Need computer help: Transfer Wizard

[bluestateguy]

I have a new and more powerful computer that I am about to setup :bounce:, but I will have to transfer some files (mainly music and a few programs that I don't have on disc) from my old CPU to my new one. I only have one monitor, and I have just purchased a patch cable. I have never done this before. Is there anything I need to know. Will this be a pain in the behind?

[karnac]

1. Try a non technichal option first.

Such as burning a DATA CRrom with all your stuff. or several.

Ill let others suggest other procedures. But it would be best if you have the same OS on each system. By patch I assume you mean an ether cable with the wires crossed. so basically you need to set up a group name, system name and password and enable file sharing on your old system and make a temporary network right?

Karnac

[onebigbadwulf]

2. There's something called ghosting

made by semantic.


You can create an exact duplicate of your computer and put it on your new comp.



If you don't like that idea, you can create a shared folder and just dump the files into that shared folder.

[DS1]

3. Ghost wouldn't be suitable for this, shared folder is best option

.

[teach1st]

4. Copying programs may not work with Windows

Copying programs may not work with Windows (unless you're copying the installation files). Many Windows programs install related files in a few different folders and store other settings in the registry. Just copying the program folder might not work.

[POed_Ex_Repub]

5. Programs need to reinstalled...

For files, I'd just go with a CD rom (if you have a burner)

[necso]

6. Options

A lot of programs can't be simply copied from one computer to another because of registry settings, stuff in weird places etc. Here are a few options.

If you don't mind losing what's on the new disk (or can recreate it), you could clone the old disk to the new one. (Generally you can find a trial version of some program to use on download.com or similar.) This is easiest done by switching the new disk to slave settings and putting it in the old computer for copying (sometimes you have to put the old disk in the new system as slave because of BIOS limitations in the old system). Normally the new disk (with the old stuff on it) can be "updated" to work on the new system --- but sometimes this fails and the disk is left with neither old nor new settings --- unusable!

Alternatively you can put the old disk in the new system as a slave (although the programs generally won't work unless the disk is "updated", the data will). If you then boot to this disk, normally it can be updated to work --- although again this may fail. If it works then you could boot to the old disk selectively when you wanted to use these programs (the data would be always available).

Data can be copied via a direct connection, network hookup, CDR's etc. Program files can be copied, but getting them to work can range from easy to nearly impossible.

There is software that copies programs from one computer to another in a working condition. But this is not 100%, and it may cost you money. Still this may be the best option for you depending on how tight money is.

It would be nice to get copies of the program sources that you need. (This is always a good idea.) You might consider if this is possible. If you had these, installing them on the new computer is the easiest and least risky thing to do.

Generally it is also not a good idea to remove a monitor from a system that is on. But trying to work without one is very difficult (setting up a screendump to printer on the print screen key or other key may help). At the very least try to learn how to do all necessary operations using the keyboard and by rote. There are switches that one can get to use one monitor with multiple systems, but the electronic ones can be pricey and the mechanical ones are not recommended.

If you want more specific help PM me and I will give you my email address. I do this sort of stuff for a living (gratis in this case) and can probably guide you through this.

Good luck.

[david_vincent]

7. If you don't have hard copies of these apps you want to keep

you may want to consider keeping your old hard drive and setting up a dual boot system. V-com System Commander is an amazing product that I've used extensively with uniformly great results. It lets you have any number of OSes on your computer. Even better, you can set it to hide partitions, or even entire drives, from each other. In other words, you can have more than one Windows installation. When you boot up, you'll be presented with a menu of OSes - you can name them any way you want, or leave the default description. Just arrow up or down and hit enter. No need to worry about Windows freaking out because it sees another Windows installation - System Commander will hide whichever one's not in use. You might then set up a FAT partition just for data such as music files, and that way all of your music would be accessible from whichever Windows you happen to be in at the moment. Check The Multi-Boot Configuration Handbook, a superb reference.
There are a number of approaches to your problem. This is just one that comes to my mind because I've had such terrific luck using System Commander (and Partition Commander too - I wouldn't own a computer without it).