My experience with Microsoft's Files and Settings Transfer Tool is limited. It appears to me that this software is designed to be executed on the "OLD" machine to save the desired data for copying to the "NEW" machine later. This means running it on your unhealthy XP system, which may not be possible.
Running your new system from the old disk. . .
If you install your XP disk into your new computer, the chances of the HAL matching is almost zero. (Hardware Abstraction Layer) XP checks this, and won't run on a system that's not similar. (During installation, operating systems get "Custom Fitted" for the hardware they run on.) To be brief, you cannot run your new system from your old disk.
Installing the old system's disk in your new system . . .
If your disk is healthy, it should operate with your new system as a data drive, as long as the interface matches. New systems use SATA, (slender cable) while older systems use a parallel connection (wide flat ribbon cable.)
Using Files and Settings Transfer. . .
If you install your old disk in your new system, the Files and Settings Transfer program will give you an opportunity to save data from it. F&S Transfer gives you the option of selecting what data to copy. In your case, you'd choose data on your old disk.
When S&T asks what you want to use, pick External Disk or USB.
When S&T asks if you're on the new or old computer, pick OLD, even though you're on the NEW one.
S&T will scan all drives on your system and indicate the storage needed for all users. UN-check the users on your NEW system and click "Customize" under Shared Items.
When a Shared Items "mini menu" appears, clear all boxes, then click on "Advanced."
An Explorer like menu will appear. Manually select the data you want saved. (Probably want to Un-check items on the new disk and Check items on the old XP disk.) Click Save when done and the window will close.
Click Next, and at the Password Window, click Save.
Pick a location to save the T&S file.
At the end, T&S will display the location of your transfer file. After clicking Next T&S will tell you it's done and display a Close button.
When it's time to complete the transfer, you'll re-execute T&S and choose NEW computer.
After selecting the transfer file you made, click Customized to be sure you're getting the data you want.
It's CRITICAL that you click Advanced Options. In the Advanced Options window, pick the Map Drives Tab. This will tell T&S that the data saved on your OLD drive should be copied to the NEW. (Otherwise, it'll just copy it back to where it found it.)
Click Transfer, and finish.
F&S will display a list of programs on your system and suggestions on whether they can transfer or must be re-installed.
NOTE:
Windows 7 and Windows XP are quite different. Very few settings in one system have an exact counterpart in the other.
In my experience, F&S Transfer does such a poor job it's quicker and less frustrating to simply re-install programs and copy data manually. Your mileage may vary.
Cheers, PW.
P.S. Having a clone of your system disk. . .
Windows 7 checks the "signatures" of disks. Clones have identical signatures. Windows 7 will refuse to mount the second disk.
Windows XP doesn't care about disk signatures. |
