The Complete Guide to Windows Easy Transfer (Channel 9)

For the majority of geeks the most nerve racking part of installing a new OS is ensuring that you've successfully backed up all your files and settings before hand.
Trying to remember all the little nooks and crannies on your seven hard drives and 19 partitions where you squirreled away data can take hours if not days, let alone making a list of all the software you have installed so that you have a reference point of what to install once your new OS is up and running.
Enter Windows Easy Transfer.
I managed to track down three of the gentlemen behind this amazing tool: Terry Dolan, Rahul Prasad and Dhaval Joshi.
In this video we cover virtually everything you would ever want to know about Windows Easy Transfer and demonstrate the application in action on a Windows XP machine (creating a *.MIG file and backing up to USB key) and transferring files and settings from Windows Vista to Windows 7 via an Easy Transfer cable.
If you have any questions or comments about Windows Easy Transfer please let us know in the comments section.

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PerfectPhase "This is not war, this is pest control!" - Dalek to Cyberman

Aug 06, 2009 at 2:32 PM

How does this relate to the USMT?
dhavalj

Aug 06, 2009 at 6:12 PM

USMT is migration tool for enterprise while Windows Easy Transfer is for retail customers. Both tools share same migration engine.
ChrisStepaniuk

Aug 06, 2009 at 8:29 PM

Thanks, you've saved me tons of time!

p.s. Very informative. Perhaps this video or a video similar should be made more public on microsoft.com, I'm sure that many users would find this info very useful.
markheath

Aug 10, 2009 at 4:16 AM

I've always avoided the easy transfer wizard because I assumed it would move all kinds of junk I wanted to leave behind, so its nice to see it is fully customisable. I couldn't find the updated edition on MS download center though. Could someone post a link to it?
nic Easily Distracted

Aug 10, 2009 at 9:40 AM

@markheath Just checked in with the EasyTransfer team - the Windows 7 specific EasyTransfer wizard wont be available to download until closer to GA but it's already included on the Windows 7 installation disc under drive:\support\migwiz
lynmar

Sep 25, 2009 at 4:20 AM

nic:

When do you think the download will be available?

I would like to prepare before I receive the discs.

Thanks

Marv
chapc

Oct 01, 2009 at 11:40 AM

Just a note -- I recently used the easy transfer wizard and was very disappointed with it -- After following the directions to "backup" my old computer - I found that when I "restored" my profile on the newly upgraded system, it missed a large amount of programs and almost nothing was back to the way it was before. I had several programs installed that it didn't migrate back in, even though they were included in the backup. ITunes, MS OFfice, some thrid party software I used for testing, etc. It did backup my email pst file, but not MS Office itself. It saved off my music but not ITunes or Quicktime so I lost all my playlists, etc. I had to find the disks and re-install Office, Itunes, and several others. Desktop wallpaper wasn't done, etc, etc.

All in all I found it less than I expected. Especially Since Windows 7 has proved to be so far ahead of what I expected.
dhavalj

Oct 14, 2009 at 3:07 PM

Windows Easy Transfer to migrate to Windows 7 is now available on the download center.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/products/features/windows-easy-transfer
dhavalj

Oct 14, 2009 at 3:10 PM

Windows Easy Transfer only migrates data and settings to Windows 7. It doesn't migrate programs installed on your old machine.
7jr7.com

May 25, 2010 at 10:44 AM

توبيكات جروح

توبيكات جروح الروح
runner50

Jun 10, 2010 at 10:40 AM

Love your video. I have 2 questions:

1. Can one use Belkin transfer cable F5U278 to transfer from a Vista Ultimate desktop to a Windows 7 laptop? I was told you can. But, after downloading Windows Easy Transfer for Windows 7 on my Vista desktop and attempting to use F5U278, I keep getting a window stating "Windows Easy Transfer can't continue. Please reboot and try again." Is it because it's the not F5U279 cable?

2. If I want to UNINSTALL Windows Easy Transfer for Windows 7 from my Vista desktop, how is it done? It's not listed in the Control Panel and has no unistall instructions. If I get decide to get the Belkin F5U279, I will be using their CD software and won't need the WET download. It's strange that it's not in the Control Panel and has no uninstall instructions.

Your reponses are appreciated-thanks.

Dan (djfu50@hotmail.com)
Bruce N

Dec 20, 2010 at 7:04 AM

Have loaded EASYTRANSFER to my Win XP PC in preparation for transfer to new WIN7 machine. However, the C: drive now has an an AUTOPLAY routine which wasn't there before. Cannot open C: without it trying to run windowsEasyTransfer\x86\.\MigSetup.exe. How do I remove this command?
Steve

Dec 30, 2010 at 5:19 PM

I am transferring all the files from old computer to my new one. I am transferring to an external hard drive. The problem I am running into is after I transfer all the files to the ext. hard drive, the new computer asks me for the Easy Transfer Tag. Where do I find that?
eric

Dec 31, 2010 at 4:10 PM

windows easy transfer loads every time i start my computer...or even after it has been assleep for a period. i have been trying to uninstall...or turn off this feature. any ideas? thanks.