What is the best way to do data transfer?

I get many requests for data transfer fromolder systems to new systems, usually with new OS's. I copy all the hard drive into a folder in the new system and then try to put all data in the right places. Problem is, not all customers know where their stuff is, and i always end up missing something and get called back by the customer, and the biggest problem we face is that this is time consuming and expensive for the customer.
I just would like to know what is the most efficient way, to do it correctly and in less time. We qoute about 3 hours for a average system, usually takes longer in the end.

where I work its all dumped into a backup folder. from there they can pick and choose what they need and remove the rest when they are done. never ran into any troubles this way except when sales gets them thinking all their progs will be there and they will not have to install their stuff over again.

If you are talking about transffering programs and applications, I personally tell my customers that is something they are going to have to do. I try to avoid having a customer hand me a box of CD's and floppies so I can install all their programs. Unless they pay me extra for it.

Since you are usually going from a smaller HD to a larger one (with lots of room to spare on the new one), I make a partition on the new drive a little larger than the used area on the original drive. If the customers freaks about an extra partition, create a folder and name it olddrive (or whatever you want to call it). Then, after weeding out all the temp, cookie, etc, files (see http://www.langa.com/cleanup_bat.htm for DOS-level batch files to this for you), I'll copy the entire drive's contents to the above created partition or folderd using Ghost. That way all data that was created by the old OS an apps is still available.

With some hand-holding and some burping and diapering, and after the customer has reinstalled his own apps and progs, I'll see that all the needed data is moved to their new needed locations, then the folder is deleted or the partition is cleaned out.

I just did this with an older system. I used Norton's Ghost to copy the contents from one drive to another. Then I delted the C:\windows directory, saving the favourites folder and a few others into the My Documents folder. Then reinstall windows. Then recopy Favourites folder back into new windows directory.

Most of the transfers are to different OS's so the ghosting thing does not work, a lot of the new systems are proprietary so you can't just re-install windows, and yes I have to install software as well and it's hard sometimes if they have data in custom folders.
Any ways thanks for all the responses so far and keep'em coming.

I dump the old drive into a directory called "old drive" on the new drive, place a shortcut to it on the desktop, and from there on out, it is their responsibility!

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Originally posted by Invisible_Man:
Most of the transfers are to different OS's so the ghosting thing does not work.

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Just wanted to point out that since Ghost is copying a disk's contents, it doesn't care what OS it's copying from or going to. Of course, if the OS'es use different file formats, you do have a problem.

Just curious... what OS'es are you going from/to?

Try "Aloha Bob's PC Relocator". It copies all the programs and data and then migrates the registry settings from the old machine to the new one -- and doesn't mess up the new machine's registry! It's a nice tool.
It even works going from 9x to ME (blah!) - Why anyone would want to do that, I don't know, but hey, that's what these people get with new systems. :(

Here's their web page.

what I used to do when I was a tech is to ghost their entire HDD to CD..

after format and reinstall I used Ghost explorer to retrieve all they wanted..

if they "remebered" later they wnated some thing more they would always have the CD...

as for software: the rule was if they have the CD and license I would reinstall.

For myself I always try to use a structure underneath a DATA directory where I save my customed files (sometimes I miss this and cry afterwards) ... and so do I tell customers/friends/collegues
As you mostly have to reinstall Software on a new OS/PC/environment/partitioning you'll only have to copy the DATA-folder and rename it to DATA_OLD at the newly installed PC - then sort things out!

Beware... there will always stay some prog-personal ini-files you'll miss to copy... :p

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Originally posted by 3fingersalute:
I dump the old drive into a directory called "old drive" on the new drive, place a shortcut to it on the desktop, and from there on out, it is their responsibility!

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This is the approach I always used. That way you KNOW everything is there, right in plain sight. If they don't know where they kept whatever they're looking for originally, that's their problem.

I have to agree with the others. Use Ghost then to make an image then Ghost Explorer to get files.

Thanks tiffin_tom for the link to PC Relocator, it looks like a cool app, Just a question, if you go from win 95 to win98 do you still have to reinstall the apps?

To Pogi, most of the OS's are win95 to win98, we STAY away from win ME, but in the future I'm sure will be doing a lot of win95 or win98 to 2000 or XP.
Again thanks all for the help!!

We've only been using PC Relocator for a couple months now, but so far (knock on wood), I haven't had to reinstall any apps. The most I've had to do is re-enter the network info. :D

Tiffin,

We just got PC-Relocator in the store and I convinced them to let me give it a whirl. Any advice or suggestions you might have since you've used it for a bit?