From Win98 to WinXP file transfer

[teresa]

What's the best and easiest way to transfer files from a Win98 system over to a WinXP system?

[Panama Red]

What kind of files? Anything other than programs can be done on a network or you can slave the 98 drive to the XP machine and copy the files directlly from one hard drive to the other. Programs have registry integration and can't be "transferred". They would need to be installed on the XP machine.

[teresa]

Ok I thought I would have to reinstall programs onto WinXP machine.
The files that I'd like to transfer are any documents etc or data used by a program e.g an accounting program that has all business transactions etc.
How do you slave the Win 98 drive to WInXP machine by the way?

[glc]

You can physically remove the hard drive and install it in the XP machine as an extra drive, or you can get a external USB hard drive housing or adapter.

[GaryRouth]

[. . . and the external hard drive enclosures are handy for any repairs (cleaning a virus infection from a drive) you might have later on . . .]

If it's mostly documents you need to save, and the Windows 98 computer has a CD-RW (a writable CD-drive) you also can simply copy the documents onto a CD [You'll have a safe backup of them this way, too - in case of hard drive failure]. The financial data probably doesn't take up much room, either. Quite a few photos can fit on one CD, too.

If you have a large amount of music or video stored on the Win98 machine, those probably add up to several gigabytes of space - - - that's where the external drive enclosure or "slaving" (attaching the drive inside the XP computer's case) the drive saves time.

I'll guess the XP machine might be a new one: have fun with the new machine.
. . . Gary

[teresa]

Thankyou all for your replies - thankfully the PC has got a burner so I will use that. I was a bit worried that it wouldn't have one or an active USB.
Cheers!