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Easy transfer driving me mad

Luzern
Hero
Posts: 4,823
Thanks: 872
Fixes: 9
Registered: ‎31-07-2007

Easy transfer driving me mad

I have a new Windows 7 computer. I used Windows Easy Transfer to save my files and settings on anfrom the old XP computer to an external hard disk. On it are 12 filesoff type IMG00001.dat.
I have been trying all day to get the files and settings over to the new amchine, but without success.
The external drive appears on screen with afolder  USMT2,UNC that xontains the .dat files.
At the bottom there is a box to enter a file name of an easy transfer file.
I enter a . dat file I:\USMT2.UNC\IMG00001.DAT and  am told Windows Easy Transfer cannot open. Angry
Can anyone tell me what I am doing or have done wrong, and what corrective action I must take, please?
Would acquiring an Easy Transfer Cable be a better method, perhaps?Huh
No one has to agree with my opinion, but in the time I have left a miracle would be nice.
16 REPLIES 16
zubel
Community Veteran
Posts: 3,793
Thanks: 4
Registered: ‎08-06-2007

Re: Easy transfer driving me mad

Are you sure you used Easy Transfer and not the XP "Files and Settings Transfer Wizard"  ?
AFAIR, Easy Transfer creates one executable file of enormous proportions with everything in it.  F&STW creates the USMT2 structure.
Unfortunately, ET is not compatible with the files created by F&STW
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=734917d8-0663-4c26-89d0-2d00b632ebdb&displa...
B.
Luzern
Hero
Posts: 4,823
Thanks: 872
Fixes: 9
Registered: ‎31-07-2007

Re: Easy transfer driving me mad

Thanks Barry Smiley You were right in your diagnosis. Now to get Thunderbird across, and see if I can reinstall add ons + bookmarks to Firefox.
BTW under my Windows user name there are several files with names like OKa00740: I cannot fathom what they are. Can anyone give me a clue?
No one has to agree with my opinion, but in the time I have left a miracle would be nice.
SteveT
Newbie
Posts: 4
Registered: ‎18-05-2009

Re: Easy transfer driving me mad

There's a special piece of software to transfer Firefox and Thunderbird settings and content, called Mozbackup I think.  I've used it a couple of times.
Cheers
Steven
Denzil
Grafter
Posts: 1,733
Registered: ‎31-07-2007

Re: Easy transfer driving me mad

Mozbackup would be the easiest way - you will need to install it on both the old and new machines.
If you want to do it manually, copy the contents of the profiles folders from the old to the new - instructions here.
Luzern
Hero
Posts: 4,823
Thanks: 872
Fixes: 9
Registered: ‎31-07-2007

Re: Easy transfer driving me mad

The FF side was not so bad, and is working OK, hopefully. Not so the TB side of things.
Firstly I have done a complete un-install of TB from the new computer, and done another clean install, From advice of various sources my intention is to replace the files in the generated profile with those on the old computer. However I see that the profile folder... (same name) appears in two places
...app data\thunderbird\profiles\local\xxxxxx and ...app data\thunderbird\profiles\roaming\xxxxxx.
Into which one should I drop the files from the profile folder on the old machine? I am assuming that one will alter the other automatically, but not vice-versa.
I hope that this time, once the issue above has been solved,  the address book will come across too, and also all the email accounts will be present inthe bew W7 computer. If they are not would pasting in the files form the old maxchine's
....apps data\thunderbird folder be likely to work?
No one has to agree with my opinion, but in the time I have left a miracle would be nice.
ReedRichards
Seasoned Pro
Posts: 4,927
Thanks: 145
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Registered: ‎14-07-2009

Re: Easy transfer driving me mad

I'm not really sure why people think ThunderBird is a good program.  All email clients seem pretty much the same day-to-day but Thunderbird is a bit of a pig when it comes to transferring emails.  Is it really worth the hassle?  I suppose at least it's better than Outlook 2007, which is well-nigh impossible to persuade to import emails.
HPsauce
Pro
Posts: 6,998
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Registered: ‎02-02-2008

Re: Easy transfer driving me mad

Outlook is a doddle for transferring emails and contacts.  Cheesy
Luzern
Hero
Posts: 4,823
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Registered: ‎31-07-2007

Re: Easy transfer driving me mad

Thanks, guys, for the tips and opinions. :), but I would actually like assistance to solve the problem in hand. Wink
No one has to agree with my opinion, but in the time I have left a miracle would be nice.
Denzil
Grafter
Posts: 1,733
Registered: ‎31-07-2007

Re: Easy transfer driving me mad

To actually answer the question, you just need to copy the profile into ...\Roaming\...
A slight caveat though. If you haven't yet run TB on the new machine, it won't have created a profile, so just copy the whole profile folder. If you have run TB it will have a profile already there, and if you just copy the old profile over it will still try to use the new one. Simple answer is to copy the contents of the old profile folder and paste them into the new one. Make sense?
Alternatively, you can install Mozbackup as an add-on into TB as well, on both old and new machines, and use that to export and then import the profile.
ReedRichards
Seasoned Pro
Posts: 4,927
Thanks: 145
Fixes: 25
Registered: ‎14-07-2009

Re: Easy transfer driving me mad

Quote from: HPsauce
Outlook is a doddle for transferring emails and contacts.  Cheesy

Outlook to a later version of Outlook is easy enough.
Outlook Express to Outlook 2007 or Windows Mail to Outlook 2007 can only be done if the account was the previous mail account  on the same machine
Anything else to Outlook 2007 is impossible without the aid of some sort of intermediary.
Denzil
Grafter
Posts: 1,733
Registered: ‎31-07-2007

Re: Easy transfer driving me mad

OK, but Lucerne is using Thunderbird, and presumably doesn't want to spend loads of money on the bloat that is Outlook. Cheesy
Transfers in TB are easy with Mozbackup.
Luzern
Hero
Posts: 4,823
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Registered: ‎31-07-2007

Re: Easy transfer driving me mad

Quote from: Denzil
To actually answer the question, you just need to copy the profile into ...\Roaming\...
A slight caveat though. If you haven't yet run TB on the new machine, it won't have created a profile, so just copy the whole profile folder. If you have run TB it will have a profile already there, and if you just copy the old profile over it will still try to use the new one. Simple answer is to copy the contents of the old profile folder and paste them into the new one. Make sense?

Alternatively, you can install Mozbackup as an add-on into TB as well, on both old and new machines, and use that to export and then import the profile.
Sorry I have not been back sooner. You say as "an add-on to TB", but I've been unable to locate it as a specific item in tools, add-ons. Do you perhaps mean me to insert Mozbackup in to the TB application, or even something else?
Contents of old profile folder: I'll try that once more. From what you wrote do I assume that TB will generate a profile from those contents?
No one has to agree with my opinion, but in the time I have left a miracle would be nice.
Denzil
Grafter
Posts: 1,733
Registered: ‎31-07-2007

Re: Easy transfer driving me mad

Err, sorry, I appear to be losing my marbles :-[. I'm sure I remembered having used Mozbackup with TB before, but obviously I haven't.
What I mean with the profiles is, if there is a profile folder there already then it will be using that folder name, so copy not the folder but all the things inside the folder, then paste all that into the existing profile folder on the new PC.
Example:
On your old PC you have
C:\Users\xxx\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\djclvczg.default
djclvczg is just an example - it will be a different random string of letters for you. That is the profile folder.
If you have run TB at all on the new PC you have
C:\Users\xxx\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\jhgrbnat.default
If you copy djclvczg.default  into the Profiles folder on your new PC then TB won't see it as it will still be using jhgrbnat.default. Instead, double click on djclvczg.default to see the contents of the folder, and copy all of that.
Then paste it it into jhgrbnat.default, overwriting whatever is there at the moment. Start TB, and it will carry on using jhgrbnat.default, only now will be seeing your old bookmarks and mail. It doesn't need to generate a profile, because you are copying your old one into the shell of the new one.
Luzern
Hero
Posts: 4,823
Thanks: 872
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Registered: ‎31-07-2007

Re: Easy transfer driving me mad

Hi Denzil! i'm sure that compared to me you still have a larger stock of marbles remaining Smiley
Rather than overwriting contents of new Profiles Folder would there be anything against or otherwise deleting them and then pasting in the old Profiles Folder's contents?
No one has to agree with my opinion, but in the time I have left a miracle would be nice.