<html><body> <DIV>I think the easiest way is this: If you have a WinXP or NT machine, use the windows backup program (which is installed by default in the professional version but not in the home version. However, in the home version it is on the installation cd in a file called "extras").  Have the backup program back up the files and settings of  "all the users" from the old computer (or just your files and settings, if those are the only one's you are saving) to a backup media, such as a zip drive, external hard drive, tape drive, and then on your new computer, use the windows backup program to restore everything. The Windows backup program will save your e-mail, favorties, cookies, and user data in addition to your documents and pictures. If you don't have winxp or NT, I would get a shareware program (like Argentium backup) abd do the same thing. Such shareware programs will typically save the date in a universially recognizable ".zip" format. Steve</DIV> <DIV> > > > Seth Ackerman wrote: > > > Does anyone know what the standard procedure is for transfering the > contents > > > of your old computer's hard drive onto your new computer? > > > > > > > there isn't one. depends on what your system (OS) is, what you want to > > copy, etc. > > > > assuming you are running windows, one way is enable sharing (probably > > control panel -> network settings), share your entire "C:" drive from > > the source (old) machine, "map" (tools->map network drive, in windows > > explorer) it (\\old-machine-name\C$) on the new machine (as another > > drive, say F:). you can now browse through the drive and copy files you > > want. > > > > in reality, you probably want your user data, in specific application > > data. windows tends to distribute user data over quite a few places, so > > this is a bit of a pain. if the source host is a newer windows system, > > you can look in the "C:\Documents and Settings" directory, and perhaps > > copy over user directories from there to the new host (be warned: i have > > never done this stuff and i am not sure what the effects of over-writing > > existing files may be). > > > > applications themselves will mostly need to be re-installed. OS > > customizations, settings, add-ons, patches, etc are probably also better > > off being manually repeated on the target host. in particular, copying > > over the windows registry is probably dangerous. > > > > otoh, if you want your new computer to look exactly like your old, just > > pop out the hard disk from the old and plonk it into the new (you may > > need to set master/slave jumper settings to have your system boot off > > the old disk). > > > > i hope this sketchy advice is of some use. thats about all i know of > > windows... > > > > --ravi > > ___________________________________ > > http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk > > > > ___________________________________ > http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk </DIV></body></html>