Before you start
Objectives: learn where to find WET, how to run it and which options to use in different situations.
Prerequisites: you have to be familiar with migration terms and utilities.
Key terms: wet, profile migration, transfer types, location types
Windows Easy Transfer (WET) Example
In this tutorial we will use WET which we can find on Vista installation DVD. We will insert our DVD on a source computer and DVD menu should appear. If autorun is not enabled, browse the DVD and open setup.exe for main menu to run.
Image 161.1 – Vista DVD Menu
On the menu notice the option ‘Transfer files and settings from another computer‘. When we click that option we will actually run the WET tool.
Image 161.2 – WET Menu
On the WET menu we can see a list of the things that we can transfer, like multiple user profiles, data files and folders, application settings, Internet Explorer settings and even e-mail messages. On the next screen we can choose how to transfer files to the new computer.
Image 161.3 – WET Transfer Options
We can use an Easy Transfer Cable to do it directly to the other computer (used only if we have two computers). We can also use a network connection to do a direct transfer if we have two computers on the same network. If we don’t have two computers we can use a network connection to transfer files to a third-party server. We can also put our data on a removable media such as a CD, DVD or USB drive. In our case we will use the third option.
Image 161.4 – Location
For this example we will choose an ‘External hard disk or a network location’ option. This way we can browse to the location where we want to save our data.
Image 161.5 – Location for MIG file
For this example we will simply save the data to our C: drive. Notice that the data will be saved with .MIG extension and that we can also password protect it. On the next screen we can choose what to transfer.
Image 161.6 – What to transfer
Here we can go to advanced options and select which data from which users we want to transfer. For this example we will simply choose to transfer all data (‘All users, files and settings’ option).
Image 161.7 – Review
The system will ask us to confirm our selection. When we click the Transfer button, copying will begin.
Image 161.8 – Transfer
The whole transfer can take some time to finish. When the transfer is complete we have to copy our .MIG file to the destination computer. Then we need to double-click it and follow the instructions. If we use direct transfer using cable or network, file copying is not necessary.
Remember
WET is designed for end users and it is easy to use. The transfer can be done using Easy Transfer Cable, network or by using removable media. We can transfer all users and their settings or only particular users and settings.