Transfering Desktop To Laptop

[whiskeryron]

A friend is buying his first laptop & would like to transfer everything from his desktop p/c. Is this just a case of backing everything up to dvd & then playing dvd to laptop ?

WR.

[woofgang]

What everything? Itunes purchases can be downloaded again, programs might need to be loaded from the original discs. Documents can just be put on a memory stick and moved across....

[Old_Geezer]

By everything you mean all their data ? Or operating system/applications/whatever too ?

Generally speaking and method for copying data is fine. But I'd recommend reinstalling applications from scratch: depending on how you copy sommetimes hidden files can get left behind. Data files are fine though. Use a DVD sure, or a flash drive, or you can even link the two computers together as a network and copy things across, but that's a bit more complex. Copy from old, and then copy to new.

Or there are applications that creates back-up disks for you to restore elsewhere.

[VHG]

Microsoft have written an application called Windows Easy Transfer which transfers settings and files from one PC to another

See here.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/windows7/products/features/windows-easy-transfer

[rojash]

If you just mean data then the Windows Easy Transfer Wizard is the easiest way to go.
He can transfer it across his network, or via USB stick or removeable drive.
If you mean programs as well, then Laplink PC Mover is the only (AFAIK) way to achieve it, but it ain't cheap - you need a licence for both the old and the new machines.

Windows Easy Transfer: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/windows7/products/features/windows-easy-transfer

Laplink Pc Mover: http://www.laplink.com/index.php/individuals/pcmover-for-windows-8/pcmover-professional-8

Finally, if he has programs that are incompatible with his new operating system, he can use Zinstall. This will actually create a virtual computer on his new machine, which will be identical to his old computer. http://tinyurl.com/b8f5kqu

[Pensioner47]

My recommendation is to use an external hard drive for the data (including pictures, music, videos etc). Some software (eg operating system) will come with the laptop, but the rest I would (ie most of the applications) will need to be installed from CDs or from the internet.

[whiskeryron]

Thanks guys.

WR.