Windows 7 Cannot complete installation from XP to Windows 7

lahines

Senior Member
Prior to installing Windows 7 I ran Easy Transfer to an 1TB external drive and obtained 3 files. After installing Windows 7 I tried to transfer the files from the Easy Transfer drive to the PC. Two of the files transferred, one would not. I received a message that there was insufficient space to save the file. The file size is 354 GB. I have a 500 GB secondary hard drive on the PC that is essentially empty. There is about 80 GB available on the C drive, however I don't believe anh of this information came from the C drive on the XP machine. There doesn't seem to be anyway to determine the content of the Easy Transfer file so I cannot open it and create smaller files. The data on the easy transfer drive is inaccessible. Any ideas?:confused:
 
Why use Easy Transfer?

So you're trying to place the file on the second hard drive?

Maybe Easy transfer automatically choose the C: drive where there is not enough space.

Just try manually copying it.
 
Thanks,
I am certain that easy transfer is choosing the C: drive. I need to find a way to make it choose an alternate drive. I no longer have the source material so I can't just copy it over. The biggest issue is changing the destination drive.
 
The file size is 354 GB!!! How large was your primary partition? Could this be music, video? Does it have any Digital Rights Management associated with it? Do you believe the file should actually be that large?

If I understand correctly, it sounds like it was trying to backup something it could not and the file got corrupted....
 
This is EXACTLY why I have preached over and over about putting a backup into a format that requires a 3rd party application to access your data.

Here is the last thread where I tried to explain the pitfalls of doing this and recommended a more reliable alternative.

http://windows7forums.com/windows-7-support/25339-question-about-windows-backup.html

Here again.. in his own words is what I've been trying to warn everyone about:

There doesn't seem to be anyway to determine the content of the Easy Transfer file so I cannot open it and create smaller files. The data on the easy transfer drive is inaccessible

His data is screwed unless he can do two things... and do BOTH of them
1. Get windows 7 setup on a hard drive that has sufficient free space
2. Get windows 7 restore feature to successfully restore his files from the easy transfer archive.

Talk about putting your valuable data in a vulnerable situation.. you may as well be executing email attachments and play roulette with viruses. Am I being clear enough?
 
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Windows Easy Transfer is not Backup and Restore. He seems to have a file that is possibly corrupt. Easy Transfer has an Easy Transfer Report that should show what has been transferred, which would fit with the comments on the attachment. Since he cannot check the file, there must be something wrong.
 
I think I found out what is going on. I just used the Easy Transfer utiltiy to transfer my files like I was going to update my system. I was going to transfer to an external hard drive. As I was setting it up I noticed I showed a file of 3.2 GB and one of 302GB, like the OP.

I started looking around and it seems the Easy Transfer Wizard was going to backup the files already on the external drive. Since I had around 302 GB, that explained the large file. If I went to customize and removed the external drive from being included in the transfer, the file size was reduced to 2 files. One was my User folders of around 3.2 GB and one was shared files of around 600 MB.

I am not sure why the wizard is set up to include files on the "transfer to" device, but something to watch...

Edit for additional info ---------------------------

If the OP uses the Easy Transfer Wizard and goes to customize during the restore phase, he should be able to uncheck the external drive from the transfer operation so the total file would be much smaller.
 
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Windows Easy Transfer is not Backup and Restore. He seems to have a file that is possibly corrupt. Easy Transfer has an Easy Transfer Report that should show what has been transferred, which would fit with the comments on the attachment. Since he cannot check the file, there must be something wrong.

I didn't know you could access individual files in a backup from the command prompt after booting to an install disk. I had read that the backup was compressed. Is a backup compressed or not?
 
I didn't know you could access individual files in a backup from the command prompt after booting to an install disk. I had read that the backup was compressed. Is a backup compressed or not?
It might be compressed, but you can choose from a directory system what you want to transfer.
 
Its what easy transfer collected

The file is what easy transfer collected off of a 500 GB hard drive and comprises jpeg, backups, documents, executables, etc. The file is not corrupted. I just need to be able to direct its download.
 
I just need to be able to direct its download.
So, being able to pick which files you want to transfer does not help your situation? Do you really need to transfer backups?


There doesn't seem to be anyway to determine the content of the Easy Transfer file so I cannot open it and create smaller files. The data on the easy transfer drive is inaccessible..
You can open the files and check which ones you want. Use the customize option below each of the files when in the Transfer wizard.
 
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I've never used easy Transfer, but did you look through the options to see if you could change the drive letter.

as I said I manually copy it, but I place in on another partition as well.

tblount is correct, you do not have enough space on the c: drive.
 
I found a solution

Easy transfer does permit browsing and selection of which files to transfer. I select a quantity files whose total size does not exceed the capacity of the C drive. I then transfer those files using easy transfer, then move the files to the desired destination hard drive. Repeat this a few times over several hours andall the files get transferred.
Thanks everyone for your help.
 
For anyone reading this thread, if you are using an external drive with files already on it, such as prior backups, make sure you remove it from the transfer file list prior to making the transfer file. If you do not, you are essentially making a backup of your backups.
 
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