Many households have more than one computer, and moving data between them can become an issue. For example, you might have a desktop PC for the entire family to use, a notebook computer you take to work, and a portable music player you listen to at the gym. Windows Vista enables you to share data easily among them.

Using Windows Easy Transfer to Set Up a New PC

Windows Easy Transfer is a utility that copies the entire collection of your personal data from one PC to another, such as when you get a new PC and you want to move your documents and settings to it. To run it, select Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Windows Easy Transfer. Then, just work through the prompts. (Figure 4-14 shows the opening screen of the process.) This utility copies the needed files to a removable disk or network location; then you run the same utility on the new PC to complete the process.

Figure 4-14: The initial Windows Easy Transfer screen.

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Synching Files with Music Devices

Synchronization (also known as sync) is the process of keeping the contents of two locations matched with each other. The business versions of Windows Vista enable you to synchronize files between PCs via a feature called Offline Files. Windows Vista Home Premium doesn't have that feature; however, it does enable you to synchronize with media devices, such as portable music players.

You can create a synchronization partnership with a device by following these steps:

1. Select Start > All Programs > Accessories > Sync Center.
2. Attach the portable device to your PC and power it on.
3. In the Tasks list on the left side of the Sync Center window, click Set up new sync partnerships.
4. Select the device to add to the list.
5. On the toolbar, click Set Up. This establishes the partnership and performs the first sync, such as launching Windows Media Player to sync song files. A dialog box from that application might prompt you to specify what information to sync. Make your choices, and then click Finish.
6. Click View sync partnerships. You should see the newly listed partnership for the device.

To start syncing immediately, select your device in the list of sync partnerships, and then click Sync on the toolbar.

You can also synchronize via Windows Media Player; a Sync tab appears in that application, and you can use it to specify certain songs to copy over to your player.

Next, learn how to back up data files.