How do I import my Mass Effect 1 character into Mass Effect 2, and 3?

Yea well I don't have this high speed config utility that every one speaks of, I just straight down loaded it from origin, yes I see the files, yes I found them in the start up doc menu even tried to manually move the file to the ME 2 file and that didn't work. So what now

I have this problem as well. As far as the config goes I can get to the save location but nothing happens after, I have also gone back into the game to verify nothing happened. I also have moved copied all files manually but to no avail. 

hey there im trying to do the same thing but i downloaded the game via steam rather than origin so when i get to the mass effect area of steam i look all over and i find no mention of saved games or a folder that might contain the saved games any help would be great

The ME1 save must be in the default location that the ME2 install expects to find them.  (Same for importing from ME2 to ME3.)

So for a standard EA/Origin install of both ME1 and ME2, the expected location for the ME1 save is:
"C:\Users\<username>\Documents\BioWare\Mass Effect\Save".  Adjust accordingly for your own install of ME2!

Fred's answer is invaluable!  I have both boxed and new Origin Digital files on my system. I found the ME1 game folder, with old characters and it took more serching to find my most recent character. The newer characters are saved per level and date, (not name). I found ME2 using the regular windows file search. Clicking on it goes into game launch- BUT, right click for submenu, Config is in the drop down list. It opens the ME2 Conf utility, with the infamous Import Mass Effect One games. Then as Fred says, just say OK. 

I have ME1 and 2 on steam but i have ME3 on orgin. Can i still carry my save file from ME2 to 3?

"Then go to Binaries and open 'MassEffect2Config'"

My "Binaries" folder is completelly empty!

I JUST COMPLETED ME1 AND I just want to be able to continue using my character...

(why does every program hate me when I try to do things that aren't 100% automatic?)

You know... it probably would help if it did have some sort of fancy message saying that it has completed copying the saves so we know that it worked...

Yeah, people are doing that...and then it breaks ME 2, and the applicaiton won't open.  I'm having the same problem, and don't know hwo to get past it.

Whenever I go into the Program Files (x86) and open the config utility, the config opens but there is no option to choose the games save files. It is titled the Bioware config utility and not the Mass Effect 2 config utility. Any clue as to why this is the case?