Easiest way to transfer info??

[Toddles18]

Hi everybody, just a quick question. Got a new computer, want to transfer programs from the old one to the new one. Whats the easiest way to do this?

 

[Nick Scott]

Hi

You can't transfer programs from one Pc to another (generally, unless they run in DOS) as they have to be properly installed and registered with windows. You need to reinstall them from the original disks.

If you want to transfer files and there are too many of them or they are too big for floppies I have always found that the easiest way is to take the HDD out of the old PC and install it as the slave in the new PC. Now you can copy files across quickly and easily, and as long as you just copy them you can put the drive back in the old PC later and still use it just as before.

I wouldn't recommend making the old drive master in the new system as you will get a PnP storm at first boot and it will then be difficult to put it back into the old PC later.

Other people may recommend Direct cable connection, but this can be flaky especially if there are different versions of Windows on each PC, and by the time you have got it working you could have swapped the drives around three times over!

 

[brianF]

You can't transfer programs from one to the other. You need to install the program for windows to know how to run it.

You can transfer data files, mp3's ect, just not applications.

Easiest way, remove the hard drive from the old machine and connect it as a slave drive on the new, copy the data files, etc over, then remove it and put it back in the old machine.

Make sure to rejumper to slave, and then back to master

 

[Toddles18]

Hmmm....It's for my aunt, she runs a small insurance company out of her home and needs the programs transfered because she no longer has hard copies of them. Is there a way to copy the entire hard drive from the old to the new, windows, the registry, everything? I thought that was what ghost did but maybe I'm wrong.

 

[Max19]

Ghost can clone one hard drive to another, but you said in your first post that this is a new COMPUTER. You're likely to run into a lot of hardware configuration problems if you do that. It's unfortunate that your aunt doesn't have hard copies of the software anymore. She needs them. This site is filled with software problems that can only be resolved by reinstalling software. She might be able to find the software cheaper on Ebay or other software discount sites.

 

[Dan O]

You can do it but most applications generally will not run, as Nick and Brian have stated. There are hundreds or even thousands of entires make by applications into the Windows Registry, which cannot be duplicated. You could use Ghost to image the partition with the OS and applications. But OS most likely the OS will not work on the new PC, because of the hardware is differents. But you could go into Safe Mode repeatedly and delete all hardard components and let Windows rediscover them. It may be worth trying if you have a lot of patiences and are very lucky.

If you want to try make the Ghost image, remove the hard drive from the old PC, insert it into the new PC, and restore the Image into a partition. I would not use C:\ as you will lost what's in it. To use the old restored image edit the file MSDOS.SYS and change all references to the location of the old OS. The file MSDOS.SYS is a hidden, system, read-only file, so you will need to change the file attributes before and after editing it.

 

[jbcalg]

i've had better luck i guess

using a cd-rw, i used microsoft backup to backup my hdd
then installed windows into the new hdd
then restored the backup

problems:
drivers obviously but it's easy enough to do updates and get the right drivers for the different vid, sound, modem etc cards

otherwise went very smooth
and much better than installing windows, office, adobe products, etc, etc

pick a method you're comfortable with
- probably do a ghost or other backup/image of the new PC before doing anything, then at least you can go back to where it is now
- and keep the old working hdd safe and handy

btw - it may be time to upgrade the software she's using, then it won't be a problem in the future

 

[Toddles18]

Thanks for the info, I'll give it a try this weekend with ghost and let you know how it goes.