Desktop DNA clears the way for simplified migration
Connecting state and local government leaders
If your office is migrating to Microsoft Windows 2000, chances are that many of your users will need new PCs.
If your office is migrating to Microsoft Windows 2000, chances are that many of your users will need new PCs.Moving files and preferences such as dictionaries, bookmark lists and IP addresses from old to new machines can be a major support nightmare.And as users try to make their new PCs look like their old ones'with the same wallpaper and application preferences'the help desk could be overwhelmed with calls.Desktop DNA from Miramar Systems can help by providing a systematized and automated means of moving settings and files from one PC to another.The easiest way to use Desktop DNA is with a seven-step wizard, accessed via seven tabs at the top of the screen. You also can access all the functions through menus and keyboard shortcuts.Beginning at the Start tab, you indicate the type of network you're on'such as local or remote'specify the system you're on and assign a password to the source system. Once you've moved to the new PC, the Start section is used to connect to the source, or old, system.The Settings screens let you select what you want to migrate. Using check boxes arranged in an interactive hierarchy, you select system settings such as registry, desktop and network settings.For example, under Desktop, you can migrate desktop PC themes and fonts. You can also choose the applications you intend to migrate and, of those applications, the settings you want them to keep. You can, for example, choose to migrate macros, preferences and browser bookmarks.The Destination tab lets you first select whether you want a basic or advanced migration. If you choose basic, you select a drive as the destination for the migration, and the new drives preserve the existing folder structure. The advanced migration option lets you select folders individually to place each application, file or folder.The Validation tab takes care of problems in a migration, such as printer driver conflicts, network adapter settings and application version conflicts. The results are saved as text files. You can also have Desktop DNA correct problems by upchucking, and thereby not migrating, files that could cause conflicts.The Migration tab lets you start the migration process, either over the network, or to a DNA file on a local drive.With the Logs tab you set Desktop DNA to create various log files, to specify where each log file will be saved and to set the amount of detail each log file will contain. For example, you can create an undo log so that Desktop DNA can return the destination system to the way it was before the migration.You can also create an error log'required if you want to use Miramar Systems' tech support'or an exception log, which is a list of those items that could not be migrated. Finally, the Profile tab lets you save a profile of your Desktop DNA settings.Migrating to Windows 2000 is a big undertaking for any agency or office. Desktop DNA can make one part of that journey easier.
Plenty of options
'Larry Stevens
Plenty of options
 | Miramar Systems' Desktop DNA lets you migrate applications, and your personal settings for each one, to Microsoft Windows 2000. Its price is about $49 per seat. |
'Larry Stevens
NEXT STORY: Win 2000 applications