Fastest way to migrate data to a new computer

[chp5]

I just got a new ThinkPad with Windows 7. I work for myself and have lots of data to migrate from the old computer.

Windows 7 has a migration utility - based on using my wireless router as a network. When I began that process, the computer estimated the precess would take 3 days! I can't have my computers locked up for 3 days.

I also have an external hard drive that I could use. Suggestions for the best way to migrate appreciated!

Thanks.

[redmanfixit]

Norton Ghost and your external drive.

[Joe4d]

for about $20 I bought a box with some doodads in it, take hard drive out of old computer, hook it up plug it in and now it is a free standing external hard drive. Also a good time to take a look at the old hard drive and see how much on there is actually GAK you dont need.

[Xfactor]

I just got a new ThinkPad with Windows 7. I work for myself and have lots of data to migrate from the old computer.

Windows 7 has a migration utility - based on using my wireless router as a network. When I began that process, the computer estimated the precess would take 3 days! I can't have my computers locked up for 3 days.

I also have an external hard drive that I could use. Suggestions for the best way to migrate appreciated!

Thanks.

You definitely want to transfer the data over a wired connection, not wireless. Even high speed 802.11g typically maxes-out at 54mb/sec - but you're more likely getting about 10... Firewire and USB 2 will give you 400-480mb/sec, but you generally have to go to an external drive as an intermediary (so you're transferring twice - once to the external drive, and again from the external drive to the new machine). The fastest way to migrate the data is to network the two machines via CAT5 cable, and transfer the data directly at 100mb/sec reliably.

[For the future, it's always a good idea to keep your important data backed-up on an external drive - in addition to security, it makes data transfers easier!]

[pmd]

I used a Tornado recently - worked great.

http://thetornado.com/transfer_files.asp

I bought mine at Micro Center

[-JQ-]

The fastest way to migrate the data is to network the two machines via CAT5 cable, and transfer the data directly at 100mb/sec reliably.

[For the future, it's always a good idea to keep your important data backed-up on an external drive - in addition to security, it makes data transfers easier!]

Make sure you ask for a "crossover" cable if you are going to hook them up directly to one another.

[Flexmoney]

Crossover cable? I had to look that up: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethernet_crossover_cable

Would it be good/easy to just run regular network cables through the (hard wire part) of the wireless router/switch/hub?

[Heckler]

If you old hard drive is SATA format then one of these is the way to go and they are available at your local Best Buy.

Thermaltake Docking Station

If it is IDE you may need to buy an enclosure that supports IDE or go this route:

IDE to USB adapter

Either option will allow you move files back an forth at a very high rate of speed via USB connection. It basically hooks you old drive up to look like another drive or folder on your new pc.

[Xfactor]

Would it be good/easy to just run regular network cables through the (hard wire part) of the wireless router/switch/hub?

Yup... that's the right way to go!

[Classic_jon]

Seconded on using a wireline to transfer it using the switch.

A small suggestion though. Go through your things on your old PC and manually choose what you want to move and what you don't need to move and in most cases that will dramatically cut the amount of things you are going to move. Also, if you have a large outlook PST file you will probably want to archive it to something less than 2GB and set the auto-archive to keep it that way on the new system.

If you want to spend the $ then get an external drive enclosure and another drive so that after you transfer the data you can drop the new drive in the enclosure and have a means to backup the files you can not afford to loose. Current backups are good