How to transfer hard drive data from Windows Xp to Windows 7?

Hello, I am upgrading my desktop computer with the following configuration, Intel Quad Core processor. Intel Extreme motherboard, 260gb Seagate Sata hard disk and 4gb RAM. I want to install 64bit Windows 7 on the new computer. I want to know How to transfer hard drive data from Windows Xp to Windows 7. As I have a spare hard disk which has Windows Xp installed on it and i need to transfer the data from old hard disk to new hard disk. I am confused because Windows Xp is a 32 bit system and Windows 7 is a 64 bit system, so is it possible to transfer the data? Please guide me in this.

No it is not possible to transfer the data from a 32bit operating system to a 64 bit operating system. There is some compatibility issue between the two operating system which does not allow to transfer data among the two. I would suggest you to install a 32 bit version of Windows 7 and then transfer the data. There would be no compatibility issue between the two 32 bit system and hence there would be no problem in transferring the data between two 32 bit system.

Transferring data from the hard drive has nothing to do with the operating system. You can transfer the data from the old hard drive with windows xp on to the new hard drive without any problem. The file system in which the hard drive is formatted should be same to successfully transfer data from one hard drive to other. Format the new hard drive in the same format as your old windows xp hard drive and you will be able to transfer data without any problems.

Latest Intel extreme motherboards have 4 sata ports and only 1 IDE port. As your hard disk is old, you will have to connect it to the one IDE port which is available on the motherboard. Before connecting the drive, check the jumper settings. By default the jumper on the hard disk will be at Master. Refer the jumper settings on the hard disk and remove the jumper from master mode. Now locate the location of jumper for slave settings and put the jumper in slave mode. Now the hard disk will be detected as a slave drive and you will be able to transfer data without any problem.

As the hard drive from which you are transferring the data is a spare hard drive, make it a portable hard drive. To make it a portable hard drive you will be needing a IDE to USB converter and a casing. Connect the hard disk to the IDE side of the IDE to USB converter. Jumper should be kept at the slave position as to make the hard disk slave as it also contains operating system. Once the IDE cable is connected, Plug in the USB side into the computer. Now the hard disk will be detected as a External mass storage device and you can easily transfer data from the hard drive.

The only difference between a 32 bit operating system and 64 bit operating system is the amount of system memory it can access. A 32bit operating system can only access maximum of 3gb of RAM while a 64 bit operating system can access more than 4gb of RAM. The operating system does not matter when the data has to be transferred from one hard drive to other. The only criteria that matters is the filesystem in which the hard drive is formatted. It is not necessary that the two hard drives should have same format. The file system should be supported by the operating system.