Migrating to Windows Vista
To migrate to Windows Vista from a previous version of Windows, you should have a computer running a supported version of Windows that contains applications, settings, and data to be moved to a new computer running Windows Vista.
The migration tools in Windows Vista provide three options for migrating your settings and files:
- Network connection
- Removable media (such as a USB flash drive or external hard disk)
- CD or DVD
In addition to a choice of transfer method, you have a choice of migration tools. Windows Easy Transfer, included in Windows Vista, can be used to migrate settings and files for all of the users on a single computer to a new computer. If you want to migrate files and settings for a number of users on multiple computers, use the User State Migration Tool (USMT). [ Available in Windows XP as well.]
Migration to Windows Vista
Step-1 : Migrate User Settings Using the User State Migration Tool
You can use Microsoft Windows User State Migration Tool (USMT) 3.0 to migrate user accounts during large deployments of Microsoft Windows XP and Windows Vista operating systems. USMT captures user accounts including desktop, and application settings, as well as a user's files, and then migrates them to a new Windows installation. Using USMT can help you improve and simplify your migration process. You can use USMT for both side-by-side (where you are copying the data from the old computer to a new computer) and wipe-and-load (where you are saving the data and then formatting the computer's hard disk and performing a clean install) migrations. If you are only upgrading your operating system, USMT is not needed.
USMT is intended for administrators who are performing automated deployments. If you are migrating the user states of only a few computers, you can use Windows Easy Transfer.
USMT allows you to do the following:
- Configure USMT for your unique situation, using the migration rule (.xml) files to control exactly which user accounts, files and settings are migrated and how they are migrated.
- Automate your migration using the two USMT command-line tools, which control collecting and restoring the user files and settings.
Step-2: Migrate User Settings Using Windows Easy Transfer
You can use Windows Easy Transfer to move user accounts, files and folders, program settings, Internet settings and favorites, and e-mail settings from an existing Windows computer to a new computer running Windows Vista.
Step-1 : Preparing for the Transfer
Windows Easy Transfer in Windows Vista supports the following operating systems:
- Windows 2000 SP 4
- Windows XP SP 2
- Windows Vista
Preparing Windows Easy Transfer
- Open Windows Easy Transfer on your Windows Vista computer: click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, click System Tools, and then click Windows Easy Transfer. Click Next to proceed.
- If you have any programs open, you will be prompted to close them. You can opt to save your work in each program, and then close them individually, or you can click Close All in Windows Easy Transfer to close all running programs at once. Click Next.
- Click Start new to begin the process of preparing Windows Easy Transfer to gather information from existing computers.
- Click This is my new computer.
- Select the destination for Windows Easy Transfer files. You have the option of creating the wizard files on CD or DVD, removable media, or a network drive. To use removable media or CD/DVD, you must have a drive in your computer that supports writing data to the appropriate media. Click Network drive. [Both computers must support the transfer method you choose. For example, if you write the data to CD or DVD, the destination computer must also have a CD or DVD drive. If you choose to transfer the data across the network, both computers must be connected on the same network.]
- Type a path and folder name in which you will store the Windows Easy Transfer files. The default value is C:\migwiz. Click Next.
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