How to Copy the Start Menu, Task Bar and Bookmarks to a New Computer

Many users when purchasing a new computer want to keep their customized Start Menu, Quick Launch, and Bookmarks (Favorites) from their old computer to their new. This is fairly easy if you know where to look for the files. Below is a list of the objects and where their associated files are located.

Start Menu - Is a folder under the C:\Documents and Setting\Username\Start Menu. This holds all the custom start menu shortcuts that make up the start menu that you see when you click Start and All Programs. Also there is the general start menu that is located at c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu. This is the shared start menu that all users share.

Task Bar - Really there is no place that stores the actual task bar since it is dynamic in nature, but the quick launch bar is stored in C:\Documents and Settings\User Name\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch. This is a hidden folder so you may have to change your Folder View Properties to be able to find it. Or you can just do a search on Quick Launch and change the options in the search to search all files including hidden.

Favorites - is a folder located under C:\Documents and Settings\Flipper\Favorites. This is the folder that Windows and Internet Explore use for bookmarks and shortcuts.

Now that we know where everything is and is supposed to go, lets get moving.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Windows XP or 2000 (Vista is a little different but the concepts the same).
• Removable Storage (USB Drive, CD's, or another device.

1. Copy the folder C:\Documents and Settings\User Name\Favorites to the removable media. I like to use a thumb drive since they just show up as a drive letter under My Computer and you can just drag and drop the folders.

2. Copy C:\Documents and Settings\User Name\Start Menu to the removable media.

3. Copy C:\Documents and Settings\User Name\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch

4. Take the removable media to your new computer and install it so it shows up in My Computer.

5. Copy from the removable media the three folders Favorites, Start Menu, and Quick Launch to their same locations on the new computer's C Drive.
   
   Example:
   Quick Launch
   
   To
   
   C:\Documents and Settings\User Name\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch

6. Reboot The Computer. Sometimes ... Just sometimes I have seen the quick launch bar not work right unless you reboot the computer. No Steel Toes please.

Tips & Warnings

• You can copy other things as well. The Desktop Icons, Outlook Express Data and Contacts, and other program data from the documents and settings folder.
• Use Windows Logo Key + E to get Windows Explorer open for a different view of your files.
• Don't be afraid to look around a little, you may find other things you want to copy. Looking is good, Touching not so good (Unless you are ABSOLUTELY SURE).
• Make sure to Copy and not Cut the files from the old computer. If you Cut the files will no longer be on your old PC and if anything goes wrong with the copy down to the new ... It's Good Bye Files!