USB Transfer cables?

M

MikeB

Saw in Best Buy today a Windows Vista Easy-Transfer Cable and
Software.

Has anyone used this? What exactly does it transfer?

I have two concerns

1. It may not move the user files to the correct, new places in Vista

2. It may transfer (or attempt to transfer) a lot of the junk in the
settings and data folders for products that I may not install. Then I
end up with a lot of junk.

I'd love to hear from people who have experience with this, thanks.
 
A

Alan Edwards

I have a Belkin Easy Transfer Cable used in the last couple of days
(you don't mention the brand).
In theory, it transfers what you want.
In practice, I found one had to be very, very careful. Read 4 times,
transfer once.

....Alan
 
R

Richard G. Harper [MVP]

The cable uses Windows EasyTransfer to transfer the files, so it works as
well (or as poorly, if that's your assessment) as EasyTransfer works in any
other case.
 
M

MikeB

The cable uses Windows EasyTransfer to transfer the files, so it works as
well (or as poorly, if that's your assessment) as EasyTransfer works in any
other case.

Where is the best place to read up oin Windows Easy Transfer? Thanks.
 
M

MikeB

I have a Belkin Easy Transfer Cable used in the last couple of days
(you don't mention the brand).
In theory, it transfers what you want.
In practice, I found one had to be very, very careful. Read 4 times,
transfer once.

Alan, thanks for your answer. Perhaps by accident, you also responded
to my email and I answered you directly. Feel free to ignore that, you
guys who help out here must get a ton of email.
 
I

Ian D

MikeB said:
Saw in Best Buy today a Windows Vista Easy-Transfer Cable and
Software.

Has anyone used this? What exactly does it transfer?

I have two concerns

1. It may not move the user files to the correct, new places in Vista

2. It may transfer (or attempt to transfer) a lot of the junk in the
settings and data folders for products that I may not install. Then I
end up with a lot of junk.

I'd love to hear from people who have experience with this, thanks.

It's basically a USB2 crossover cable for transferring data between
PCs. If the PCs have LAN connections, you can do the same thing
with a LAN Cat5e crossover patch cord. The difference is that, if you
don't have gigabit LAN cards in both PCs, the USB2 transfer rate
would be greater than with a 100mbit LAN connection.
 
M

MikeB

It's basically a USB2 crossover cable for transferring data between
PCs.  If the PCs have LAN connections, you can do the same thing
with a LAN Cat5e crossover patch cord.  The difference is that, if you
don't have gigabit LAN cards in both PCs, the USB2 transfer rate
would be greater than with a 100mbit LAN connection.

Hmm - My old laptop has only USB 1.0. That would imply the transfer
will be *really* slow?
 
E

Earle Horton

A) USB 1.0 won't be so bad.
2) Windows Easy Transfer transfers a lot of junk, so unless you are
completely clueless don't use it. It was transferring stuff out of the
c:\i386 directory on my XP Thinkpad into my Vista Dell.

Cheers,

Earle

It's basically a USB2 crossover cable for transferring data between
PCs. If the PCs have LAN connections, you can do the same thing
with a LAN Cat5e crossover patch cord. The difference is that, if you
don't have gigabit LAN cards in both PCs, the USB2 transfer rate
would be greater than with a 100mbit LAN connection.

Hmm - My old laptop has only USB 1.0. That would imply the transfer
will be *really* slow?
 
A

Alan Edwards

Where is the best place to read up in Windows Easy Transfer? Thanks.

Help in Vista or Help in the Windows Easy Transfer application you
installed in the old XP computer.
This should lead you to these:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-vista/get/easy-transfer.aspx
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-vista/features/easy-transfer.aspx

Transferring files and settings: frequently asked questions
http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/96d5d811-6d52-4dff-b39b-76c64a131dfe1033.mspx
Troubleshoot file transfer problems
http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/7b685952-1ed0-4582-810c-4ceb1932c3db1033.mspx

....Alan
 
D

DanS

A) USB 1.0 won't be so bad.

USB1 = 12 Mbps
USB2 = 480 Mbps

Quite the difference..........a factor of 40.

(Of course, that's theoretical speed, but still a HUGE difference.)
 
R

Richard G. Harper [MVP]

Start, Help and Support, "Windows Easy Transfer" in the search box. The
first result is what you want. Alternatively a quick browse at
www.microsoft.com shows this:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-vista/get/easy-transfer.aspx

--
Richard G. Harper [MVP Desktop] (e-mail address removed)
* NEW! Catch my blog ... http://msmvps.com/blogs/rgharper/
* PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
* The Website - http://rgharper.mvps.org/


The cable uses Windows EasyTransfer to transfer the files, so it works as
well (or as poorly, if that's your assessment) as EasyTransfer works in
any
other case.

Where is the best place to read up oin Windows Easy Transfer? Thanks.
 
B

Bruce Chambers

MikeB said:
Saw in Best Buy today a Windows Vista Easy-Transfer Cable and
Software.

Has anyone used this? What exactly does it transfer?

I have two concerns

1. It may not move the user files to the correct, new places in Vista

Windows Easy Transfer moves the files to where you tell it to.
2. It may transfer (or attempt to transfer) a lot of the junk in the
settings and data folders for products that I may not install. Then I
end up with a lot of junk.

Then tell Easy Transfer not to transfer those files.
I'd love to hear from people who have experience with this, thanks.

I haven't used the Easy Transfer Cable (I move things via network
drives), but the application itself is quite customizable and easy to
use, and will transfer only what you tell it to move.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

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safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot
 

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