Vista - acct/file transfer using internal hard drive

I am a new Vista user, and this is my first post on this forum.

I have a brand new HP Pavilion desk top, running Vista Home Premium.

I bought my computer about 2 weeks ago, spent 3 days transferring all
of my files and settings from my old XP computer to my new HP Vista
computer. Got everything working (more or less) - and then had a problem
with the computer. To make a long story short - I had a problem with the
1st HP Pavilion, and got a replacement (2nd) HP Pavilion - as nearly
identical as any 2 computers can be. The 2nd HP Pavilion has new hard
drive and a new install of windows Vista. The new install seems to be
fine.

What I want to do is transfer all of my
files/accounts/settings/programs to the new computer so I can use them.

I have the hard drive from the 1st HP installed in the 2nd HP as drive
G:

the new computer can see the G drive, and all of the data files are
there - I can copy paste, or just use them from drive G:

I cannot access the files in the user folder of the G drive. I know the
password, but windows does not ask for a password - it says click here
to get access, and when I click - it takes 10 minutes to do nothing.

I tried to boot the new HP using the previous hard drive - it would
have been great if that had worked - but I get an error message - it
asks for the windows install disk - says to click on "repair". Of course
I don't have the install disk - and when I call HP I speak to someone in
India or Argintina and its very hard to get anything done.

I have the MS Word/Excel software disks - I can install that again with
no big difficulty. My biggest concerns are things like my favorites
settings on my browser, about a years worth of emails - etc etc

I have used the windows easy transfer program - I have the cable, but
windows is not much help (or I can't figure it out) in transfering from
an internal hard drive in the same computer. I cannot put the hard
drive back in the old computer - that is not an option.

anyone have any advice for me?


--
Phil Rice
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