether you want to transfer data files, settings, or both files and settings, from the older computer to the new one. Once you select your choice, Windows XP might take several minutes to gather the information and complete the process.

   As the wizard gathers the information to transfer, you'll be able to monitor the progress on the collection window shown in Figure 18.6.

   

   Figure 18.6 The wizard is storing your current system's information and preparing to make the transfer.

6. After you complete the collection phase of the old computer, you now must start your new computer and run the Transfer Files and Settings Wizard on that computer. When you tell the wizard that you're on the new computer, the wizard will prompt you for the location of the other computer's settings and files, and you can make the transfer.

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