# \[XP\] File and Settings transfer wizard problem - how to extract -dat files? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 27, 2006, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-file-and-settings-transfer-wizard-problem-how-to-extract-dat-files/346293 "2006-02-27T10:23:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2006, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-file-and-settings-transfer-wizard-problem-how-to-extract-dat-files/346293/1 "2006-02-27T10:23:48Z")
I just re-installed XP Pro after my bad turn with the sucky Media Center Edition. Of course, I had backed up everything important using the wizard (which has worked well before). Not this time though. After formatting the HDD and installing XP, I only get “This is not a valid file” when I try to restore 6GB of files from My Documents (including contacts from OE, all pics, all music). I’ve tried googling, but I can only find references to extracting .dat when it comes to media files. Using that software (of which we don’t speak around here) didn’t help. Any doper with a good idea on how to retrieve all the things I’m missing? ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2006, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-file-and-settings-transfer-wizard-problem-how-to-extract-dat-files/346293/2 "2006-02-27T11:13:05Z")
Did you update the new installation to SP2 with all the latest patches before running the wizard? I had the same problem with the wizard on a new XP Pro reinstall but updating to SP2 fixed it. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2006, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-file-and-settings-transfer-wizard-problem-how-to-extract-dat-files/346293/3 "2006-02-27T11:16:14Z")
Failing that, something like [FASTConv](http://www.geocities.com/bbacle2003/) may or may not work (never tried it). And Google has [more links](http://www.google.com/search?q=files%20and%20settings%20transfer%20wizard%20dat%20extraction). ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2006, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-file-and-settings-transfer-wizard-problem-how-to-extract-dat-files/346293/4 "2006-02-27T11:51:48Z")
Everything is updated, all drivers, SP2 and everything essential from Windows Update. I’ll check the link. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2006, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-file-and-settings-transfer-wizard-problem-how-to-extract-dat-files/346293/5 "2006-02-27T12:53:30Z")
This isn’t going to help your problem, but could I ask you what you didn’t like about Media Center Edition? I thought it was a superset of Pro and had everything that Pro had and more, so what caused you to switch back? ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2006, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-file-and-settings-transfer-wizard-problem-how-to-extract-dat-files/346293/6 "2006-02-27T13:40:31Z")
To make it short. [Here’s my pit thread about the ordeal.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=356828) ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-file-and-settings-transfer-wizard-problem-how-to-extract-dat-files/346293/8 "2012-01-10T04:54:00Z")
Obvious spambot reported. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Niply\_Elder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e8cbc/32.png) [@The\_Niply\_Elder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Niply_Elder)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-file-and-settings-transfer-wizard-problem-how-to-extract-dat-files/346293/9 "2012-01-10T05:08:29Z")
But the bot has a good point though. Anyway, I’m not sure why but \*.dat file are kinda general purpose files, an you give some more info where the files belong? And also, not to threadshit on you but it’s the year 2012. What in the freaking world are you doing running windows xp? Win7 came out three years ago already and it’s now considered a dinosaur. Seriously think about how much your time is worth in trouble shooting all these bullshitty problems with outdated garbage, and how much cheaper it would be to upgrade to a newer dinosaur… ---
**Author:** ![Archaic\_Entity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/41988e/32.png) [@Archaic\_Entity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archaic_Entity)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-file-and-settings-transfer-wizard-problem-how-to-extract-dat-files/346293/10 "2012-01-10T05:12:00Z")
> [@The\_Niply\_Elder](#): > > But the bot has a good point though. > > Anyway, I’m not sure why but \*.dat file are kinda general purpose files, an you give some more info where the files belong? > > And also, not to threadshit on you but it’s the year 2012. What in the freaking world are you doing running windows xp? Win7 came out three years ago already and it’s now considered a dinosaur. Seriously think about how much your time is worth in trouble shooting all these bullshitty problems with outdated garbage, and how much cheaper it would be to upgrade to a newer dinosaur… Eh… that thread was from 2006. Haha. I think his \*.dat problems may be a thing of the past, much like XP. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-file-and-settings-transfer-wizard-problem-how-to-extract-dat-files/346293/11 "2012-01-10T05:18:28Z")
Y’know, a Windows XP thread should be a dead giveaway… ---
**Author:** ![The\_Niply\_Elder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e8cbc/32.png) [@The\_Niply\_Elder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Niply_Elder)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-file-and-settings-transfer-wizard-problem-how-to-extract-dat-files/346293/12 "2012-01-10T05:25:38Z")
Oh shit I just read the pit post… Daaaaamn dude, I’m sorry. Yeash… ---
**Author:** ![The\_Niply\_Elder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e8cbc/32.png) [@The\_Niply\_Elder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Niply_Elder)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-file-and-settings-transfer-wizard-problem-how-to-extract-dat-files/346293/13 "2012-01-10T05:44:28Z")
> [@Archaic\_Entity](#): > > Eh… that thread was from 2006. Haha. I think his \*.dat problems may be a thing of the past, much like XP. Lmao. Ok xp was groundbreaking at the time :rolleyes: he’s excused :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xp-file-and-settings-transfer-wizard-problem-how-to-extract-dat-files/346293/14 "2012-01-10T06:41:03Z")
> [@The\_Niply\_Elder](#): > > But the bot has a good point though. > > Anyway, I’m not sure why but \*.dat file are kinda general purpose files, an you give some more info where the files belong? > > And also, not to threadshit on you but it’s the year 2012. What in the freaking world are you doing running windows xp? Win7 came out three years ago already and it’s now considered a dinosaur. Seriously think about how much your time is worth in trouble shooting all these bullshitty problems with outdated garbage, and how much cheaper it would be to upgrade to a newer dinosaur… Oh my god. 3 years already?! I still admire my transparent taskbar because it feels so shiny and _new_. Damn, technology moves fast these days.