In preparation for a new desktop installation please read these recommendations. Your technician can assist you in completing these items.
Preparing for Desktop Exchange: Back Up Your Old Desktop
Copy to external, network, or web storage any information that you want to transfer from your old desktop to your new one. You must do this before your new desktop can be installed. TVIT can assist you in backing up of documents and data on your old desktop and restoring that data onto the new desktop. You should make sure that you have everything copied beforehand. Although the hard drive of your old desktop will be stored for as long as you need just in case you missed anything, thorough preparation will save you considerable time and effort. Remember to ask for your hard drive to be held for two weeks just to make sure we do hold it.
What Needs to Be Backed Up?
In addition to the familiar files (e.g., documents, spreadsheets, presentations, images), there may be other information saved to your old laptop that you will want to back up and restore on your new Desktop:
Outlook / Email Archives - If you use the email archive function in either the Outlook or another application, it creates a file on your desktop with a .pst (Outlook). You will want to make a backup copy of these files.
Outlook - As you add recipients to an email message, Outlook will remember those addresses so that, the next time you use that address, you simply have to begin typing it (e.g., in to the To: field) and the rest of the address will be automatically filled in. This type ahead cache is stored in a file on your desktop that you may want to transfer to your new machine. Outlook cache files have .nk2 after the name.
Microsoft Office Tool Modifications - If you have modified any Microsoft Office applications (e.g., added words to the dictionary, added macros), these are stored in files on your desktop that can be backed up and imported into the corresponding applications on your new desktop. Note that this may not be possible if you are changing versions or operating systems (e.g., Mac to Windows). The dictionary addition are files that have .dic after the name.
Microsoft OneNote Notebooks - If you use OneNote to take notes, you will need to create a backup copy of your notebook files for import into the corresponding application on your new desktop. A OneNote page will be exported with .one after the name. A OneNote notebook will end with .onepkg after the name.
Browser Favorites or Bookmarks - If you save the addresses of frequently visited websites to your Favorites (Internet Explorer) or Bookmarks (Firefox, Chrome or Safari) lists, this creates a file on your desktop that you can export, back up, and then import into your new desktop's browser. The bookmarks will be exported as bookmarks.html.
iTunes Music Libraries - If you use iTunes, any purchased or ripped music track is stored as a file on your laptop. The folder in which these tracks are located can be backed up and imported into iTunes on your new desktop.
Personal Databases, Forms, Pictures or Files - If you have used a personal password vault, a citation manager like EndNote or Reference Manager, a tax preparation tool (e.g., TurboTax), photo gallery software, or any other special application that you purchased yourself and installed on your computer you will want to make backup copies of those files that contain important data that you wish to retain.
What Doesn't Need to Be Backed Up?
Some information that you use every day is not stored on your desktop, but on a network server, and does not need to be backed up. Supported software titles can be reinstalled on your new laptop and should not be copied.
Software That You Have Installed or Web Applications – All software that you need will have to be re-installed using the software disk provided by the publisher (Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat, Quickbooks, etc.) If you do not have the disk to reinstall the software and the license key- we cannot proceed further on your installation for those programs and you will have to re-order the programs you need. Unfortunately, you cannot just copy software applications from one machine to another. Web applications typically just require copying the url to the application and sometimes require reinstallation from the site for some add-ons. You will need your username and password for these installations (Office 365, Webmail, etc).
Unarchived Outlook Email, Calendar, Contacts, and Tasks - Email that is in your outlook mailbox, including the Inbox, Drafts, Sent Items folders and custom subfolders, is not stored on your desktop and does not need to be backed up. If you have archived your email, it will appear in a directory other than your main email directory. Archived email is stored on your desktop and WILL need to be backed up.
Supported Software Titles - Supported applications like Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat, or Quickbooks can and should be reinstalled on your new computer from the Control Panel. Never attempt to transfer a licensed application from one desktop to another by copying it. It will not work.
Where Do I Store Backup Files?
There are three primary storage locations for backup files. You may use some combination of the three, depending on what it is that you need to store and/or personal preference.
· External Storage Media - This includes CDs, DVDs, and external hard drives that you purchase on your own and keep with you.
· Network Storage – Typically in a network environment, employees have secure, reliable network storages provided by their company. If you are a work group or a single user environment, you should select one of the other options (cloud, USB device, thumb drive, external hard drive).
· Cloud-Based Storage - Anyone can store files of various types using emerging, cloud-based storage services. This includes web services like Microsoft OneDrive, Google Docs, and Dropbox. You need to check with your employer for availability. You will need the username and password to the service and keep in mind you use them at your own risk as the service providers will not guarantee data backups.
