Vista - Not An Easy Transfer

I recently purchased a new desktop running Vista Home Premium 64BIT SP1. I am upgrading from a six year old laptop running XP Home with Service Pack 3, and I needed to transfer my files so I could pass the laptop on to another family member. After asking around and doing a little research I purchased an easy transfer cable in an attempt to make the process quick and simple.

The problem is that the instructions for both the cable and Windows Easy Transfer program are practically non-existant. The directions for the cable said to install the software onto the XP machine (easy enough), and then connect the two computers with the cable, again, very simple. Then I was to follow the on screen instructions.

Instructions were as follows: "Windows automatically detects the connection".

That's it, no buttons to click, nothing to type in, no load screen, no scan, nothing. So I waited... and waited... and waited. Nothing happened.

So I unhooked the cable, disconnected both computers from the internet, disabled any and all firewalls, spyware software, antivirus software, anything that could possibly interfere with the connection. And I tried again... and again... and again.

Not Happy, not simple, not easy! Am I doing something wrong? Did I miss a step? Or is Vista really the problem everyone has been proclaiming it?

First off : Go easy on the smilies in your posts - as many as you have makes reading it very hard.

Second, you can't blame Vista when the software was to be installed onto XP.

Once you have linked the two computers, so can access the "Files and Settings Transfer Wizard" in XP as follows:

1. Click "Start"
2. Point to "Accessories"
3. Point to "System Tools"
4. Click "Files and Settings Transfer Wizard"
5. Follow on-screen instructions

Thank you for your response Dzomlija, however it does not address my issue.

I purchased an easy transfer cable which is made to work with the Vista Based Windows Easy Transfer(WET) software.

The XP File Transfer Wizard does not detect a connection with the new Vista OS. Therefore, WET is supposed to be used instead since it is part of Vista, and is backwards compatible.

The software installed onto the XP machine without any issues and runs fine until I connect the two computers.

According to the on screen directions, WET is supposed to automatically detect the connection between the computers. However, this Vista Based Software fails to do so.

The problem is not with the cable, nor with the installation of the program. The problem is the connection, or lack thereof, between the computers.

I have disabled anything that could possibly be hindering the connection, but nothing is working, does anyone know what is going on here?

Do you need to configure them for file and print sharing first?

I believe you have to set up a Network connection via Control Panel first...even though it's a cable connection.
I had to do this with a USB to USB cable i used awhile ago.
NOTE: Both machines have to be in the same Workgroup for this to work.
But i agree with the above...it's not Vista's fault.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc...hxG_n9mGABCbHA