Old Computer To New...transferring Programs And Files

[phetaroi]

We're about to buy a new desktop. My program discs have not arrived from the States yet, but some of my most needed programs are on my laptop, which I have with me. Is there a way to transfer a program or other large files directly from one computer to another?

[webfact]

assuming you have enough free space on your HDD - you need to image your HDD

But be aware: you need a program which will update/adjust the necessary OS & motherboard drivers. You can't simply copy your HDD.

Trust some free programs are available but be sure these programs do what I just mentioned.

The process is called bare metal restore. You can image and transfer your OS to another PC and the drivers will then be updated and adjusted to you new hardware.

Some board members my step in and suggest programs. I use shadow protect which is not freeware. It cost 80$ but it is worth the buck.

That program will transfer your entire system to a new computer without getting a headache...

Theres another program, Acronis True Image but not sure it does bare metal restore (transfer an entire system to a new hardware)

[verydumbubba]

I am presuming M$ here - are there not legal issues?!

Bubba

[commons]

We're about to buy a new desktop. My program discs have not arrived from the States yet, but some of my most needed programs are on my laptop, which I have with me. Is there a way to transfer a program or other large files directly from one computer to another?

i guess you speak about a windows-system - not a mac?

in general, you cannot "copy" programs. as during installation additional files are installed all over the place, entries are written into registry, etc.

a) with "windows 7" comes a feature "easy transfer". it's designed for exactly that purpose. & it works, more or less...

you can try to do a complete backup of your harddisk. actually it wouldn't be a "backup"; you'd create an "image" of your hd. tools like "ghost" can do. & then "mirror" that "image" to another hd. result will be you'd have exactly the very same system running on another computer.

b.1) but i doubt it'll work - as more often than not... "the other computer" will be a different technical setup. so your new hardware-configuration will not match the "source machine", wrong drivers, etc. it maybe you can "repair" the system-configuration... but it's possible while doing so... you'll overwrite the necessary information for the programs to work. so i would not recommend it.

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re "large files". sure you can copy any kind of "files".

i'm not sure if i understand what you mean by saying "directly from one computer to another". for doing that... usually you'd have to setup a network first. depending on your computers, depending whether you use same windows-version (xp, vista, 7) on both of them... that's mildly unnerving.

though i guess you wanna setup a network between the machines anyhow... at the moment & just for copying files... it'd be easier to transfer these files to a thumbdrive or an external hd. & copy them to new location.

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i don't know. maybe there are tools available by now that allow a "copying" of installed "programs" to another system. 

wish you well