What's the best way to migrate all my applications and data from an old laptop to a new one?

OK, this is easy and something we do on a daily basis!

Firstly you will need to REINSTALL ALL applications like OFFICE, ACROBAT etc, you must do this there is no way of copying them from one system to another (unless as stated earlier, the hardware is identical)

Copy all documents images etc that you want to keep into MY DOCUMENTS

On your OLD laptop go to START, ALL PROGRAMS, ACCESSORIES, SYSTEM TOOLS

Click on Files & Settings Transfer WIzard

tell it that this is the OLD PC, use FILES & SETTINGS, then tell it to create the back up on to your BACKUP DRIVE you said you had, this will create a UMST file which contains all docs, & settings from your original Laptop

Once its done plug your back up drive into the NEW LAPTOP

On your new laptop:

Click on Files & Settings Transfer WIzard

tell it that this is the NEW PC, just click next and then all being well all you emails, IE Faves, and docs will be on your new laptop!

If you get stuck feel free to contact me on www.eagletec.co.uk, join the forum, we will help you out :)

Do not do a drive image transfer if your new laptop already has windows installed. It will cause issues.

Either use a third party program, such as Norton Ghost, or use the program that comes with XP: It's called the "Files and Settings Transfer Wizard". To get to it, go to Start>All Programs>Accessories>System Tools.

^^ Thats only if the computers are the same exact things, If you try doing that with two different HAL's then the computer wont even run. Make sure you know what your talking about before you give advice. I reccomend you use cd or dvd media to burn to for the software you dont have CD's or whatever and your data for the software and other personal files on your computer. You can use the data migration tool on the XP cd for your settings if yo uwant to keep them..

Don't worry about hardware this days because computer engineers has done most of the work for us - i mean 99 percent of hardware are compatible, that means they can work and communicate with each other.You can use ''file and setting transfer wizard to move all your stuff.To get to it just click on (start,point to all programs,accessories,system tools and file and transfer wizard.You also need a serial cable to connect your old and new computer together.

As the user above says user Settings and Migration Wizzard to move your Data and your desktop and application settings.

THIS WILL NOT MIGRATE YOUR THIRD PARTY APPLICATIONS.

Reinstall your apps from scratch. Setup your pc with all software etc first the run the migration wizzard to and reinstall your data and desktop settings.

HP sells Intellimover that does a great job. You have to reinstall major programs installed from a CD.

You will need to reinstall your applications. The data you can copy from one to the other.

Loook on the discs you get and you will find software on there that will talk you through. It's rather easy really.

I think you can use norton ghost to ghost a copy. It should work fine.