Data transfer by USB cable.

[Guest]

Hello, please bear in mind I have very little knowledge of things computer,
thanks’.
My PC XP/SP2 has a hard drive about to die, I have heard the sounds before;
the 'arm' snaps off at the centre. I have a laptop XP/SP2 and I want to
transfer my programmes and files but not the OS from one too the other by
USB. (The CD burner has already packed up on the PC) Two questions:
1, is the plan possible?
2, will I need a computer engineer’s degree?
Thank you for your help, in words of one syllable if poss.

 

[DL]

1) you can transfer data but not programs

 

[Guest]

Thank's for that DL, if I plug in the cable when what? the thing with the
programs; the only one's I need are the buy and download, I can't sem to get
across that I need to download again to a different computer: I ain't paying
again, so if it cannot be done via UBS it would be cheaper to invest in crap
burner. Would that work?

 

[DL]

A program that has been installed cannot be transfered, period
If you have the setup file for that or any other program that you downloaded
you can transfer/copy that.
I have downloaded a couple of pay for apps in the past, and in each case the
download was freely available, but when you purchased they emailed a key
which was used to unlock the app

 

[Guest]

Thank's again DL, seems I'll have think up a plan B. With the E-mailed keys
it's; copy-paste, start doing what you want to do, mail get's auto deleted
after blah, blah days.
See you on the dark side
D

 

[DL]

Ah, the importance of backing up critical data strikes again