How to I transfer photos from Windows XP to Windows 8? I have hundreds of family photos on my XP desktop computer in folders in Picasa 3. I recently purchased a Windows 8 laptop and would like to transfer them in the same format. Windows 8 doesn't allow me to access them because there is no "pathway." Setting up a network connection is the best solution (see this tutorial http://goo.gl/E9on42) but if, for some reason, this isn't possible the simplest alternative is to plug an external drive into the old PC and in Picasa go to Tools > Backup Pictures > New Set, select "Disc to Disc backup..." then the external drive letter and click Create. When prompted check Select All and it displays the size of the transfer, so you can check that the drive has sufficient capacity. Alternatively you can use CDs or DVDs, but you may need rather a lot of them. When it has completed plug the drive or load the first CD into the new PC and Picasa should automatically run the backup program. When prompted select Restore Files in Original Location then Next and the copying process begins.