Transferring programs to another computer or a new OS. Transferring user system settings

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Transferring user data and settings from an old system (Windows 95 or later) to a new one Windows machine XP is not an easy process. In particular, the difficulty is to collect all the links, parameters and other data necessary for the user, discarding unnecessary “junk”. Thanks to the maximum automation of the process, migration can be carried out stably and efficiently.

Microsoft offers two tools that help you migrate user state information: the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard (FSTW) and the User State Migration Tool (USMT). The tools are functionally similar, but FSTW's GUI is less suited for bulk migrations than USMT's highly customizable, script-driven utility.

FSTW

FSTW is unlikely to be useful when migrating custom settings for large number computers. However, knowing the capabilities of the utility, it can be used for quick migration if there is no time to prepare for working with USMT. FSTW must first be run on the source system ( old car) to save the user's system state on the network or on disk, and then run it again on the target (new) computer and restore the user's state. Full list files and settings transferred using FSTW, see the Microsoft article “List of Programs Whose Settings Are Migrated When You Use the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard” ( http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=304903 ).

To run FSTW on an XP machine, click the Start button and go to Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and then select Files and Settings Transfer Wizard. FSTW will ask if you want to create a Wizard Disk with the FSTW program for original system. You can also access FSTW on the source system from the installation CD. To do this, you need to insert the CD into the drive, select Perform Additional Tasks on the screen Windows autorun XP and start the procedure for transferring files and settings.

Easy-to-use utility does not need to be installed or configured complex parameters won't be needed either. It enables rapid movement of user data and settings. From the FSTW interface, you can select files and settings to migrate, but the settings are only valid for one session and must be re-entered in subsequent migration sessions. In addition, FSTW is inferior to USMT in terms of automation level and depth of data presentation.

USMT

The USMT utility has been released as part of a resource kit Microsoft Windows 2000 Server Resource Kit and not included standard set XP Tools, but can be found on the XP Professional installation CD. If you plan to use USMT as a bulk migration tool, you should upload the USMT files to network computer to automate the operation. You don't need to install USMT, just copy the files from the ValueAddMSFTUSMT folder on the XP Pro installation CD to a shared network drive.

On network drive There must be enough space to store collected user data and settings. In the USMT folder, you should create a subfolder called Captured, which will be the target for the captured files. USMT data can be stored anywhere, but it is better to collect all USMT resources in one place. For the same reason, I recommend sharing the USMT folder on the server as USMT; batch files This article refers to the USMT share.

USMT files

After the files have been copied and the shared disk has been created, among the many files with the extensions .exe, .dll and .inf, you will notice a subfolder named ANSI. Unicode files located in the USMT primary folder will not work with Windows Me and Windows 9x. Windows 9x operating systems require the ANSI version, located in the ANSI subfolder. To launch the correct version, depending on the operating system you are using, you should use a batch file, which will be discussed below.

The programs scanstate.exe and loadstate.exe are used for migration. Scanstate collects and stores user data and settings on the source system, and Loadstate restores the saved data to the target machine. Both programs include parameters that specify which .inf file to process, where the collected data is located, and how USMT transactions are logged. The sequence of arguments passed to a program can be quite long, especially if Universal Naming Convention (UNC) paths are used, so it is recommended to create batch files with predefined arguments for each tool.

Files with the .inf extension control the functioning of USMT during Scanstate operation. Some .inf files are customizable by the user, others are not recommended to be changed; none of them have a name that explains the purpose of the file. The .dll files in the USMT folder are required for both Scanstate and Loadstate to work.

Automation of Scanstate and Loadstate work

There are a few rules to keep in mind regarding the functionality and correct use of USMT. The USMT utility is designed to migrate domain user profiles, not working group. To run Scanstate or a batch file named Scanstate, you must be logged in as the user whose profile you want to move. The Loadstate program or the batch file that calls Loadstate must be run as a user with administrative privileges on the target system. The user whose data is being transferred must already have a profile on the target computer. Therefore, you should not run Loadstate on behalf of the user whose data is being migrated. I recommend always running Scanstate as the end user and Loadstate as a local administrator.

To simplify the migration of multiple users while ensuring the integrity of the data and parameters being transferred, you can specify variables and define paths in command files. GetUser.bat( listing 1) collects data and settings from the source computer, and PutUser.bat ( listing 2) places data and parameters on the target machine. A list of Scanstate arguments is given in table 1. The /u, /f, and /x options should be used for diagnostic purposes only. Scanstate by default collects user settings, system settings, and data specified in .inf files.

Let's look at GetUser.bat first. The command file variable %1 (Listing 1) is used for the username; You must enter a value instead of a variable. This value is included in the migration path - a required argument to Scanstate - and is used to create special folders users. The batch file then creates and names (using a variable) the folder into which the migrated data and log files will subsequently be written. The batch file creates this folder within the previously created Captured folder.

The batch file then determines the operating system version and jumps to the appropriate partition to run suitable version Scanstate. Only the path to scanstate.exe changes, and one set of .inf files can be used for operating systems like Windows type NT and Windows 9x. The batch file includes the /c option and Scanstate continues to work despite minor problems such as long names files. For each processed .inf file, you must specify the path and name; To do this, enter the path and name, preceded by /i, as arguments to the scanstate.exe command. For successful implementation batch file, regardless of how you run it, I recommend using the full UNC path. The /l and /v options provide information about the location, name, and level of detail of the log file. The last argument, MyServerusmtCaptured\%1, is the path where the recordings will be recorded. collected files and parameters.

Now about PutUser.bat. The argument string for Loadstate is not that complicated, since the program uses only one input file, migration.inf, created by the Scanstate process. Additionally, there is no ANSI version of Loadstate: USMT is intended only for migration to new operating systems, and the batch file does not need operating system version detection logic. The batch file syntax in Listing 2 is basically the same as Listing 1 for Scanstate. The same options are used, except for /c. Using a user-entered variable, the path to the restored data and parameters is determined; The log file is saved in the same location.

When running Scanstate at full capacity, as in GetUser.bat, the amount of data collected exceeds practical needs. However, I recommend starting with this mode to become familiar with the information being migrated and find out how the migration to target system. Then, by changing or deleting some .inf files, you can eliminate any unnecessary data. To determine what data and parameters are transferred, you can create your own .inf files and specify them in the command file using the /i parameter.

Changing .inf files

After a few trial migrations, and the administrator sees the impressive amount of variety of data USMT collects by default, the tool can be customized to meet the needs of a specific enterprise. To do this, you may need the following three files: migsys.inf, miguser.inf and migapp.inf. You should not change sysfiles.inf, as it contains a list of files that should not be transferred; this standard list includes operating system files that may conflict with the target machine's new operating system files. You can deviate from this rule only if you need to supplement the list with a file in order to exclude it from the migration process. Migsys.inf contains rules for migrating operating system elements such as accessibility settings, fonts, sounds, media files, and other system-defining settings. Miguser.inf specifies the user accounts and computer folders to be migrated. This list, along with some others, includes the Desktop, Start Menu, Favorites, My Documents, and Quick Launch folders. Migapp.inf transfers settings for a group of favorite applications. The attached migration rules cover many common Microsoft programs and other vendors, but remember that only the settings are migrated - to take advantage of the migrated settings, you must deploy the corresponding applications on the target system.

Knowing the purpose of .inf files, you can configure them for a specific task. The structure of inf files may be familiar to administrators with Windows programming experience. If this is not the case, then you can use the recommendations below, but for in-depth configuration it is useful to read additional literature about the structure of .inf files. On the installation CD Windows Server 2003 in the USMT folder there is an extensive document User State Migration Tool - INF Commands.

The basic structure of .inf files contains section names enclosed in parentheses. The example in Figure 1 shows the version and System Settings sections. The information in the section often points to a component or individual state later in the .inf file. A component is a set of related rules that define the state of an element, while an individual state is defined by a single file, registry setting, or folder. USMT treats most elements listed in standard .inf files as components because it is easier to process elements that are grouped together. For example, on the screen there are 1 elements in System section Settings are components, and each of them is represented later in the .inf file as a section that contains the elements that make up that state. To block the set of all files and parameters that make up part of a component, simply put a semicolon before the component name in the top section (in in this case System Settings). At first glance, the procedure may seem complicated, but with a little practice it is not difficult to learn how to navigate .inf files.

To increase the amount of data collected by USMT, you can supplement the standard .inf files with new elements, but I recommend creating a custom .inf file and processing the .inf files by listing them on the Scanstate command line with the /i prefix. IN listing 3 Here's a simplified example of an .inf file that uses the components and shows how one section points to another. This example allows you to understand the sequence of processing .inf files and begin creating own files. The previously mentioned document User State Migration Tool - INF Commands contains a number of tips for modifying and creating .inf files.

Flexible tool

Both FSTW and USMT are useful for migrating user settings from one system to another, but the flexibility and ability to automate the work makes USMT better suited for enterprise-wide migrations. In Windows 2003, an improved version of USMT appeared, supplemented, in particular, with the function automatic change domain membership.

In conclusion, I would like to warn you that if you change versions during work, you will have to use new .inf files. The batch files also need to be updated because some arguments change.

Ed Roth is the editor of Windows & .NET Magazine. He can be contacted at:

We all know that a newly installed operating system works much faster than an old system in which many various applications. However, the joy of the speed and stability of the new OS quickly disappears when it turns out that all your favorite games and frequently used programs were removed along with the old OS. Today we will share our knowledge on how to avoid losing programs and games when reinstalling the system and how to correctly transfer programs to another computer.

Modern world And modern technologies made us look at the concept of moving differently. If previously we associated only a change of residence with this concept, now we also associate a change of operating system. In one case or another, a lot of problems are associated with moving (moving things/programs, setting up a new meta/updating, setting up configurations, installing programs, applications and games).

The most difficult task when migrating to a new OS is to transfer to it what is necessary for work software , all kinds of applications, files with personal data, of course games, multimedia libraries, messages mail client and settings of installed programs.

A classic move to a new PC or new OS looks something like this: the user deletes the old operating system, formats hard section disk and installs a new OS into it, let's say Windows 8. After this, the most tedious, long and tedious work begins: installing programs necessary for work (of which there can be a large number), favorite games, transferring personal files to the new OS. Everything would be fine, but this approach takes a lot of time, and most importantly nerves, and no one is immune from losing any files or important correspondence in this routine once and for all... The question arises: how to speed up and simplify process of moving to another computer or new OS? Is it even possible to do this? Nothing is impossible, there is one solution or another for everything.

Today we will tell you about what programs exist for transferring applications and user data to a new OS. In addition, we will analyze the difficult moments when moving, and also decide what data needs to be transferred and what not.

Difficulties when transferring programs to a new OS

The most difficult thing when migrating, no matter to a new OS or to another computer, is transferring programs and their settings. Normally copying a folder with program files installed in it can hardly be useful in this situation; it will only work with portable programs. Regular copying will inevitably lead to loss of application functionality for a number of reasons:

At the time of installation of programs, various program files are written to the system for the entire HDD, V different folders(Windows, Programs Files, Document and setting, Common Files, etc.). Of course, you can collect all these files manually if you try, but then you will have to put them all in their own folders in the new OS.
Having transferred the application to another computer in this way, when it starts, it will certainly begin to access Windows registry in search of the keys necessary for operation, which are written in it when installing the program. Of course, when accessing the registry, the program will not be able to find in it necessary records, as a result of which it will work with errors, if it can start at all. For this reason, in addition to program files, it is also necessary to transfer records system registry.
After installing those programs that are “tied” to the hardware, some of their files and registry keys contain information about the current system configuration. By transferring such a program to another computer, the configuration of which is different from the old PC, you can not expect anything from it normal operation, or, for example, activation.
Archives mail messages.
“Saves” of games.

What data needs to be transferred to the new OS from the old one?

First of all, these are, of course, installed programs, such as office suites, programs for editing images and video files, translators, mailers, browsers, archivers, in general, all those that we use every day.
User files, including working documents, photo and video archives, file archives, music libraries, e-books etc. When transferring of this type data, an ordinary flash drive or USB disk can help. For them, simple and sequential copying (PC-Flash drive-PC) is sufficient. But there is another way, for example, using Windows programs Easy Transformer (we will give it a separate review).
Archives of mail messages.
Bookmarks and “Favorites” of browsers.
“Saves” of games.

What data cannot be transferred?

Unfortunately, not all information can be transferred to another PC, even when using specialized tools. Of course, you can try to be more precise, but the result will not be guaranteed. Most often, some applications fall into the category of such data, for example:

Device drivers - cannot be transferred to another system. After installing the OS, they will have to be installed again, since the system configuration will be changed. It is customary to prepare drivers in advance, before starting to install a new OS.
Complex software packages, such as 3ds Max Design. Of course, you can try to transfer this application package, but in most cases the attempts will be unsuccessful. In addition, when transferring such application packages, you may need to re-activate them by entering license key. If a program is tied to a hardware, then it is unlikely to be reactivated on another hardware.
Antivirus and other software to protect the system from viruses. Popular antiviruses such as Kaspersky Internet Security, Norton Internet When installing Security or Avast Internet Security, I take into account all the features of the operating system, working at the kernel level. For this reason, antiviruses, in principle, cannot be transferred to another system.
Some data simply may be incompatible with the operating system to which it is being transferred. For example, commercial PCmover program immediately warns the user about incompatibility, music that is protected by digital rights.

In order not to bore you with reading, we decided not to include reviews of data transfer programs in this article. There are enough programs for this, and for some of them reviews are already being written with examples of how they work. Therefore, soon, we will continue to develop the topic of transferring programs to another computer or operating system.

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USMT is a command line scripting tool that provides highly customizable user profile migration for IT professionals. USMT has the following components:

ScanState.exe: The ScanState tool scans the source computer, collects files and settings, and creates storage.

LoadState.exe: The LoadState tool moves files and settings simultaneously from storage to a temporary location on the target computer.

Migration.xml file: .xml files are used by USMT to carry MigApp.xml, MigUser.xml, or MigDocs.xml and any custom .xml files you create.

MigApp.xml file: This file defines both ScanState and LoadState commands for transferring application settings to a computer running Windows 7.

MigUser.xml file: This file will be determined by both the ScanState and LoadState commands to be transferred custom folders, files and file types on a computer running Windows 7.

MigDocs.xml file: This file defines both the ScanState and LoadState tools to migrate all user folders and files that MigXmlHelper finds. GenerateDocPatterns - help function.

Custom.xml files: You can create custom .xml files to custom transfer your unique settings. For example, you can create a custom file to migrate business applications or change the default migration mode.

Config.xml Note: If you want to exclude some components from the migration, you can create and modify a Config.xml file using the /genconfig option in the ScanState tool.

Manifest component for Windows Vista and Windows 7: When the source or destination computer is running Windows Vista or Windows 7, the manifest file component controls the transfer of operating system settings and how they are transferred.

Bottom level of Manifest files: When the source computer is running Windows XP, these files control the operating system and IE settings and how they are transferred.

USMT files: all others.dll, .xml, .dat, .mui, and . inf files included in USMT for domestic use.

USMT is intended for administrators who perform bulk automated deployments. For example, you can automate the USMT script using login scripts. If you are only transferring user state across multiple machines, you can use Windows Easy Transfer.

The storage hardlink is used for wipe-and-load transfers only. Hard links to the migration storage are stored locally on the computer, so updating, transferring user accounts, files and settings occurs much faster, and free disk space is calculated in megabytes, not gigabytes.

Using ScanState in Capture User State

Run ScanState on the source computer.

Syntax of basic commands:

Scanstate FileName]

The ScanState tool provides various options associated with specific categories. These categories are described in the following sections.

ScanState Options

The following table describes commonly used ScanState options:

Options	Description
StorePath	Specifies the folders where files and settings will be saved (for example, shared network; StorePath cannot be c:\). You must specify StorePath on the ScanState command line, except when using the /genconfig option. You can specify more than one StorePath.
/i:Filename	The specified .xml file contains rules that determine the state of the transfer. You can specify these options multiple times to target all .xml files.
/hardlink	Allows you to create a hard link to the migration store. at the specified location. The /nocompress option must be specified with the /hardlink option. Additionally, the element can be used in the Config.xml file to modify the ScanState command to create hard links to files that are locked by another application.

Using LoadState to Carry User State

Run LoadState on the destination computer. Syntax of basic commands:

Loadstate FileName]

The LoadState tool uses the same options as the ScanState tool.

In order to transfer user data and settings from one computer to another, you can use various paid programs, but why if there is a built-in solution Windows-Tool data transfer (Windows Easy Transfer). It’s worth noting right away that this tool is already built into Windows7 and Windows8, for Windows XP and Windows Vista, you need to install it in order to transfer files and settings to Winsdows 7 here link to distribution . The installation procedure is very simple and comes down to a few clicks of the next button and acceptance license agreement. This tool must be installed both on the computer from which the profile is copied and to which the profile is copied.

Using Easy Transfer (Windows Easy Transfer), you can transfer your profile regardless of Windows versions(Home Basic, Professional...), but there are also limitations:

Windows Easy Transfer does not move files from 64-bit Windows to 32-bit Windows.

Data Transfer Tool Windows doesn't move programs, only user settings and files.

In order to launch Data Transfer Tool (Windows Easy Transfer) you must:

In Windows XP, Windows Vista, after installation, go "Start" - "All Programs" - "Windows Easy Transfer";

In Windows 8, enter in the search bar Data transfer tool.

The Windows Easy Transfer window opens. Click " Further".

After this, a window for selecting a profile transfer method will open.

Easy Transfer Cable. This special cable with USB connectors, which can be purchased from vendors hardware. One end of the cable is connected to the source computer, the other to the destination computer. Both computers must be turned on during the data transfer and must be running Windows Easy Transfer. Using this method, you can only transfer side-by-side data.
Net. To perform a network transfer, you need two computers running Windows Easy Transfer and connected to the same network. Both computers must be turned on during the data transfer. In this way, you can only transfer side-by-side data. When transferring data over a network, a password is specified on the source computer, which must then be entered on the destination computer.
External drive or USB device flash memory. It is possible to connect an external hard drive or USB flash device, you can also use an internal hard drive or shared folder online. In this way, you can perform both side-by-side and wipe-and-restore migrations. Your data is protected by entering a password on the source computer, which you then need to enter before importing the data on the destination computer.

IN in this example I will use a USB flash drive, so I choose- External hard drive or USB flash device.

After that, select the account whose profile you want to move. If you press " Settings"You can add or remove files and folders to transfer to another computer.

Then you need to enter a password to protect your profile.

The next step is to choose where we will save the profile, in this case it will be a USB flash drive. Please note that the USB flash drive must be larger than the user profile.

After this, the process of saving files will begin. It may take several minutes, it all depends on the volume of the profile.

After this, an information window will open, read, click " Further".

After that, click " Close".

As a result, we have a file Windows Easy Transfer - Items from your old computer.MIG on a USB flash drive.

Go to the second computer where you want to transfer the profile, launch Data Transfer Tool (Windows Easy Transfer), Click in the first window " Further", then select External hard drive or USB flash device. In the next window select "This is my new computer".

Selecting portable profiles. If you press the " Settings", you can manually select which files should be transferred and which not.

If an error occurs Windows Easy Transfer failed to sign in as a domain account , read the article on how to resolve this error.

After a few minutes of waiting (depending on the profile size), you will receive a message indicating that the transfer operation was successful.

Now, if you log into a new computer under the user that you transferred, you will need to change the password when logging in under the account of the transferred user, after which you will see all the settings that were on the old computer, including files on the desktop, in documents, etc. ..

old. Data in Windows folder. old become available after Windows installation completes.

If you need to upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7, you must perform a custom installation of Windows 7 and then migrate necessary files and settings from Windows XP. Windows Easy Transfer (WET) will keep all your files and settings. To transfer them, you can copy them to another hard drive. network resource or other storage device before installing Windows 7. After installation is complete, Windows Easy Transfer will download your files and settings to your upgraded computer. Then you will need to reinstall the applications.

Key Features and Functions

To automate migration for deployments of the Windows 7 operating system on a large number of computers, you can use the File and Settings Migration Wizard (User State Migration Tools).

USMT (User State Migration Tools) is a set of utilities designed to transfer user data (personal files, application settings), both from Windows Vista and Windows 7 operating systems, and from earlier ones, for example Windows XP.

USMT 4.0 uses custom migration rule XML files to provide precise control which user accounts user files, operating system settings and application settings will be transferred. Depending on which migration method suits you best, USMT can be used for both side-by-side migrations, which involve replacing hardware, and staged migrations (or upgrade migrations), where only the operating system is being upgraded.

When performing multilingual Windows image updates, USMT does not support cross-language updates. When upgrading or migrating an operating system that has multiple MLPs installed, you can only upgrade or migrate to the system's default user interface language.

If you use a monolingual Windows image that matches the default user interface language of a multilingual operating system, the migration will work. However, everything language packs will be removed and will need to be reinstalled after the update is complete.

Supported Operating Systems:

Scanning files for transfer:
- Windows XP Professional 32 or 64 bit
Using files for transfer:
- Windows Vista 32-bit or 64-bit
- Windows 7 32 or 64 bit

Supports migration of data from 32-bit to 64-bit and vice versa.

To successfully transfer data, the utility must be launched by a user with administrative rights in Windows XP and in administrator mode (Run as administrator) in Windows Vista and Windows 7. The transferred data must be used on a new (target) computer after installing all applications, since The settings of installed applications may be overwritten.

Composition of USMT 4.0:

ScanState.exe– designed for backing up user data.
LoadState.exe– designed to recover (use) user data.
XML files– defining files for backup and recovery.
USMTUtils.exe– Used to delete the local migration store.

Important differences from previous version of this utility are:

Ability to collect settings “Offline” (not from the current operating system).
For example, after Windows Vista or Windows 7 was installed on a disk with an old operating system.
Transferring data and settings by creating tough links ( hardlink) to files.

A hard link is a link to a file, which, unlike a symbolic link (shortcut), does not point to the file name, but to its descriptor, so you can perform operations on the file various actions, such as renaming or deleting, until the last hard link to the file is removed, the file itself will not be removed from the file system. This function is only possible when installing an operating system (Windows Vista or Windows 7) over the old one (Windows XP) without formatting the disk. In this case, the folders of the old operating system (Windows, Program Files, Document and Settings) are transferred to the Windows.old folder. From there, the USMT utility, when migrating data and settings, creates hard links rather than performing a copy process, which takes much less time and reduces disk load.

Transfer domain users without the participation of a domain controller (Domain Controller).
It is now possible to transfer domain user accounts between two computers without the involvement of a domain controller. The main condition is that the new computer, before transferring, must be included in the domain, i.e. be a participant.
Integration with SCCM and MDT.
The integration of USMT 4.0 with the SCCM and MDT server has made the data migration process much easier. After presets it is carried out completely in an automatic way, without requiring administrator participation in its work.
Volume Shadow Copy support.
You must run scanstate.exe with /vsc parameters. This means that you can copy files opened for editing by other applications, i.e. To successfully copy files, there is no need to restart the computer.
Move users to another local security group.
The new feature allows you to transfer user data and settings during migration account user and change his membership in local group. For example, move a user from the Administrators group to the Users group.
Ability to display a list of files subject to migration.
Before you start transferring data, you can view the list of files being transferred. The /listfiles switch is used for this.
New feature to support AES encryption.

Now we will look at several data transfer scenarios.

Operating system update script

Updating the operating system and transferring data from using hard links:
1. The scanning utility starts with the key / hardlink, thereby creating a data warehouse.
2. The old operating system and all applications are removed.
3. A new operating system (without formatting disks), applications and drivers is installed.
4. The data application procedure starts.
Updating the operating system and transferring data using the Windows.old folder and hard links:
1. On old computer a new operating system is installed. Disks are not formatted. You need to make sure that during installation the old data will be transferred to the Windows.old folder. Next, the necessary applications and drivers are installed.
2. On the computer, the utilities for scanning and applying the transferred data are launched one by one with the parameter / hardlink.

Operating system replacement scenario

Replacing the operating system and migrating data using a server for data storage:
1. The scan runs on each computer. The data is saved on the server in a shared network folder.
2. A new operating system (Windows Vista or Windows 7) is installed on the computer necessary applications and drivers.
3. The procedure for applying the data and settings saved in the first step starts.
Automatic network migration of data and settings:
1. The scanning utility starts on the computer. The launch is carried out automatically using scripts, bat files, SCCM. The data is saved on the server.
2. A new operating system and a set of applications, including device drivers, are installed on the computer.
3. On the new operating system The utility for applying files and settings using scripts, bat files, SCCM is launched automatically.
Offline migration from using Windows P.E.:
1. The computer starts with boot disk with Windows PE Preinstallation Environment. The scanning utility starts and the data is saved to external media or server.
2. A new operating system, applications and drivers are installed on the computer.
3. The process of applying files and settings starts on the new operating system.

Migration stages

Having dealt with the main capabilities and migration scenarios, we will find out the stages through which the process of data transfer is carried out:

Collection of information– scanning the system for files and settings available for transfer. Scanning is carried out on the old computer (donor computer), and when using the update script, on the same computer. System scanning utility – scanstate.exe. To view potential migration files, you must run scanstate.exe with the /listfiles parameter.
Creating a repository– This is the direct transfer of files for temporary storage. For example, the storage can be a shared network folder on the server to which you have write rights. If migration occurs during an update scenario, then the storage is, for example, the Windows.old folder.
Applying settings from storage– transfer files and settings to a new computer. The loadstate.exe utility is used to apply files and settings. When using a migration script, hard links are created to files located, for example, in the Windows.old folder, which significantly reduces migration time. To do this, use the key / hardlink. If the storage is located on a server, then physical data transfer occurs. Depending on the volume of data being transferred, this process can take quite a long time.

So, how does user data and settings migrate? To answer this question, we need to look at the keys that can be passed to the scanstate and loadstate utilities. If Windows WAIK is installed in the default folder, these utilities will be located at C:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\USMT. In the USMT folder there are 2 more x86 and amd64 folders. The utilities located in them are designed to run on a 32-bit and 64-bit operating system, respectively.