Using FAST Wizard
The Files and Settings Transfer Wizard (FAST Wizard) is a tool in Windows XP that allows a user to backup profile settings and preferences as well as files and folders and easily transfer them to a new or re-installed Windows machine.
Issues with version updates
The FAST wizard is version-specific. If you backup files and settings on a machine running Windows XP SP2, you must be sure that the machine you transfer the files to is also running Windows XP SP2. Therefore, it is a good practice to update your machine at www.windowsupdate.com before collecting or transferring files and settings.
Furthermore, because Wolftech IT slipstreams updates into Windows installations, the FAST wizard will potentially not work on a re-installed machine because Windows believes it is a new version. Since this cannot be resolved by a Windows update or by any other method, you must use the same version of the FAST wizard both times. You can do so by using the copy of the FAST Wizard that is available on the Windows XP install CD. We have made this version available to download here.
Location of Files and Settings Transfer Wizard
If you are running the FAST Wizard on a University-owned and domained machine, you must download the wizard from here and use it to collect and transfer your files and settings. This is done so that the FAST wizard will be the same version both times that you run it. If you do not do this, you will not be able to transfer your files to the re-installed or new machine!
If you are running the wizard on machines that you personally own, you can download the wizard at the link above, or you should be able to use the wizard that is available in your Windows XP install. However, you should run Windows Update and install all available critical updates and service packs before you use the wizard to collect or restore files and settings.
The wizard is located at Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> Files and Settings Transfer Wizard. The wizard is also available on your Windows XP Install CD in the Support\Tools folder.