New computer..........transfering files folders and programs

[MrIncredible]

I will soon have to buy a new pc tower as mine is desperatly old and sometimes makes the most unusal noises, plus i would like more Ram.
But how easy is it to transfer all my files and folders plus programs that i use
( i use a lot of different programs for dvd burning/shrinking transferring etc)
also will all my setting be transfered with google chrome?
also i use microsoft outlook for my emails.
I have a seperate hard drive (1Tb) which i use to store films and pics etc so thats pretty straight forward
any help appreciated.

[boxtops]

We took the hard drive out of our old computer one time and just reinstalled in the new tower as a separate drive - that might solve your problem, there are always empty slots in the tower you can slot it in.

[MarkRae]

Generally speaking:

1) you can simply copy your data files (e.g. documents, spreadsheets etc) to an external device and then paste them back onto the new machine.

2) some applications allow saving of their configuration to files - in which case, you can copy and paste them too

3) you cannot transfer installed applications from one computer to another directly - you need to re-install them.

There are utilities which will attempt to do this, but in my experience they never work properly.

In any case, you are purchasing a brand new machine, so I would suggest that the absolutely last thing you want to install on it would be old (and possibly obsolete) applications...

[gen2]

What Boxtops suggests is only possible if the two computers both use the same hard drive interface (I did that on a previous upgrade). The current standard is for SATA drives.
I have been told that adaptors are available to connect a newer SATA drive to an older computer, but I do not know if the reverse is possible.

[pauln90]

If you dont fancy opening the case and installing the old hard drive then buy a USB caddy, I got one from ebay for about £12, then you can access the old hard drive via USB port and transfer the files to your new hard drive. As has been said though you cannot transfer programmes this way.

[AlBags]

Use the Files & Settings Transfer Wizard .. That's what it's there for. You can save all settings, docs, etc to a USB stick or disc. You then import the data to the new PC.

[rojash]

"Use the Files & Settings Transfer Wizard"
but if you do that:
1) Download the latest version from Microsoft onto your old computer before starting.
2) Install your application software onto the new computer before starting.

[AlBags]

Agreed : )
The best thing about it is that it will reset all the desktop settings, themes, etc and restore all docs and MS Office stuff as original setup, in one hit.

[galeck1947]

The best and easy way to transfer your files etc. to your new computer is to use a usb transfer cable which is available from an electronics store. It works by installing a little program on each computer and then you just drag and drop what you want from the old hard drive to the new one into the right folders of the new computers hard drive

[AlBags]

But that does not make anything easier .. It is much more time consuming to get everything as it was before you started!
And you have to pay, too!
You may as well burn all the stuff to a DVD data disc.