Your spanking new computer may be a power-packed machine, but bringing it up to speed by transferring all the files, applications and settings from your old computer via CDs or disks can be a tedious, time-consuming task. You can skip, or at least minimize, the hassle with a file-transfer program that will do the dirty work for you.
Our tests showed that when it comes to convenience and flexibility, you get what you pay for. The most expensive program, Alohabob PC Relocator Ultra Control ($70, www.eisenworld.com), is also the best. It comes with straightforward directions and all the hardware you'll need — both parallel and crossover cables — to hook up your old computer to your new computer. Transfer only the software you want, or pick options offered by PC Relocator. Unlike some programs, it also lets you transfer entire applications without having to juggle multiple CDs for installation. Duplicating applications is legal as long as you uninstall them on the old system or purchase extra licenses from the makers.
Results were impeccable: The new computer's content was identical to that of the old one, from the desktop background to the Word toolbar settings. The process can take anywhere from 30 minutes up to a few hours, depending on how crammed your computer is. Undoing the process — in case you set up the transfer incorrectly, for example — takes less than two minutes.
For about $30 less, Move Me ($39, www.spearit.com) migrates applications, has a simple undo feature and worked well in our tests — as long as we used a crossover cable that we had to buy separately ($8). The parallel cable included with the software caused errors that could not be resolved even with tech support. This product could also have used printed instructions, which PC Relocator and other software programs provide.
If you're making the leap from PC to Mac, Move2Mac ($50, www.detto.com) can lessen the pain. But given that PCs and Macs are so different — applications on one generally won't work on the other — there's a limit to what it can do. However, it will move files from PC to Mac, which can be a timesaver, albeit an expensive one, if you have hundreds of files or huge ones containing music or photos. Move2Mac also alerts you that some files need to be converted to Mac-ready formats while they're still on the PC. Move2Mac comes with cables but has no undo feature.