Putting programs from old PC to new laptop

Actually transferring the files is the easy part - burning a CD or copying over a simple network will only take a few minutes.

However, getting the programs to run on your laptop could range from no problem to difficult to impossible, depending on the program. When some programs are installed, especially large and/or complex ones, they write settings in the registry, install additional files to the Windows system folders, etc. If all these things are not duplicated on your laptop as well (which is usually impossible to duplicate manually), your app won't work correctly on the laptop, if it even runs at all. If this is the case, I suggest tracking down the original install CDs, like from eBay or somewhere.

 

Tom,

You'll have the best results if you reinstall the applications via the installation CD's and disks. Data itself, however, can simply be copied as per natters' suggestions.

Rule for future use: Always, always, ALWAYS keep a copy of the original software around. Write the license or registration number on the cd or jewel case. Always save these. If Jesus saves, so should you.

 

I don't think that's the case with most folks. Computers with pre-loaded software still provide the backup disks. I know mine did.

 

I don't think that's the case with most folks. Computers with pre-loaded software still provide the backup disks. I know mine did. </font>[/QUOTE]Or there are image files of installed programs on the hard drive (that may be hidden from normal view) that are provided in order to reinstall.

grandpa

 

This is yet another reason to move away from proprietary software. Lots of open source programs are available for Windows as well as Linux.

Viable replacements and all free, and often more robust, include:

MS Office&gt;&gt;OpenOffice.org, Abiword
Photoshop&gt;&gt;The Gimp
Internet Explorer&gt;&gt;Firefox
MS Outlook Express&gt;&gt;Thunderbird
Sound Recorder&gt;&gt;Audacity
MS Visio&gt;&gt;DIA, OpenOffice.org Draw
MS FrontPage&gt;&gt;NVu
Adobe Acrobat&gt;&gt;CutePDF, OpenPDF Creator
WinZIP&gt;&gt;7ZIP

Also highly recommend Irfanview & Picassa for photo management.

The above programs mostly are available for Windows or Linux, and most are available on one CD to download at www.theopencd.org. They can freely and legally be installed on all your computers, and even copied and given away to your friends.

 

Thanks MP! A few new titles there

 

Computer manufacturers have wised up a bit since I purchased my first computer. Back then, they put everything on a C:\ drive. I made a dumb mistake of typing "deltree" in the C:\ drive in DOS and...well, just don't do it.

Now they put all important files on a seperate partition to prevent this from happening to people like me who knew just enough about computers to be a health risk to the computer (heh! I think I have doctors like that).

Anyway, I called up the manufacturer and they hesitantly told me the programs are all on disk if your computer didn't have a partitioned drive. If it does, the programs will probably be on there instead of disk. My programs, however, were not under obvious names like MS Word. I had to do a search for specific words to figure it out.

Then I had to install a combo of two file folders for it to work.

The reason they do this is that certain companies will sell their programs at a reduced fee to computer companies who would preload them on their computers discretely (including Windows, Word, Excel, etc). The owners would get used to the programs and many like myself would venture out into the unknown to "try something cool", foul up the computers and then be forced to purchase brand new software at full prices because they're hooked on the software but don't know how to reload everything once everything is wiped clean from the hard drive.

I had to purchase Windows all over again, but I was able to get the programs to work until I could afford to buy the actual discs.

 

Magnetic Poles,

I'm glad to see another Linux user on here. Unfortunately, I'm not getting lots of Linux work for my business. So I still do work on the Windows platform, and am a Microsoft Registered Partner. I have to pay the bills somehow!

I agree that Linux is a good solution to proprietary software. I appreciate FreeBSD quite a bit also.

 

I used a program called PC Relocator to transfer everything from one PC to another. I think it also works from a PC to a laptop. It worked quite well but it is not for novices. Moderate computer skills should be sufficient though.

 

sovgrace, I love open source!

At home I use Ubuntu Linux about 95% of the time. I only boot into Windows there for Sim City or Photoshop. At work, I have to use Windows, but I have gotten our IT group to start deployment of OpenOffice.org as a cost saving measure.

If you haven't given Ubuntu a try, I highly recommend it. I have used Mandrake and Suse, but Ubuntu just works terrific for me.

 

Although it may seem like a great idea, there is a very serious problem with this concept. The hard drive is the only component in your computer that is guaranteed to fail. These things have a motor in them, have highly sensitive platters, and are highly sensitive to any fluctuation in voltage.

The problem is this, what happens to this "restore image" when the hard drive itself fails?

HP lost a law suit here very recently because of this very practice, which they "inherited" from Compaq. You can order CD's to reinstall the OS, along with all the programs and the "restore partition" as well, but you have to pay the shipping costs....

 

As for transferring programs, this will be very difficult, and in most cases, simply not possible. When a program is installed, especially a 32-bit program, several files are placed in various locations as well as several registry entries are made that tell the operating system how to use the program. If these registry entries are not there, there is no way for the operating system to really run the executable.

You need to reinstall the applications. With some 16-bit stuff you might be able to copy a few files into the windows/system or windows/system32 directory and get away with it, but nearly, if not all, 32-bit applications that get installed need to be re-installed in order for them to work.

 

Makes me miss the days of DOS. Just copy files to a directory and you are in business. To uninstall, just delete. No registry, no install routines, no libraries.