Need to transfer files to new computer (the easy way)

[HIMbeats]

I just got a new computer....it's a Asus N53SV if that matters. I finally decided to upgrade from my dell. Anyway, I need to transfer all of my files from my old computer to the new one that I just brought. My guess is that we are talking about 70 gigs of stuff I need to transfer as my old drive is only 80 gigs and it is just about full. Less my DAWs and stuff because I can just re-install those on the new computer, but projects that I am working on, mixes, client tracks, sounds, etc. will all need to be moved over.
I have an external drive (a 2T goflex) that I can move everything onto and then load it back onto the new laptop, but the old dell is only 2.0 USB so that will take a long time to do. I do have an amazon web services account to ftp the files, but the account is pretty new so I really haven't used it for much of anything as of yet.

So my question is......would it be better to get a firewire or something to make the transfer or maybe there is a way to adapt the 2.0 USB on the old computer to the faster 3.0?? My external drive and the new computer are both 3.0. Or maybe there is a fast way to transfer from one computer to another...this would be ideal or is FTP transfer the best way to gpo? What are other people doing when they change computers? I am just trying not to spend the whole weekend transfering files..lol. Any suggestions??

Here are the specs on the new computer if that helps:

processor corei7 2.20 Ghz
memory 6 gig expandable to 16
USB ports 2.0 and 3.0 slots
running windows7/64 bit

 

[rayzer]

i usually just throw everything onto my external and copy over, i copy in small amounts at a time because it seems to work faster that way. only takes me a few hours and ive roughly the same amount of data to move

 

[bandcoach]

Get yourself a cross-over ethernet cable and use the 1gbps power of your ethernet ports on both machines.

You will need to set both machines to a private local network address space such as

Dell: 192.168.2.1
New: 192.168.2.2

mask is 255.255.255.0 for both

Gateway is 192.168.2.1 for both.

You can then use an ftp program to control the copying/moving

 

[CPhoenix]

Bandcoach's way is the fastest.

Just to offer a secondary option, u may want to see if ur computer & external have eSata ports. Those are faster than USB. I doubt it would be quicker than the LAN bandcoach is referring to though.

 

[krushing]

Um, we're talking about 70 Gbs here - that doesn't need any special arrangements, it'll take about 10 minutes over USB2.0.

 

[HIMbeats]

@krushing.........yeah I didn't think it was that much either. All my sounds are kept on an external drive already so I am not moving those and I am re-loading all my plugins and daws so I thought it would be a breeze. For some reason the USB was going really, really slow so I stopped it.


Thanks everybody for your replys....

I figured it out. There is a program already built into windows to make a transfer like this (which I did not know of). It is called Windows Easy Transfer. I just set it up to transfer from Vista to 7 via my network (thanks bandcoach) an after a few clicks I was done.....sweet! Now I just got load all my software

 

[bandcoach]

Yeah, they had something similar for 98se to xp (file and settings transfer) so I figured it would still be there, using ethernet is just so much quicker than mucking about with usb out to a drive, usb back from a drive, multiple thumb drive pass (although a 32GB stick would make it quick). Banging it out to an esata drive and then banging it back to the new machine would be ok, but that's 150mbs vs 1gbps on ehternet, so still slow and much slower than either usb 2.0 or 3.0.

Glad it came together quickly for you.

 

[Yuno]

I just got a new computer....it's a Asus N53SV if that matters. I finally decided to upgrade from my dell. Anyway, I need to transfer all of my files from my old computer to the new one that I just brought. My guess is that we are talking about 70 gigs of stuff I need to transfer as my old drive is only 80 gigs and it is just about full. Less my DAWs and stuff because I can just re-install those on the new computer, but projects that I am working on, mixes, client tracks, sounds, etc. will all need to be moved over.
I have an external drive (a 2T goflex) that I can move everything onto and then load it back onto the new laptop, but the old dell is only 2.0 USB so that will take a long time to do. I do have an amazon web services account to ftp the files, but the account is pretty new so I really haven't used it for much of anything as of yet.

So my question is......would it be better to get a firewire or something to make the transfer or maybe there is a way to adapt the 2.0 USB on the old computer to the faster 3.0?? My external drive and the new computer are both 3.0. Or maybe there is a fast way to transfer from one computer to another...this would be ideal or is FTP transfer the best way to gpo? What are other people doing when they change computers? I am just trying not to spend the whole weekend transfering files..lol. Any suggestions??

Here are the specs on the new computer if that helps:

processor corei7 2.20 Ghz
memory 6 gig expandable to 16
USB ports 2.0 and 3.0 slots
running windows7/64 bit

I just got a Toshiba Qosmio with similar specs. LOVE IT!!! Ironically the only thing I end up switching off most of the time is an on-board sound enhancer that Waves made (I didn't know Waves made things other than vsts). But the i7 is an amazing upgrade from the 1.8 ghz centrino duo I used before. So stoked despite all my paychecks that went towards it!!!

Yeah, I just used my external hard drive and copied them over. Just all at once, samples, projects, software, etc. pretty simple.

 

[HIMbeats]

I just got a Toshiba Qosmio with similar specs. LOVE IT!!! Ironically the only thing I end up switching off most of the time is an on-board sound enhancer that Waves made (I didn't know Waves made things other than vsts). But the i7 is an amazing upgrade from the 1.8 ghz centrino duo I used before. So stoked despite all my paychecks that went towards it!!!

Yeah, I just used my external hard drive and copied them over. Just all at once, samples, projects, software, etc. pretty simple.

I must admit that I am a little jealous. You have the computer that I originally was going to get. All the guys at my local Best Buy know me by name now..lol..I must have been in there at least 50 times since last Christmas looking at the Qosmio. As the time to really get it became closer I decided to get the Asus instead because it has almost the exact same specs and for the price difference I was able to get two 24 inch acer monitors also. It was so funny to read that you and I were running the same basic set ups before upgrading. I was running a Dell Dimension desktop with a centrino duo 1.8/250gig hard drive/windows vista. I love my Asus so far! It is super quiet while running (no fan noise), the i7 processor is simply amazing and I really love the graphic quality while running through the HDMI to my monitors. As I was reloading my software on the new rig this is the first time I was able to load FL studio and it played the sample song with no glitches, no stops and nowhere near the red on the cpu meter right out the box without changing anything! Awesome.

---------- Post added at 10:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:39 PM ----------

Yeah, they had something similar for 98se to xp (file and settings transfer) so I figured it would still be there, using ethernet is just so much quicker than mucking about with usb out to a drive, usb back from a drive, multiple thumb drive pass (although a 32GB stick would make it quick). Banging it out to an esata drive and then banging it back to the new machine would be ok, but that's 150mbs vs 1gbps on ehternet, so still slow and much slower than either usb 2.0 or 3.0.

Glad it came together quickly for you.

Thanks bandcoach! I wasn't even thinking of using my network until you mentioned it and that allowed me to find out information on the windows easy transfer software which worked like a charm. I really think there is something wrong with my usb 2.0 on my old computer because it really was super slow. Not quite sure why. Oh well it all worked out......thanks again my friend!