there already is a tool for this and it works quite well. I just used it to back up filies and settings on a PC running the January beta before deleting the partitions and installing RC fresh and clean. It's called the Easy Transfer Wizard.
Note that it does not copy programs, but it does provide a nice report after the restore to tell you what software to reinstall. In my case it migrated all of my documents and the settings for my Windows user account, IE Favorites, Office 2007 settings and preferences, including email settings, Windows Live Essentials settings and mail, and even my newsgroup data from Forte Agent.
The following is excerpted from a longer Technet article here:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd446674.aspx After your create the Windows 7 DVD, follow these steps (also applies to Vista as the old PC or switching from 32 bit to 64 bit):
Copy files using Windows Easy Transfer
- Insert the Windows 7 DVD while running Windows XP. If the Windows 7 installation window opens automatically, close it.
- Open Windows Explorer by right-clicking the Start menu, and then clicking Explore.
- Browse to the DVD drive on your computer and click migsetup.exe in the Support\Migwiz directory.
The Windows Easy Transfer window opens.
- Click Next.
- Select An external hard disk or USB flash drive.
- Click This is my old computer. Windows Easy Transfer scans the computer.
- Click Next. You can also determine which files should be migrated by selecting only the user profiles you want to transfer, or by clicking Customize.
- Enter a password to protect your Easy Transfer file, or leave the box blank, and then click Save.
- Browse to the external location on the network or to the removable media where you want to save your Easy Transfer file, and then click Save.
- Click Next. Windows Easy Transfer displays the file name and location of the Easy Transfer file you just created.
Once you've installed Windows 7:
Copy files to the destination computer
- If you saved your files and settings in an Easy Transfer file on a removable media such as a UFD rather than on a network share, insert the removable media into the computer.
- Click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, click System Tools, and then click Windows Easy Transfer.
The Windows Easy Transfer window opens.
- Click Next.
- Click An external hard disk or USB flash drive.
- Click This is my new computer.
- Click Yes, open the file.
- Browse to the location where the Easy Transfer file was saved. Click the file name, and then click Open.
- Click Transfer to transfer all files and settings. You can also determine which files should be migrated by selecting only the user profiles you want to transfer, or by clicking Customize.
- Click Close after Windows Easy Transfer has completed moving your files.
-steve
Microsoft MVP Windows Live / Windows Live OneCare & Live Mesh Forum Moderator
