I thought I’d share some tips gleaned from my latest move to a new desktop. My way isn’t necessary the best way, but it may give you some ideas when it comes time for you to make the switch. Here are the steps that I took.

1. Back up your data. Use an online backup service like BackBlaze or Mozy. (Solo web workers should have an offsite backup solution, anyway) I also have an external drive that does nothing but back up my computer’s data. The free built-in Microsoft Windows Synctoy took care of my syncing. Make sure you synchronize everything, including the data on any mobile devices.
2. Take a computer inventory. Run System Information for Windows (SIW), Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder and Belarc Advisor.  Save the output files in Gmail or someplace where you can access it from any computer. These free applications create a list of installed software, license keys, hardware inventory, network information and other details. These apps are all free.
3. Put the computers near each other. This makes the move easier and allows you to check what’s on the old computer and install it on the new PC and compare the setups. It’s also worth checking which apps are used frequently. While the inventory software lists all the installed applications, you might not need to exactly duplicate your setup. The key is to get the important and most frequently used tools and software installed so you can get up and running on the new machine. Then, if you find you need one of the apps you didn’t move over to the new machine later, you can install it. Don’t pressure yourself to get everything installed.
4. Install the applications and tools. Dig up all your software, download the ones that don’t have a CD/DVD and download updated software. Some of my software (Palm Desktop, for example) is so old that I didn’t bother using the original CD/DVD to install it. Instead, I went to the companies’ web sites to download the latest versions.
5. Share folders over the network. Turn on network file-sharing by opening Explorer. Find the folders you want to copy to your new computer, right-click the folder and select “Share.” Look for the option to share the folder (it’s different in Windows XP and Vista). Doing this, I shared the folder with all my work documents so that I had instant access to the documents I needed without waiting for the online backup to do its job. The online backup application then restored the rest of the files.
6. Copy the data from old to new.
7. Start using the new computer. I plan to keep the old computer nearby for a little while so if I run into something I need to customize or verify, I can look at it and update the new computer accordingly.
8. Set up a backup system. Whether you used one before or not, put a backup system in place. Even new computers mess up and you never know when some disaster decides to make life harder for your home. It can happen. I was in my grandparents’ house when it caught fire.

Having many of my applications and data in the cloud made this the easiest and fastest desktop transition ever.

What other ways can you ease and speed up the transition from old computer to new?

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I divide my working time between my home office and my employer’s office, and this year I’ve learned something about work spaces. No, it’s not about ergonomics or lighting. It’s about mind space.

At work, people often surround themselves with personal objects and pictures of family. I always thought this was a bit corny until I was working from home last year and started to face all the challenges of motivation and concentration that come with remote work. It dawned on me that these kinds of office accessories can actually make a real difference to your focus.

In the office, my colleagues embellish their desks, shelves and partitions with personal items: pictures of their families, the occasional stress toy, stuffed animals — you name it. I used to think people did this mainly to make themselves feel comfortable at work, but when I started working from home, it dawned on me that these items remind us of what we’re working for, or what’s important to us.

In my home office last summer, I found myself surrounded by the things I was working for — and I found that those things can quickly become monumental distractions. In my home office, family members, pets, domestic responsibilities, all called to me, every single minute of every single working day.

Then I realized something. When you’re at work, surrounded by “work stuff,” you need to remind yourself of what’s important: life.

But when you’re working from home, surrounded by the things that are important, you need to remind yourself of what makes those things possible: work.

Now, at my employer’s office, I have a picture of a Lombok beach on my pinboard: I’m working now so I can go on a holiday this year. And here’s a picture of my home workstation from last year.

Those chapter summaries on the walls really did help me stay focused through that long summer, keeping me at my desk while the hammock swung almost irresistibly beneath the trees outside.

What office accessories do you use to help keep your focus?

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
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• Why iPad 2 Will Lead Consumers Into the Post-PC Era
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