Transfer utility can help you switch from old PC to new

Q: I have a 6-year-old desktop computer with Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition. I am planning to buy a new desktop computer with Windows Vista. The old computer has a lot of software and programs installed and files saved on its hard disk, which have accumulated during the past six years. Its Internet browsers, including Firefox and Internet Explorer, have many bookmarks. How do I transfer such software, programs, files and bookmarks from the old computer to a new one?

M.M. Yoshi, Seattle

A: First, the bad news. You can't simply transfer your programs from one computer to the other. You're going to have to install whatever programs you want to use on the new computer. That's because the operating system needs to know certain things about the programs, such as where they are installed and how they are configured. During installation these details are recorded in the Windows registry.

As for your data — including files, e-mails, bookmarks and the like — those can all be transferred for use on the new computer. You can either back up your data manually or use a "somewhat automated" transfer utility.

Microsoft, in fact, provides just such a utility. A version is built into Vista, and you can download a free version for your XP computer at: www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=2B6F1631-973A-45C7-A4EC-4928FA173266&displaylang=en. Once you've done that, you can perform a transfer using a USB cable, a network connection, an external flash or hard drive, or a CD or DVD.

Q: My sister showed my mom how to select her favorite picture for her desktop wallpaper. The results were mixed. We can change different pictures but the first picture she selected is now permanently embedded in the right corner. How do we remove it?

Lynda Bui, Seattle

A: You don't say which version of Windows you're using. That matters because certain glitches with the desktop-wallpaper feature were found in earlier versions of Windows XP. My first suggestion would be to make sure you have the latest service pack. If you don't want to do that, yes, a system restore will fix the problem. The downside of that strategy is that you'll also lose any other configuration changes you've made since the restore point.

Some pieces of malware going around can mess with your ability to change the wallpaper.

Q: I have a Dell Inspiron B130 laptop running Windows XP Home. Recently, the Windows Installer started to pop up every time I restart the computer. If I cancel, it pops up again and again. The maximum was 36 times before I could get to work. If I don't cancel the installation, it continues and says that it is going to install WordPerfect 12, and then asks for the installation disk, and I have to cancel then since there was no installation disk and everything was pre-installed. I have looked in Start->All Programs->Startup and cannot find anything there regarding WordPerfect. This did not occur during the first year that I had the computer. Any ideas on how to get rid of this?

David Linker

A: I can't account for how the file that's launching the Windows Installer came to be on your computer, but I can tell you where to look for it. The Start folder contains a very small portion of the things that launch with Windows bootup. To get a more complete listing — and the ability to switch the launch of specific items on and off — go to the Start button and select Run. In the field that pops up, type "msconfig."

You'll see a dialogue box with several tabs that give you access to pretty much everything that might be cranking up the Windows Installer. Look for anything that mentions WordPerfect and uncheck the box next to it. Finally, reboot and see if the problem recurs.

Questions for Patrick Marshall may be sent by e-mail to pmarshall@seattletimes.com or pgmarshall@pgmarshall.net, or by mail at Q&A/Technology, The Seattle Times, P.O. Box 70, Seattle, WA 98111. More columns at www.seattletimes.com/columnists.