Attempt to install second hard drive

[Cal]

I just purchased a new computer running Vista Home Premium and wish to
install a second hard drive (ATA from my previous computer running XP sp2 -
w/all updates) in order to make the programs available on the new "box"
without having to reinstall them. This computer has an SATA drive installed
and the mother board only has one IDE socket which is occupied by the DVD
drive. I have installed a RAID PCI dual ide card and the drive is
recognized, but none of the programs are available for use - only the data
files. Why can't I "see" any of the program files that are on this drive?
Am I attempting to do something that is not possible with the second drive
installed in this manner?

Thanks, CAL

 

[Dustin Harper]

No, you won't see the programs under the Start menu. You would have to
reinstall them. They make registry entries to make them work. Reinstalling
them will add those to the registry. Unfortunately, you can't just add a
hard drive with the program on there and have Windows pick it up.

 

[Adam Albright]

I just purchased a new computer running Vista Home Premium and wish to
install a second hard drive (ATA from my previous computer running XP sp2 -
w/all updates) in order to make the programs available on the new "box"
without having to reinstall them. This computer has an SATA drive installed
and the mother board only has one IDE socket which is occupied by the DVD
drive. I have installed a RAID PCI dual ide card and the drive is
recognized, but none of the programs are available for use - only the data
files. Why can't I "see" any of the program files that are on this drive?
Am I attempting to do something that is not possible with the second drive
installed in this manner?

Thanks, CAL

You can see them, Windows can not. Why? Because the applications you
had on your old drive aren't "installed" (registered by the new OS, in
the Registry or located where Vista expects to find time, the program
files folder on your ROOT (C) drive).

The good news is you have your data files. So reinstalling the
applications from within Vista so they gut put in the right place
(talking about the applications themselves, not the data files) is
what's called for. You may have to change each application's pointers
so they find your data files.

Fixing things can be an involved time consuming process. As an
alternative you may find starting over better using something like
Laplink to transfer both files and settings from the old system to the
new. This is WAY better then the mickey mouse cable method combined
with Microsoft's two crude transfer programs. Laplink has been around
for decades, is a proven product and 'just works'. I used it way back
before there was even any Windows, so its been around for over 20
years and earned it's stripes. I think the cheapest version is around
$60. It may be worth it just to avoid a lot of annoyances. The process
is exceedingly simple. You hook up your old computer typically via USB
cable), see your files on the old one, then tell Laplink which ones
you want transferred to your new system. HAven't used in years,
probably some new wizard thing that even makes it simpler now.

It would do it in a two step process. First restore your old drive to
your old system remembering to put back any master slave jumpers
setting to how they were originally. Now fire up laplink and transfer
all your applications, skip copying data files with laplink, you just
need to applications. Once done, and Vista now "sees" you application
that were on your old system, time to switch drives to the old system,
the all you should have left to do is application by application tell
it where to find your data files which would be somewhere on the drive
your moved.

 

[John Barnett MVP]

Unfortunately, you will need to re-install these programs.

--
John Barnett MVP
Associate Expert
Windows - Shell/User

Web: http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org
Web: http://vistasupport.mvps.org

The information in this mail/post is supplied "as is". No warranty of any
kind, either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy,
reliability or content of this mail/post. The Author shall not be liable for
any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the
use of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this
mail/post..

 

[Cal]

Thanks to everyone who replied. This is exactly the type of information
that I was seeking. I am really leaning toward the "Laplink" approach. My
real problem is that a couple of the really complex programs were downloads
with complex activation keys that are not repeatable.

Thanks again,
Cal

 

[Rock]

Thanks to everyone who replied. This is exactly the type of information
that I was seeking. I am really leaning toward the "Laplink" approach.
My real problem is that a couple of the really complex programs were
downloads with complex activation keys that are not repeatable.

Transferring installed programs from one OS to another is an iffy
proposition at best. Best option to get the best chance of the app working
is to bite the bullet and reinstall from scratch.

 

[Adam Albright]

Thanks to everyone who replied. This is exactly the type of information
that I was seeking. I am really leaning toward the "Laplink" approach. My
real problem is that a couple of the really complex programs were downloads
with complex activation keys that are not repeatable.

Yep, that's a tough nut. It also one of the reasons why I didn't do a
clean install. I have several application with involved activation
schemes too that raise my blood pressure 50 points. <wink>

The worst is from Adobe. Consider this. I've used Abobe's Photoshop
since version 3.0, many years back. It came as a full version with a
old scanner that has since bit the dust. Now this is the goofy part. I
kept upgrading over the years and all I had to do was pop in the old
install CD, Photoshop would accept me as a "registered user', and I
could proceed to install the new version.

Enter the villan, called product activation. If I have to reinstall
Windows and reinstall all my software, like with the last two versions
of Photoshop, it no longer will let me. The problem is most people
have bought newer versions of Photoshop to take advantage of the
upgrade package and discount pricing. When you register and activate
that's remembered on some Adobe server. Not for me, since they stared
their database at version 5, so even though I got the paperwork and
even emails from Adobe to prove I'm entitled to the upgrade, I never
get entered into their database as being entitled to the upgrade so
like me older customers who started with a very old version of
Photoshop maybe 15 years ago are stuck in upgrade hell.

So every damn time I have to jump through hoops, spend at least a hour
on the phone talking to usually a half a dozen clueless people that
insist I do a bunch of things to instal the new version I know won't
work till finally I get handed off to a supervisor that gives me a
unlock code that bypasses the normal activation process, and they do
everything but send somebody over to fingerprint me before they give
you the unlock code which itself is an invovled process required
interaction from this supervisor while you do it. Really crazy! The
trouble with that is that too doesn't survive. Once you reformat and
try to install again, the scheme isn't remembered and its back to
square one and another hour on the phone explaing and begging.