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Copy Installed Programs from one Windows install to another
Posted: 2005-07-07 11:28pm
by Lord MJ
Hello.
I just bought a new PC and I just installed my old hard drive.
I had windows XP on the old drive, but it doesn't work anymore in the new PC.
So I want to install XP pro on the new harddrive but I want to copy all my installed program information to the new installation.
How do I do this?
Posted: 2005-07-08 12:06am
by Pu-239
Can't you put the old HDD in, and reinstall windows on it, which should keep the old programs?
Posted: 2005-07-08 12:19am
by Lord MJ
Pu-239 wrote:Can't you put the old HDD in, and reinstall windows on it, which should keep the old programs?
Doesn't reinstalling windows, wipe the old prorams. The data should be there of course, but doesn't it wipe the installation info, and user accounts?
Posted: 2005-07-08 05:16pm
by General Zod
Lord MJ wrote:Pu-239 wrote:Can't you put the old HDD in, and reinstall windows on it, which should keep the old programs?
Doesn't reinstalling windows, wipe the old prorams. The data should be there of course, but doesn't it wipe the installation info, and user accounts?
It only wipes the old programs if you choose to do a complete reinstall. Any operating system after 98 should give an option to install but keep all files and directories intact.
Posted: 2005-07-08 05:27pm
by Batman
General Zod wrote:It only wipes the old programs if you choose to do a complete reinstall. Any operating system after 98 should give an option to install but keep all files and directories intact.
Which will still overwrite the registry I'm afraid, as well as the user accounts just as Lord MJ feared. The program files will still be there all right but none of them will work.
MJ? More details on 'doesn't work anymore' if you would.
Posted: 2005-07-08 10:13pm
by Batman
Destructionator XIII wrote:Windows maybe won't boot because it needs to be reactivated.
*blinks*
Come again?
However, if this is the problem, it should prompt you to do so. What exactly does it do when you try to boot?
Seconded.
Posted: 2005-07-08 11:08pm
by Pu-239
Hm... I recall trying to reinstall Win2K after a botched attempt to force ACPI support, and it didn't blow away the programs or anything.
Posted: 2005-07-08 11:54pm
by Pu-239
Destructionator XIII wrote:Batman wrote:
*blinks*
Come again?
Windows XP uses a priacy protection scheme where it needs to be activated. When activated, it remembers your hardware configuration. If your hardware configuration changes too much, it shuts down and requires reactivation.
Microsoft did this to prevent people from mirrioring licesned hard drives to other machines.
This could be his problem as to why the old hard drive won't boot in his new machine, or his problem could be entirely different. I can't say without more information.
All versions of Windoze have trouble w/ drastic changes in hardware.
Posted: 2005-07-09 12:09am
by Lord MJ
I decided to bit the bullet and do a full install. I had to reinstall all my programs as a result.
This wouldn't have been necessary if Windoze didn't shut down whenever the motherboard changes...
Posted: 2005-07-13 02:35pm
by Pu-239
Yeah, Linux is much better at this- just install and configure drivers for your new hardware before moving the HDD.
