Recently built a new machine, and want to move settings (including customizations and outlook rules, mailboxes and accounts) to the new machine. As noted in the title, the old machine is an XP Pro box, the new machine is running Windows 7. I’d rather not move macros and add-ins all at once if I can avoid it (something is causing a problem and I’d like to install one at a time), but the Outlook setup and little tweaks (e.g., customization changes, style sets) will be a PITA to redo manually.
I found a dizzying array of answers via Google, but none seemed to apply. Wasn’t this easy a few years ago? Is this a new “upgrade” to Office 2007?
Thanks,
Rhythm
This is less to do with Office 2007 and more to do with the switch from XP to Win7. Starting with Vista, the locations of settings and documents in a user’s profile changed places from where they were in XP.
One way to do it is to use the File and Settings Transfer Wizard. You can download it for XP and it’s built into Windows 7. This will carry over your documents and all settings for Microsoft programs.
Another way is with Microsoft’s User State Migration Tool (USMT), though this is a more involved process.
Both tools are MS-centric, so they won’t necessarily catch the settings from non MS programs.
This is going to be painful, isn’t it? Google’s first hit for “File and Settings Transfer Wizard” is an article from 2001.
I think the article is that old because the File and Settings Transfer Wizard was introduced with Windows XP. With Windows 7, they introduced Windows Easy Transfer.
Ahhhh… that makes much more sense. So far 
Oops, sorry for the behind the times wizard name.
… or not.
So I ran Windows Easy Transfer. It scanned and scanned, then found about 16 GB to transfer from the main login account, 6 GB from the Admin account and 240 GB in Shared Items. It even found about 20 MB from the Guest account. No clue what it’s transferring.
I clicked Customize, which brought up some slightly vague items, then clicked Advanced, which brought up a File Explorer-like window with a whole lotta checkboxes.
I don’t want to recreate the entire desktop and every spare file. I don’t want random DLLs floating around; I don’t plan on reinstalling a lot of software.
I guess I can transfer Word bit by bit (e.g., c&p .dot files, copy macros to the clipboard), but I’d really appreciate some simple way of getting Outlook to export all rules and databases. Will that be taken care of if I find Outlook under Program Files of WET? Do I have to select just the one under my username?
If you can run both computers at the same time, it’s very doable. I’d move the PST file and then see which settings didn’t transfer. I think the rules are in the PST file, but I wouldn’t swear to it. I’m pretty sure that you’ll be missing any Autocomplete email addresses (which are stored in what Microsoft calls a nicknames file).
Thanks!
Between the optimism/pessimism, I must admit to getting a bit seasick. Following your lead to copy PST files, I found Microsoft’s Where Does Outlook 2007 save my information and configurations? page and will use that. It looks like there are just one or two folders to worry about, so my first attempt will be a simple mass copy.