Windows 8 In Depth

Windows Easy Transfer

The Windows Easy Transfer program lets you copy documents and preference settings from an older computer running Windows 8, 7, Vista, or XP to a new computer running Windows 8. You can also use this tool to preserve your data if you plan to reformat or replace your hard disk. You can use several different means to transfer the data:

• If you can plug both computers into the same local area network (LAN), the transfer can occur directly over the network.

• If you don’t have a network but both of your computers have Ethernet network adapters, you can connect them using an Ethernet crossover cable. (See “Connecting Just Two Computers” in Chapter 18.) Then, you can use the network transfer method.

• You can connect the two computers ...