Windows 10: Easiest way to transfer info from a Vista pc to a 10pc?

I'm getting a new one but there's a lot of stuff on the old one of like to transfer over to the new pc.

:)

 

Easiest way to transfer all contents from a WD external hard drive

Hi there.

You should be able to transfer all the data from the external drive to the new OS system. You should just need a USB cable and you can transfer the files you want from one computer to another.

However, you most likely shouldn't be able to use the software you mentioned since it can transfer files and settings from a computer running Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7 to another computer running Windows 7:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/transferring-files-settings-faq#1TC=windows-7

Furthermore, if you decide to give it a try you must have a specific ‘Windows Easy Transfer Cable’ to connect both computers together and do the data transfer.

Hope this helps.

Cheers!

 

Easiest way to transfer all contents from a WD external hard drive

All of my files are backed-up to a WD external drive, Currently using Windows 7 on old computer. New computer will have Windows 10. Can I transfer using nothing but the WD drive or do I need a transfer cable? I have wireless network; is that a factor
in the transfer? After the transfer, I will connect the external drive to the new computer with Windows 10. Can use Windows Easy Transfer with this method or does it require a cable? Any heads-up info you have will be welcome.

 

The simplest way would be to create a home network of both PCs. If there is a problem linking both PCs on a home network, you could remove, temporarily, the hard drive from your Vista PC and physically connect it in your Windows 10 PC. Just make sure that you boot with your Windows 10 Hard Drive. Once in Windows your Vista hard drive should show up in This PC and you could drag-and-drop the appropriate files, folders etc.

 

Thanks. Do you happen to have a link on step by step how to create a home network like you mention?

 

Check out the following two different help sites.
How to Set Up a Homegroup Network in Windows 10 - For Dummies

How to setup HomeGroup in Windows 10 - YouTube

 

FYI, Home Group is not supported in Windows Vista. Only 7,8,10. OP has to set up a regular network.

 

Appreciate the information topgundcp. Fortunately I never had the pleasure of using Vista.


If you want to avoid physically moving your hard drive to another PC you could consider a cloud service that would allow you to upload/download data from your Vista system to your Windows 10 PC. I am assuming that the amount of data too large for DVDs or USBs.

 

If part of the "stuff" is applications, then it's not a simple matter of dragging-and-dropping folders from one PC to another. There is a lot of stuff from every app that is stored in the Registry, and the installers put stuff (like .inf files) all over the place inside the Windows folders.

There are only a couple of product out there that will support transferring apps -- and they don't guarantee that anything that is transferred will actually work on the new OS/System.

 

How would I do that? I'm assuming here is some sort of adapter these days. If so, what is the name/specs I should be looking for?

 

Just buy a 64 bit usb stick, I mean really, how much stuff do you want to crowd up the new pc.

Or just but an external hard drive and store your Vista data on it.

But just installing the drive from the Vista machine temporarily to the new machine is the easiest and cheapest way to do it, no adapters needed, just hook up a power and data cable to the Vista drive, but you`ll probably get some permission errors you`ll have to fight through to copy the data, but then maybe not, you may just get lucky.

 

You don't want to really drag everything from old to new PC. Just move all your files into an external drive and reinstall your programs to the new PC on demand. You don't have to install everything at once. The biggest issue that may arise is compatibility.