How to move or to copy music files from the Windows.old folder in Windows Vista

This article describes how to move or to copy the music files that were stored in the "My Music" folder in an earlier version of Microsoft Windows to Windows Vista. These files are stored in the Windows.old folder that is created when you perform a custom installation of Windows Vista.

Note If you install Windows Vista over a different version of Windows Vista, the music files will be stored in a different path and the folder name will be different.

If you install Windows Vista without formatting the computer's hard disk drive, the music files that are stored in the "My Music" folder in the earlier version of Windows are moved to the Windows.old folder.

To move or to copy the previous "My Music" folder to the Music folder in Windows Vista, follow these steps:

1. Click Start
   Collapse this imageExpand this image

   
   , and then click Computer.
2. Double-click the hard disk drive icon where Windows Vista is installed.
3. Open the following folder:
   Drive:\Windows.Old\Documents and Settings\User_name\My Documents\My Music
4. On the Organize menu, click Select All.
5. On the Organize menu, click Cut to move the music files, or click Copy to make a copy of the music files.
6. Click Start
   Collapse this imageExpand this image

   
   , and then click Music.
7. On the Organize menu, click Paste.

For more information about how to restore your personal files after you install Windows Vista, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: