Files and Settings Transfer Wizard (XP Home SP3)

Topic

New Reply

Among my standard backups, I save a copy of the file produced by the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard, restricting it only to the computer settings, not the files. In this way, if I have a crash, I can easily reset the settings to my preferences.

I recently had need to reinstall Windows on an old laptop. I knews I had saved and backed up the settings backup file, previously produced by the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard. So I reinstalled Windows XP, and immediately upgraded to SP3. I then attempted to run the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard to import the saved setting. However, I received the following message:
[indent]

---

Your migration store was created with a previous version of Files and Settings Transfer Wizard. Please collect your settings using the current version of the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard. It is available on the Windows X CD under the Perform Additional Tasks. You can also create a wizard disk by running the wizard on your Windows XP computer.

---

[/indent]
Very helpful! I’d already lost all the settings during the upgrade.

I have not seen this reported elsewhere. Others may like to note that, if like me they backup a copy of the settings file, they will need to remake it following upgrade to SP3.

Chris

Reply | Quote

Replies

Thanks for that.

Microsoft’s backup utilities have been notoriously bad ideas. It looks like that carries through to the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard as well.

Reply | Quote

Sorry to be a wet blanket at this party fellas, but it looks like expected behaviour to me. I would expect that something like files and SETTINGS would have to be updated every time you make changes to the OS, particularly service packs which tend to change or add all kinds of things in the OS. I agree with Doc that the BACKUP utility provide by Windows has always been a lemon in a sweet shop, but this one doesn’t surprise me.

Reply | Quote

I thought that the File Setting and Transfer Wizard was supposed to be designed/used to transfer personal settings and files from one PC or OS to another PC or Windows installation. Microsoft should make information about things like this more readily available or post a warning about something that is advertised as a tool to make transitions easier for the novice user. They do not mention this “feature” in their How To Use It Instructions for the tool.

Reply | Quote

I agree with you there – and I’m sure I’ve used it going from W2K to XP without a murmur.

Reply | Quote

Big Al,

Perhaps you’re right – although perhaps not:: most programs at least attempt to be backwards compatible, and while I’d perhaps expect that settings from XP would not be acceptable to Vista, seems to me not unreasonable to hope that settings from different SP levels of XP would be compatible.

However, my main point (perhaps not made explicitly) was that, it there are any like me who do save the settings, they should update their settings after upgrading to SP3.

Chris

Reply | Quote

Yes really frustrating. Had the same thing happen to me and what should have been a simple transfer turned into a nightmare.

Reply | Quote

It seems like it may be simply down to the lack of a hotfix according to MSKB 950728: Error message when you try to use the “Files and Settings Transfer” Wizard to import settings on a computer that is running Windows XP Service Pack 3: “Your migration store was created with a previous version of Files and Settings Transfer Wizard”.

Just as a BTW, did you try uninstalling SP3 (is that possible?), transferring your settings, then re-installing SP3?

Reply | Quote

Leif,

Thanks – I did not think to check the KB. However, not sure it would have helped. I have no idea if hotfix 896344 was installed on the old laptop – I suspect perhaps not, since it was reported as affecting transfer “… to a computer that is running Windows XP Professional x64 Edition”, and since I had no intent to move to the x64 edition, I probably by-passed it. I suspect perhaps others might also have done the same, or perhaps saved the settings prior to installing the hotfix, so perhaps they should be aware that the file they have may not be usable, and should be updated.

No, I didn’t even consider uninstalling SP3. It is possible; I’ve done this successfully on another notebook computer on which I had problems (actually not connected with the upgrade). But upgrading and downgrading takes for ever (well, most of one hour each), especially on the old computer which I was working on. It was much faster to recreate the settings from scratch,

Chris

Reply | Quote