Transferring programs to a new computer (1 Viewer)

[BradleyS.]

I'm upgrading to a newer pc in the next couple of days and have some stuff I need to transfer over. I know how to do documents and files, but im not sure about transferring programs like Microsoft office 2003 and my norton antivirus subscription. I have the Microsoft disc but not the norton disc. what do I need to do to make sure these will load on my new computer without it saying I have a subscription on my old one?

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

Use a good utility that will transfer your data, settings and programs (including registry settings, etc.)

Windows XP has a built-in transfer utility, but I've never used it. Also my experience with such things is that Microsoft licenses the basics from some third-party publisher and you end up with a fee, but stripped-down version of somebody else's program.

I've had good luck with Detto Intellimover and PC Relocator - both of which include the required cables for linking your old and new PCs, the software for moving your files, programs and setting from the old to the new PC and to undo the process if there are problems. They're not free, or even cheap, but they work very well.

Regards,

Joe

 

[Eric Samonte]

Doesn't "ghosting" work as well...like Norton Ghost I think. This program would actually create a copy of ur harddrive onto another.....

 

[Kimmo Jaskari]

If at all possible, you should try to go with installs from CD, IMHO.

Fresh installs from installation media is always better than transferring over old stuff, especially as compared to transferring the whole content of your old boot drive to the new one. Windows does tend to clog up with old crud as time goes by, and a fresh install is a good opportunity to get rid of some of that.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

The point of the utilities I mentioned is that they don't transfer your whole hard disk or you whole Windows installation to your new machine. Instead they just transfer your data, programs and settings. This allows you to go from one operating system on the old machine to a different on the new machine with a minimum of muss, fuss, bother and individual software installations. (Not to mention finding CD keys and serial numbers.) Basically once you set the transfer parameters (both programs are highly customizable and give you exquisite control over what does and does not migrate from the old to the new machine) the process is automatic. You come back in a couple of hours, reboot the new machine, and you're in business. You've got the OS, drivers, custom hardware and software you ordered with the new machine plus everything you wanted from the old one, you didn't have to sit there for three hours feeding the thing CDs and typing in 36 character alphanumeric ID numbers and you're immediately ready to go. This is very different from blowing away the new hard drive and installiing a Ghost image of your old machine, or trying to copy over program folders and registry keys by hand.

I've taken machine from Windows 2000 Pro to XP Pro and from Windows 98 to XP Home Edition without losing a single app, favorite or setting, and with only one hiccup on one program. (Outlook Express woudln't run - which turned out to be a problem with the trial installation of Norton Anti-Virus on the new machine, rather than an issue with the migration utility. That problem was fixed in about an hour - most of which was spent identifying NAV as the cause.)

YMMV, but I think migration utilities are the way to go for maximum convenience and minimum problems.

Regards,

Joe