Windows Easy Transfer 7 - 8 - 8.1

Using Windows Easy Transfer (Windows 8)

This document applies to HP and Compaq computers with Windows 8.
With Windows Easy Transfer, you can transfer your information from one computer to another, including user accounts, files, folders, photos, music, and videos, and, depending on the operating system, email messages, contacts, Windows and Internet settings, and Internet favorites. Software programs are not transferred.
NOTE: Windows Easy Transfer cannot transfer files between a 64-bit version of Windows and a 32-bit version of Windows. Instead, files need to be transferred manually using external storage devices. To find the version of Windows on your computer, see the Is the Windows Version on My Computer 32-bit or 64-bit? support document.

Transferring files with Windows Easy Transfer in Windows 8.1
You can use Windows Easy Transfer to transfer information to a computer running Windows 8.1 from computers with one of the following operating systems:
  • Windows 8
  • Windows RT
  • Windows 7
Windows Easy Transfer cannot back up files on a Windows 8.1 computer for transfer to another computer. To back up and transfer files from a Windows 8.1 computer, use OneDrive or manually transfer files using external storage devices.

Step 1: Determining the best transfer method
When transferring files to a Windows 8.1 computer from a Windows 8, Windows RT, or Windows 7 computer, Windows Easy Transfer supports the following methods:
  • USB flash drive: Each computer must have a USB port.
  • External hard drive: The external hard drive must be compatible with both computers.
To decide which method to use, consider how much information you are transferring. If you are transferring everything from all users on the computer, an external hard drive works well. If you are transferring only a few files or folders, a USB flash drive works well.

Step 2: Collecting files to transfer from the old computer
Follow these steps on the old computer to collect the files to transfer to the new computer with Windows 8.1. You must be logged on as an administrator.
Before performing the following steps, disconnect both computers from the Internet and temporarily disable any firewall software that might be running.
  1. Log on to the old computer.
  2. Search for Windows Easy Transfer on the computer.
    • In Windows 7: Click the Start button, type Window Easy Transfer into the search field, and select Windows Easy Transfer from the list of search results.
      Figure 1: Searching for Windows Easy Transfer in Windows 7
      The search results for Windows Easy Transfer, with an arrow pointing to Windows Easy Transfer, and the search field encircled in red
    • In Windows 8: From the Start screen, type transfer to open the Search charm, and then select Windows Easy Transfer from the search results.
      Figure 2: Searching for Windows Easy Transfer in Windows 8
      Search results for transfer
  3. On the welcome screen, click Next.
    Figure 3: The welcome screen for Windows Easy Transfer
    Easy Transfer Welcome screen
  4. On the What do you want to use to transfer items to your new PC screen, select the An external hard disk or USB flash drive option.
    Figure 4: Choosing a transfer method
    The external hard disk or USB flash drive choice in Windows Easy Transfer
  5. On the Which PC are you using now screen, select This is my old PC.
    Figure 5: Indicating which computer is being used
    The This is my old PC selection in Windows Easy Transfer
    Windows Easy Transfer scans the user accounts to find everything that can be transferred.
  6. On the Choose what to transfer from this PC screen, select the checkbox next to the items you want to transfer, and then click Next.
    Figure 6: Choosing what to transfer from the old computer
    The choices for items to transfer in Windows Easy Transfer, with Next encircled in red
  7. If desired, on the Save your files and settings for transfer screen, type a password to protect the Windows Easy Transfer file, and then click Save.
    Figure 7: Entering a password (optional)
    The Save your files and settings for transfer screen, with Save encircled in red
  8. Browse to the location of the external hard drive or USB flash drive that you are using to transfer files, and then click Open.
  9. Click Save.
  10. When the transfer is complete, click Next on the Your transfer file is complete screen.
    Figure 8: Your transfer file is complete
    The Your transfer file is complete screen, with Next encircled in red
  11. Verify that the files are saved to the correct location, and then click Close.
  12. Remove the external hard drive or USB flash drive and set it aside until you are ready to transfer the files to the new computer.
  13. If you disabled firewall software running on the old computer, re-enable the software.

Step 3: Transferring files to the Windows 8.1 computer
Follow these steps on the new computer to transfer the files.
  1. From the Start screen of the new Windows 8.1 computer, type transfer to open the Search charm, and then select Windows Easy Transfer from the search results.
    Figure 9: Selecting Windows Easy Transfer
    Search results for Transfer
  2. In the Welcome window, click Next to continue.
    Figure 10: The welcome screen for Windows Easy Transfer
    Easy Transfer Welcome screen
  3. On the Have you already used Windows Easy Transfer to save files from your old PC screen, click Yes.
    Figure 11: Indicating whether files have been saved
    The Have you already used Windows Easy Transfer to save files from your old PC screen in Windows Easy Transfer, with Yes selected
  4. Insert the external hard drive or the USB flash drive used to collect files from the old computer into an available USB port.
  5. In the Open an Easy Transfer File window, select the external hard disk or USB flash drive that you will be using to transfer items, and then click Open.
    Figure 12: Example of a device used to transfer items
    Open an Easy Transfer File screen, with a drive highlighted and Open encircled in red
    A list of files stored on the external hard disk or USB flash drive opens.
  6. Select the transfer files from the list, and then click Open.
    Figure 13: Example of a Windows Easy Transfer file
    The second Open an Easy Transfer file screen, with Open encircled in red
    If prompted, enter the password used to protect your transfer file, and then click Next.
    Figure 14: Entering the password (optional)
    The Windows Easy Transfer password screen, with Next encircled in red
  7. Read and respond to any onscreen messages.
  8. On the Choose what to transfer to this PC screen, select the user accounts to transfer, and then click Transfer.
    Figure 15: Choose what to transfer
    User accounts and files in Windows Easy Transfer, with Transfer encircled in red
  9. Once the file transfer is complete, click Close on the Your files have been transferred screen.
    Figure 16: Windows Easy Transfer completed
    The Your files have been transferred screen, with Close encircled in red
  10. Remove the external hard disk or USB flash drive from the computer and store it in a safe place.
  11. If you disabled firewall software running on the new computer, re-enable that firewall software.

Step 4: Locating transferred files on the Windows 8.1 computer
User accounts transferred from the old computer will now be on the new Windows 8.1 computer. Follow the steps below to find transferred files.
  1. Log on to the new computer using the account that was transferred from the old computer.
  2. From the Start screen, type file explorer to open the Search charm, and then select File Explorer from the search results.
    Figure 17: Searching for File Explorer
    The Start screen search field, with File Explorer selected
  3. In File Explorer, click the small triangle next to This PC to expand the list.
  4. Under This PC, look in the folders to find your files. If you can't find your files, perform the following steps:
    1. Under This PC, click the small triangle next to OS (C:) to expand the list.
    2. Click the small triangle next to Users to expand the list.
    3. Click the small triangle next to the name of the profile that was transferred.
    4. Look in the folders to find your files.
      Figure 18: Finding transferred files in File Explorer
      File Explorer, with the C-drive directory and Users expanded
    5. If desired, double-click the files to open them.

Step 5: Adding apps that you own to the new computer with Windows 8.1
If you are transferring files from a Windows 8 computer, follow the steps below to add your apps to the new computer.
  1. Log on to the new computer using the account that was transferred from the old computer.
  2. On the Start screen, click the Store tile.
  3. In the Windows Store, right-click any blank area.
  4. Click Your apps in the upper-left area of the screen.
    Figure 19: Looking up apps
    The Your apps selection in the Windows Store
    A list of apps owned by the account-holder opens.
  5. Right-click each app that you want to reinstall, or click Select all, and then click Install.
    Figure 20: Selecting apps to install
    The Your apps screen, with a list of apps selected for installation
  6. On the Start screen, click the down arrow in the lower-left area of the screen to open a list of apps.
    Figure 21: App arrow on the Start screen
    Start screen, with the app arrow encircled in red
  7. Click the down arrow next to Apps by name, and select by date installed from the drop-down list.
    Figure 22: Sorting apps by date installed
    The by date installed selection on the Apps screen
    The newly installed apps will appear first on the list. The word NEW will appear next to the app tile.
    Figure 23: An example of a newly installed app
    An example of a new app, with a red arrow pointing to the word NEW
  8. Right-click the apps that you want to pin to the Start screen, and click the Pin to Start icon in the lower-left corner of the screen.
    Figure 24: Pinning the app to the Start screen
    The Pin to Start icon on the apps screen
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Transferring files and settings with Windows Easy Transfer in Windows 8
Windows Easy Transfer supports several methods to transfer your files and settings.
You can use Windows Easy Transfer to transfer information to a computer running Windows 8 from computers with one of the following operating systems:
  • Windows 8
  • Windows 7
  • Windows Vista
  • Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) or Service Pack 3 (SP3)
NOTE: Windows Easy Transfer cannot transfer files between a 64-bit version of Windows and a 32-bit version of Windows. Instead, files need to be transferred manually using external storage devices. To find the version of Windows on your computer, see the Is the Windows Version on My Computer 32-bit or 64-bit? support document.

Step 1: Determining the best transfer method
When transferring files between Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8 computers, choose a method that works on both computers. Windows Easy Transfer supports the following transfer methods:
  • USB flash drive or external hard drive: To use a USB flash drive, you need a USB port on each computer. If you use an external hard drive, it must be compatible with both computers.
  • Easy Transfer Cable: You need a special USB cable designed to work with Windows 8 and Windows Easy Transfer, and a USB port on each computer. If you do not have an Easy Transfer Cable, you can order one online or get one at an electronics store. The Easy Transfer Cable is supported on Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8 computers.
    NOTE:A standard USB cable cannot be used to transfer files and settings between computers.
  • Network: Both computers need to be connected to the same wired or wireless network and both computers must be able to share files and folders.
To decide which method to use, consider how much information you are transferring. If you are transferring everything from all users on the computer, or all of your user account files, an Easy Transfer Cable, external hard drive, or a network works well. If you are transferring only a few files or folders, a USB flash drive works well.

Step 2: Opening Windows Easy Transfer on the new computer in Windows 8.1
Complete the following steps on the new Windows 8 computer to open Windows Easy Transfer. You must be logged on using an administrator account.
NOTE:Before performing the following steps, disconnect both computers from the Internet and temporarily disable any firewall software that might be running.
  1. From the Start screen, type transfer to open the Search charm, and then select Windows Easy Transfer from the search results.
    Figure 25: Selecting Windows Easy Transfer
    Search results for Transfer
  2. On the welcome screen, click Next to continue.
    Figure 26: Welcome screen for Windows Easy Transfer
    Easy Transfer Welcome screen
  3. On the What do you want to use to transfer items to your new PC window, select the method to use to transfer items.
    • An Easy Transfer cable: A special USB cable you can purchase to transfer files from one computer to another. You cannot use a regular USB cable to transfer files with Windows Easy Transfer.
    • A network: Transfer files over a network.
    • An external hard disk or USB flash drive: Use the storage space on an external hard drive or a USB flash drive.
    Figure 27: Choosing a transfer method
    Windows Easy Transfer choices for transferring files
  4. On the Which PC are you using now window, click This is my new PC.
    Figure 28: Indicating which computer is being used
    The selections for Which PC are you using now?
  5. In the Do you need to install Windows Easy Transfer on your old PC window, choose whether to install Windows Easy Transfer on the old computer.
    • If your old computer uses Windows XP or Windows Vista, click My old PC is running Windows XP or Windows Vista. Continue with the next step.
    • If you have already installed Windows Easy Transfer on the old computer, click I already installed it on my old PC. Skip this section and proceed to Collecting files and settings from the old computer .
    • If your old computer uses Windows 8 or Windows 7, click My old computer is running Windows 7 or 8. Skip this section and proceed to Collecting files and settings from the old computer .
    Figure 29: Choosing from the operating system options for Windows Easy Transfer
    The Do you need to install Windows Easy Transfer on your old PC screen
  6. On the How do you want to install Windows Easy Transfer on your old PC screen, select the location to save the Windows Easy Transfer files to install on your old computer. If using an external hard disk or a USB flash drive, plug the external hard disk or a USB flash drive into the new computer, and then make the selection.
    Figure 30: Choosing a method to install Windows Easy Transfer
    The How do you want to install Windows Easy Transfer on your old computer screen
  7. Follow the onscreen instructions for the method you are using.
  8. Browse to the folder on the external hard disk, network, or USB flash drive to save the Windows Easy Transfer files, and then click OK.
    Figure 31: Browsing for the transfer files folder
    The Browse For Folder screen
    Windows Easy Transfer copies the files and displays the progress on the screen.
  9. When Windows Easy Transfer is done copying the files, a window opens instructing you to install Windows Easy Transfer on the old computer.
    NOTE:Do not click Next until you have Installed Windows Easy Transfer on your old computer and saved the files to transfer to the new computer.
    Figure 32: Installing Windows Easy Transfer on your old computer
    The Install Windows Easy Transfer on your old PC screen, with Next encircled in red
  10. If using an external hard disk or USB flash drive, remove it from the computer.

Step 3: Install Windows Easy Transfer on the old computer (Windows XP and Vista only)
If your old computer uses Windows 8 or Windows 7, skip this section and proceed to Collecting files and settings from the old computer .
Complete these steps on the old computer to install Windows Easy Transfer from an external hard drive, network drive, or USB storage device.
  1. If you are using a USB storage device or external drive, connect it to the computer now.
  2. In Windows Explorer or File Explorer, browse to the external hard drive, network drive, or USB storage device.
  3. Double-click the external hard drive, network drive, or USB storage device.
  4. When the installation has finished, go to the next step.

Step 4: Collecting files and settings from the old computer
After you have installed Windows Easy Transfer on the old computer (not necessary if the old computer is running Windows 8 or Windows 7), follow these steps on the old computer to collect the files and settings to transfer to the new computer.
  1. In the Welcome window, click Next.
    Figure 33: Welcome to Windows Easy Transfer
    Easy Transfer Welcome screen
  2. In the next window, select the method to use to transfer items:
    • An Easy Transfer cable: A special USB cable you can purchase to transfer files from one computer to another. You cannot use a regular USB cable to transfer files with Windows Easy Transfer.
    • A network: Transfer files over a network.
    • An external hard disk or USB flash drive: Use the storage space on an external hard drive or a USB flash drive.
    Figure 34: Choosing a transfer methods
    Image of Windows Easy Transfer
  3. Select This is my old PC.
    Figure 35: Indicating which computer is being used
    The This is my old PC selection in Windows Easy Transfer
    Windows Easy Transfer scans the user accounts to find all the files and settings that can be transferred.
  4. Select the items to transfer. When complete, click Next.
    Figure 36: Choosing what to transfer from the old computer
    The choices for files to transfer in Windows Easy Transfer, with Next encircled in red
    If you want to protect the Windows Easy Transfer file with a password, on the Save your files and settings for transfer screen, enter a password, and then click Save.
    Figure 37: Entering a password (optional)
    The password window in Windows Easy Transfer, with Save encircled in red
  5. Browse to the location on the network drive, external hard disk, or USB flash drive to save the transfer file, and then click Open.
  6. Click Save.
  7. On the Your transfer file is complete screen, click Next.
    Figure 38: Your transfer file is complete
    The Your transfer file is complete message, with Next encircled in red
  8. Verify that the files are saved to the correct location, and then click Close.
  9. If you disabled firewall software running on the computer, re-enable that firewall software.

Step 5: Transferring files and settings to the new computer
Follow these steps to transfer the files and settings to a computer running Windows 8.1.
  1. Do one of the following, depending on how you are transferring the files and settings:
    • Connect the Easy Transfer cable to both computers.
    • Plug the USB flash drive or external hard drive into the new computer.
    • Using the new computer, browse to the network folder where you saved the transfer file.
  2. The Windows Easy Transfer window should still be open on the new computer. If it is not, open Windows Easy Transfer again and click Next.
    NOTE:The following instructions are based on transferring data from a computer using Windows Vista to a computer using Windows 8 with a USB flash drive. If you are using different versions of Windows or a different transfer method, your screens may be different.
    Figure 39: Installing Windows Easy Transfer on your old computer
    The Install Windows Easy Transfer on your old computer screen
  3. On the next page, click Yes.
    Figure 40: Indicating whether files have been saved
    The page to indicate whether Windows Easy Transfer has saved files, with Yes selected
  4. Browse to the Windows Easy Transfer file. Click the Windows Easy Transfer file, and then click Open.
    Figure 41: Opening the Windows Easy Transfer file
    File Explorer, with a USB flash drive highlighted, and Open encircled in red.
    If you used a password when you saved the transfer file, enter the password, and then click Next.
    Figure 42: Entering the password (optional)
    The field to enter the password, and Next encircled in red
  5. Select the user accounts to transfer, and then click Transfer.
    Figure 43: Choosing what to transfer
    The choices of items to transfer in Windows Easy Transfer, with Transfer encircled in red
    Windows Easy Transfer transfers the files and settings to the new computer.
    Figure 44: Transferring items
    Windows Easy Transfer in the process of transferring files
  6. When the transfer is complete, follow the instructions below to view a report of the files that were transferred or a list of apps that you might want to install on the new computer.
    • On the Your transfer is complete screen, click See what was transferred to view a transfer report listing the files and settings that were transferred.
      Figure 45: Opening Windows Easy Transfer Reports
      The choices for seeing what was transferred or seeing a list of apps to install on the new computer
      Windows Easy Transfer Reports screen opens on the Transfer report tab.
      Figure 46: The Transfer report tab in Windows Easy Transfer Reports
      The Transfer report tab of Windows Easy Transfer Reports
      • To view a list of apps that were transferred from the old computer, click the App report tab on the Windows Easy Transfer Reports screen.
        Figure 47: The App report tab in Windows Easy Transfer Reports
        The App report tab in Windows Easy Transfer Reports
  7. If you disabled firewall software running on the computer, re-enable that firewall software.

snipped from: http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?cc=us&lc=en&docname=c03477022

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