Copy Contents to new Hard Drive

[Hap007]

Hi,

Seems like there should be an easy way to do this.

I have an older PC running Windows XP. I have a ton of programs installed.

The older PC has become unstable, either bad memory or Video card, but every so often the Video display goes goofy and at the same time the PC locks up.

I am done trying to solve, so I bought a new PC.

I tried to use CA Desktop Migration tool, but all that was moved were shortcuts and data.

Is there anyway to take all or most of the programs from one system (Harddrive) and install/copy them to the new system without having to install each using the original CD.

I have all the CDs in a box, but finding them and installing them and configuring them will take forever.

I am talking about Access97 to Access 2003, MS SQL Server, VB, VB.net, many aftermarket ocx's... the list goes on and on.

Note, old and new PCs are both Windows XP Pro

Any easy ways to do this?

Thanks,
Hap...


Access Developer

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[NoCalAdmin]

you should re-install all the programs. Even if you could move some there is so much writing to the registry you would run in to a million regisrty erros to fix.

Install all your programs, create a restore point and move on...

suck but it is the cleanest and wisest move..

Tom

 

[vacunita]

I would have to agree with NoCalAdmin. There would be so many registry alterations made when the apps where first installed along with files copied to several locations, it would be impossible to get them all and still have a functional copy of the application.

Install what you need right now, and then go on a Need to Use basis. You'll most likely find that you wont need most of your apps immediately, and some not at all.



----------------------------------
Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.

 

[wahnula]

I have heard good things about:

http://www.laplink.com/pcmover/

...and it says it has a free trial.

Tony

 

[NoCalAdmin]

laplink and those products are good for basic file transfer. I've use it... still don't recommend to use it for programs. It claims it'll be ok but...

Tom

 

[stduc]

Here's my 2c worth.

Buy trueimage from Acronis.com and install it on the new PC. Make a bootable CD and test it will boot.
Remove the new PC's current HDD and put it somewhere safe for now.
Buy a new HDD.
Put the New HDD in as master and the old HDD from your old PC as a slave. Boot the trueimage CD you built and clone the old drive onto the new one. Take care you copy the right way though!
Remove the old drive and see if it boots. You will get lots of blue screens and may well have to call microsoft to re activate because all the hardware has changed. If it fails to sort itself out & never boots successfully then you will have to put the new PCs original HDD back and reinstall all the software.

 

[wolluf]

my 2p worth

Assuming you have an XP install CD for the new machine.
You don't need to buy any software to clone drive. Just visit the drive manufacturer's website for the drive in the new machine and download their free software which lets you move old drive to their new one (most have this).
You'll also need all the drivers for new machine somewhere safe (on Cd, memory stick..)

Put old drive in new machine and use the free software to clone old to new drive.

Disconnect old drive, and try booting from new (probably won't - but may). If it won't, run a repair reinstall:-

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315341

(you should use the key for the new machine - and you'll almost certainly need to reactivate before you can log on).

This should get you up and running - just need to install any necessary drivers.

 

[Questbscom]

My 5p worth, I asume the new pc has come with a full operating system. It would be madness to overwrite the genuine , new and probable updated operating system. We all know that the drivers,bios and everything to do with a new machine will be completely different to a old machine. In this day and age six months is old

I would re install the programs you need, i bet theirs old ones that you wouldnt want to transfer anyway.

I would then run windows transfer files to collect the settings and details from the old drive if you had to but i prefer to transfer manually

Assuming you have the space and the drives ok, I would leave it installed in the new machine and use it for backups

I'm not saying this is better than any other proposal, but it would be my choice