6. Transfer Files

Vista makes this relatively simple with the Windows Easy Transfer utility. It works with the methods we'll discuss (disc, network, and transfer cable) to move not only data files and folders but also settings from your old Windows system to the new. It even re-creates your user accounts, if you want that. It does not move your old applications. To take advantage of Easy Transfer, your old PC must be running Windows 2000, XP, or Vista.

You can always use old-school sneaker-net—putting files from the old PC on a CD, DVD, or thumb drive, then copying them over to your new machine—but if you've got a lot of files, this could take minutes or days. That really big external hard drive with a USB connector you bought for backup is an option. A better solution might be to reuse the old hard drive. A USB 2.0 to SATA/IDE Adapter (about $20) can turn an old drive into an external drive for use on your new PC.

But as you know, the home network is your slickest alternative—once you have it set up right. Go into the System control panel, click Advanced system settings, and then go to the Computer Name tab under System Properties. Click the Change button. Make sure the new computer has a name that's unique among the computers in the house, and that the Workgroup name is exactly the same for all the computers in the house. Otherwise, they can't see each other to share. Go into your software firewall and check that it's open to other PCs on your network (and that the firewalls on the other computers are open to the new PC, as well). Find the folder containing the files you want to share, right-click on it to get Properties, and tell Windows to share the folder. On Vista systems, the folder should now show up in the Network and Sharing Center when you click View computers and devices.