Files and Settings Transfer Wizard problems

I've recently installed Windows XP Pro on my new computer and I tried to transfer files from my old computer (with WinME) using the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard in XP. The Wizard produced 3 .DAT files and 1 status file.

I then tried to install them onto my new computer. The Wizard starts fine and says that it's preparing the settings and files to be transfered. Then, after a long time, it gives me an error message basically saying (roughly translated from Swedish to English by me) "It's not possible for the Wizard to create the data needed to save your settings. Please check if you have enough hard disc space available." (I have a 120 GB disc so I don't think that this is the problem.) Then the only thing possible is to close the Wizard.

So now I can't access any of my old files that I really need.

Does anybody know if it's possible to "unpack" the IMG0000#.DAT files that has been created by the Wizard in some other way? Maybe another pack/unpack programme that's available?

Unfortunately I didn't keep the files on my old computer so the only thing I have is these .DAT files (and one status file) in my USMT2.UNC folder.

I really hope someone here can help me.

 

There is a patch available to do some repair work on transferred files from Here - Q307869. See Files and Settings Are Not Transferred When You Use the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard for details (and for the download link too).

Not a real good match with your specific issue but may help.

Also, check your event logs for happenings around the time of your failures. There may be more information in there that would lead to a solution.

 

Thanks, Newt, for your suggestion.

I tried to download the update for the Wizard, but unfortunately it didn't help. You mention that I should check my event logs... where do I find them?

As I have reformatted my old computer, I don't have any log from that computer, or do you mean some log on my new computer with XP installed?

So, much to my regret I only have the .DAT files left. I really blame myself for trusting so much in the new Files and Transfer Wizard...

/Anders

 

XP maintains 3 excellent log files. Application, security, and system. They trap and report lots of informational and problem activity. Each provides enough information to make a check with M$ online support fairly easy since the Event ID & Number plus the source will allow you to find articles dealing with the particular issue.

To find them, right-click on the My Computer icon, select Manage, and they are one of the options you can look at.

I strongly suspect that each restore failure you had was reported and with some detail that will maybe help. Maybe.

 

OK, thanks.

I'm going to check the log files tomorrow and post the information here for you to see.

/Anders

 

BUMP!

I hate to bring an ancient thread to life as my first post, but this is the exact problem I am having right now. I have also not archived the data that is now inaccessible to me (this was done during my yearly-ish reformat, and the deed is done).

Unfortunately, in my case the hdd was partitioned, and the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard grabbed everything from both partitions and created 56gig of .dat files- 29 plus a status file. Now, with my drive reformatted, repartitioned the same way as before, and XP installed and all updates done- it get the same error message as the previous poster.

I have too many logs in the interim, since the last time I tried, so I will run it yet again to get the logs and paste them here.

 

I have ended in the same situation as the previous posters to this thread... i.e. the old data is all gone so all I have is the USMT2.UNC folder with all the DAT files in it. However, I did not get the error message the others spoke of. Instead, the wizard ran right through to the end, and the final windows said something along the lines of, "The wizard was unable to transfer the following settings. You will have to transfer them manually ". It went on to list basically everything that was in the My Documents folder.

Any ideas on how to get to the data, as I am sure it must be in those DAT files.

Thanks

 

Bringing this up from the past. I hate starting a new thread on something that has already been discussed.

By the way, newbie here!

I have had the same issues as these folks are having. I have gotten as far as getting the window that says

Cannot complete the transfer

An error occurred while the wizard was loading your data.

The wizard cannot create the data needed to save your settings. Make sure you have enough disk space available.

To close this wizard, click Finish.

Does anyone here know of a cure for this? I have tried and updated all service packs for windows xp like the knowledge base told me to do. Is there something that I may be missing? Thanks

BTW, I did a total format of the drive and installed all original programs that were bought with the computer. Basically a factory format and install (if that's the correct wording for it).

 

Sometimes easier to just start a new thread. You'll notice very few responses to folks on this one after the original poster vanished.

Did you do the various things suggested to the original poster? If so, what results?

 

I figured why start up a new thread if there already is one open for the same reason. This way we can go off of all the trial and errors that were done on the thread. Anyways....

Yes I did all the stuff suggested that applied to my case. I still have my .DAT files in a folder that is unretrievable. This program is so messed up

 

Actually, I never had that error message. Mine went through the whole process, and then said "the following files could not be restored. Please transfer them manually:" and proceeded to list just about every file that was supposed to have been transferred. Updating and patching, etc. has not helped one iota. I have learned my lesson. In future, transfer files manually or zip them or something, and use this wizard only for settings.

I also still have the DAT files, and if anyone knows a way to access them without using the FSTW, it would be great if they could assist.

Carl

 

Somebody has to have the answer to this

 

Well, what had happened in my case was that FSTW actually mirrored EVERYTHING on my computer- and I mean everything. I have 2 hard drives divided into 4 partitions for a total of 200 gig. My first mistake was thinking that FSTW would help My second, was thinking it would only copy my C: drive, which I have set at 30GB. Had that been the case it would have been no problem, as the target drive for my data was on my 2nd physical drive with about 60GB free at the time.

Well, FSTW copied every damned file on both of my drives. During the backup process I was continually deleting stuff to make room for the backup data files- in and of itself no big deal, alot of it needed to go anyhow. Then, when my reformat was done and I finally got the chance to put stuff back, FSTW had absolutely no concept of the original paths from which it grabbed all the files in the first place, and tried to put everything on my 47GB D:/ partition- so not only was I having to physically move files to my G:/ partition as the restore was going on, I was deleting more files that I wanted saved in the first place, just to make room.

For what it's worth, WinRar would probably do the same job better, as it seems to be a far superior archiving program, and will only compress what you want it to compress. FSTW just doesn't allow enough options for selection of data to save and data to ignore. Don't use it if you have an option.

 

does anyone know another way to retrieve the .dat files that it saved it as? Is there another program out there that can read these files and access what's on it?

 

Sorry folks but with so many posters putting new issues (even when similar) into this thread, nothing good is happening.

I'm locking this thread. Please start one of your own and describe your issue as if you had never posted about it before. Do feel free to copy any material from here that you want to include if it will save you typing things all over again.