Files and programs migration

  • Thread starter Thread starter T5
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T

T5

I am currently using vista premium 32 bit version on a 300gb HDD. I have got
everything working as I want it to but I have just received my 64 bit
version and wish to install that as a clean install but I don't want to lose
any programs or files that I have currently on my system. My question is,
how do I do this without losing e mails, contacts (outlook), saved projects
in Publisher, excel etc etc. Photos, newsgroup postings (windows mail) and
so on.

In a previous post I was advised to make an image of my drive and then
install x 64 and if it didnt work restore the image. How do I do this?
 
T5 said:
I am currently using vista premium 32 bit version on a 300gb HDD. I have
got everything working as I want it to but I have just received my 64
bit version and wish to install that as a clean install but I don't want
to lose any programs or files that I have currently on my system. My
question is, how do I do this without losing e mails, contacts
(outlook), saved projects in Publisher, excel etc etc. Photos, newsgroup
postings (windows mail) and so on.

In a previous post I was advised to make an image of my drive and then
install x 64 and if it didnt work restore the image. How do I do this?
Click to expand...

Purchase an imaging program such as Acronis True Image. Have an external
hard drive or second internal hard drive available. Create an image of
the working drive and save it onto the second hard drive. Now you are
prepared in case something goes wrong and you want to return to your
32-bit install.

I'm not sure if Windows Easy Transfer and the Windows Easy Transfer
Companion (beta) can transfer your data/settings from one drive to
another with only one machine involved. It looks like it might, but
someone else will need to confirm that for sure. Here is the link to the
Windows Easy Transfer site:

http://tinyurl.com/3yupab

Normally it is not possible to transfer programs and you need to have
the programs installed on the new machine (or new 64-bit install in your
case) before doing the WET. The beta Companion looks like it is meant to
move programs also but of course it is beta. Since I've never used it, I
can't tell you anything about it.

However, it might be worth trying for you because you must do a clean
install to go from 32-bit to 64-bit anyway. If the WET/Companion works,
great. If not, then you would be no worse off than if you did the clean
install without using WET.

You should think about why you want to go from your presumably
well-performing install to 64-bit. If you don't have programs that will
take advantage of 64-bit computing, it is rather useless for you to do
this. Also make sure that you have drivers and programs for the 64-bit
system.


Malke
 
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