Is there a file that contains my Windows display settings?

Factual Questions
1

I’m getting a new (work) computer today. Same operating system (Windows XP). Info Services will copy most things from the old to the new computer. It seems like “most things” never includes my display settings. These are the settings you can change if you right-click on the desktop.

Is there a file somewhere that holds those setting that I can back up and copy over to my new computer?

Also, is there a file that holds the shortcuts from my taskbar?

2

You’re looking for the “Files and Settings Transfer Wizard,” located in Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools.

3

Which taskbar? Quick Launch? That’s located at:

E:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch

4

You’re generally better off setting up display properties manually as you’re probably using a different monitor and different video card. A setting that works on the old PC may knock the new one senseless - at best, it will say “I can’t display this” and default to something like 1024x768 at 60 Hz. At worst, you’ll have an unwatchable display and no way to change it unless you’re really good and can click buttons and tabs in the settings without seeing them. (Been there, done that, took half an hour to finally hit just the right spots) At really worst, the monitor says “I can’t display this” and goes black.

If you’ve got wallpaper images, you’ll want to do a search for them - they might not be in your “My Documents” folder. Move them there if they aren’t - quite often, IT folks only move whatever’s in My Documents and don’t look for anything elsewhere.

5

Thanks for the replies. The computer was replaced before the replies came in so I didn’t get to try them before the switch but I’ll file them away for future reference. It was the quick launch taskbar I was asking about. No new monitor this time. We got nice flat screen ones not too long ago. They lease everything so nothing is ever very far out of date. I requested and got an optical mouse though!

6

The folder that contains the icons for the Quick Launch toolbar is C:\Documents and Settings[username]\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch and it can be moved to the new computer.