XP to 8.1

[strikermike]

How do you transfer files and settings from windows XP to 8.1 ? can it be done?

 

[Ketchup]

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/transfer-data-from-old-computer-to-windows-8/

 

[MustISO]

Microsoft removed the very good Easy Transfer and decided it would be better for you to upload everything to OneDrive and then download it to the new PC. Clearly they are out of touch with reality. They did however partner with the people who make laplink and are offering a migration tool for free:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/en-us/xp/transfer-your-data.aspx

I've used it once and it worked well. If I just need to move users data I will sometimes just copy it over the network.

 

[Ketchup]

Linux
You need 2 hard drives and to boot to the linux one.

Care to elaborate on that? Because on the surface this makes no sense at all.

 

[Ketchup]

Edit: this post lost context due to a banned member continuing to try new aliases. The idea presented was to install Linux on yet another hard drive and run copy commands from within that.

I don't see a need for Linux at all.

If he wants to put an extra hard drive in a computer, all he would need to do is plug in the drive with xp to the computer with 8.1 and copy files straight over.

We would need more information to assume that. Since he used a keyword "transfer," I gave him an answer along those lines.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Personally I would wait till windows 10 comes out, but if you really want to do this, I'd just unplug the drive and get another drive to put 8.1 on (plug it in sata 0) then plug the old drive back in another port and copy whatever you need. You'll probably want to grab the whole c:\documents and settings\ folder and any other place you may have stored data. The reason for unplugging the drive is just to avoid accidentally installing to that one instead of the new one.

I would not try to just transplant the entire profile though, as XP and 8 are totally different architectures and it may not work well and even if it does, you could run into issues.

 

[takeru]

use older version of usmt that supports xp to backup. and use newer version of usmt to restore to win 8.1. that's how we migrated data from xp to win 8.1 machines in my last workplace.

 

[escrow4]

Just copy the key folders across. You should use the MS defaults, that way you only need to copy and paste key bits - Documents, Music, Pictures, Downloads etc. And XP in 2015 is horrific. Its like watching everything on VCD.

 

[ArisVer]

I think it's better to wait for a clarification of the original OP, because by transferring files and settings maybe he means migrating his system.

 

[corkyg]

I have done it this way:

1. Direct Upgrade, XP to Vista
2. Direct Upgrade Vista TO 7
3. Direct Upgrade 7 to 8
4. Direct Upgrade, 8 to 8.1

Oh, yeah . . . there was probably a year usage in between each upgrade.