Once the knife cuts through the packing tape and the styrofoam peanuts go flying, the realization then sets in: How do I get my old files and settings from my old machine to my new one? Fortunately for you, gleeful system purchaser, we've got some tips to make your old user new again. This guide will be focuing on Windows users looking to upgrade to a new machine, be it Mac or PC. If you're a Mac owner looking to transition out of an old system and into a new one, we went over some of the basic steps for backing up files for Mac owners earlier that can help you out.

Just like on the Mac, Microsoft has provided a basic tool to help you go from one machine to the other. While it's extremely barebones, the Files and Settings transfer wizard (catchy name, right?) is the first stop for info. The tool, in the Start menu under "Accessories," will do a basic job of transferring settings from Outlook and Windows, as well as transferring some limited files. Don't expect the wizard to get everything though, and when you are finished transferring, the Wizard doesn't provide much in the way of feedback and won't transfer any applications, however the Wizard is free, and gets the basic job done.

If you're looking for a more robust backup solution, and don't mind spending some extra coin, our friends at PC Magazine (shout to Kyle!) point to a few backup solutions which take Microsoft's basic approach and extend the functionality to include application backups, as well as provide better reporting of actual backup procedures. We fired up our Windows XP box and gave a quick check to Computer Associates' Migration Assistant, which costs $40 per year. The software did a good job of backing everything up, however some of the applications we tried to port didn't work and required a reinstall anyway, but some of the applications ported without incident. Is it worth spending $40 to have everything easily movable? I think someone who's constantly buying new machines might appreciate it, or someone who needs to backup files easily might like it, but people like myself typically go it alone and backup files the old fashioned way: external storage.

External storage options are plentiful, and they're so inexpensive now that almost everyone should be backing up their computer to external storage. We found a 1TB drive for under $200, which is about 10 times the storage of our pitiful little laptop drive. Just as we encouraged Mac users, be cognizant of where you're planning to move your data, as it'll affect what partition format you choose. NTFS is the file system Microsoft prefers, as it's more efficient and has modern features like journaling and case sensitivity, while the older FAT32 standard is more compatible with other operating systems like Linux and MacOS but can't create files larger than 4GB. Windows will only format partitions smaller than 32GB into FAT32, however that's an artificial limit imposed by Microsoft. Using a tool like Fat32 Formatter, users can format bigger partitions with greater compatibility. Keep in mind, however, you won't be able to save files larger than 4GB to the disk. Also, MacOS can technically read NTFS partitions, but requires some hacking to be able to read and write to the partitions.

Lastly, lets talk online storage solutions. Rather than backing up all your important documents to an external hard drive, it might be time to think about moving your documents onto secure servers where they're redundantly backed up. Among them, we like Jungle Disk, which charges 15 cents per month per gigabyte of backup. Jungle disk mounts like a regular storage device on your Windows PC (or Mac/Linux box) and only charges you for the space you use. There are other options out there too, like Box.net or Apple's MobileMe (which does have a level of support for PC users), which provide "online lockers."

Hopefully you've got a good start now and can start transferring files with the best of 'em. Though we tried to be as thorough as we could, we know you've still got some questions. Shout em out in the comments below, hit our tips form to email us, or you can IM me directly (imobsessable on AIM) and I'll try to answer your questions as best I can.