Dell Migrate User's Guide

Migration of file attributes

When a file is migrated from the old PC to the new PC, the actual file content is first copied to the new PC. The attributes of the file such as timestamp and metadata are then applied to the file from the old PC to the new PC. For example, if you migrate all your files from the old PC to the new PC, the file attributes are also migrated along with the files which ensures that the same sort order is maintained for all the files based on criteria such as creation time, modification time, and so on.

The file attributes which are migrated along with a file are:

• Timestamp
  • Created time—the time at which the file was created on the old PC is applied to the file after it is copied to the new PC.
  • Modified time—the time at which the file was updated, or some content of the file was changed on the old PC. The same timestamp is applied to the file after it is copied to the new PC.

The file timestamp is helpful when you want to sort the files by the date of creation and date of modification.

• Metadata

The metadata of a file usually contains information about the contents of a file. Description, origin, content, and file properties are common across all the files. A file can have properties that are more specific based on the file type. Some files can have a particular property that others might lack. For example, a photo contains information related to the location of where it was shot, the aperture set, and the device used to capture the photo. A video file contains information related to the video length, frame rates, and the audio type. A music file contains information related to the media, audio type, and bit rates.

The metadata information is often used to display extra useful information about the file and annotate the files on different applications that may be used to view or modify the files such as Microsoft Word, Adobe Photoshop, editing tools, and so on.

To view the metadata of a file, right-click the file name, select Properties, and then select Details.

• Other attributes
  • Read-only—if a file is marked as read-only on the old PC, it means that you can only read the file, but cannot make any changes.
  • Hidden—if a file is marked as hidden, it means that the file is present on the file system, but it is not visible to you.

Files that were marked with read-only or hidden attributes on the old PC, are copied along with these attributes on the new PC without you having to set those attributes manually again.

To view these attributes of a file, right-click the file name and select Properties. These attributes are displayed in the General tab.