Need advice to new computer

  • Thread starter Thread starter Chris
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Chris

I am using Windows Me and would like to buy a new PC which preloaded with XP
in the near future. I need advice if there is a way to transfer all the
programs and settings now I am using in the old PC to the new PC without the
necessity to reinstall all the programs.

Thanks in advance.

Chris
 
Chris said:
I am using Windows Me and would like to buy a new PC which preloaded with XP
in the near future. I need advice if there is a way to transfer all the
programs and settings now I am using in the old PC to the new PC without the
necessity to reinstall all the programs.
Click to expand...

The simple answer is: not really.

I reformat and reinstall XP a couple of times a year. I take backups of
my data, I have the original CDs of my software, and I have important
configuration settings (like internet settings) written down. That way I
get a nice clean install.

Alas, if some of your CDs are missing, or some of your software is of
"generously-interpreted legality", then I think you've got an uphill
battle ahead of you.
 
Chris said:
I am using Windows Me and would like to buy a new PC which preloaded with XP
in the near future. I need advice if there is a way to transfer all the
programs and settings now I am using in the old PC to the new PC without the
necessity to reinstall all the programs.
Click to expand...

Get a CD-R (or RW) drive and hook it up to the Me box, and copy what you need
to it (and make notes of the settings, as a precaution), then when you've got
the XP, hook the CD drive to it and start transferring. (I had a
seven-year-old Gateway 2000 running 98, and was going to try putting a CD-RW
drive on it via a drive kit, but I wound up taking the C: drive out of the old
system and slaving it to the new XP box, where it remains as the E: drive
these days...)
 
and before you install WinXp on your new machine, i very strongly recommend
you partition your new hard drive into at least 2 distinct drives. this
means breaking down your single physical drive into two virtual drives, used
as two distinct drives (c: and d: for example) by your system.

then, you install windows XP and all software on your C: drive, and keep
your personal data on your D:. This way, if you ever need to reinstall your
OS, you can just flush and reformat your C: drive without having to
laboriously back up all your voluminous personal data (music, photos,
personal documents) on optical disks.

A question i've always asked myself: why does the windows xp installer NOT
automatically suggest partitioning a hard drive if it detects that it is not
partioned???? if the installer detects a partioned main HDD, then it
shouldn't suggest partitioning it; else it absolutely should recommend
partitioning.... so simple to implement and yet so useful.... Not even
useful, outright essential... it's as much an important security measure as
installing an anti-virus on a system...
 
A question i've always asked myself: why does the windows xp installer
NOT automatically suggest partitioning a hard drive if it detects that
it is not partioned????
Click to expand...

I agree partitioning is a must. My guess for the answer to your question:
because there are no standards for the size of the partitions.
 
A question i've always asked myself: why does the windows xp installer NOT
automatically suggest partitioning a hard drive if it detects that it is not
partioned???? if the installer detects a partioned main HDD, then it
shouldn't suggest partitioning it; else it absolutely should recommend
partitioning.... so simple to implement and yet so useful.... Not even
useful, outright essential... it's as much an important security measure as
installing an anti-virus on a system...
Click to expand...


<SNIP>

Every new PC install I do (which is fewer and fewer since I started
using Linux more ... GO UBUNTU) has either 2 HD's or 2 partitions, no
exceptions. I use drive/partition number 2 for data, and do CD-R
back-ups every three months (more if there has been a lot of activity)

--
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
El Gee // www.mistergeek.com <><
Know Christ, Know Peace - No Christ, No Peace
Remove .yourhat to reply
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 
<SNIP>

Every new PC install I do (which is fewer and fewer since I started
using Linux more ... GO UBUNTU) has either 2 HD's or 2 partitions, no
exceptions. I use drive/partition number 2 for data, and do CD-R
back-ups every three months (more if there has been a lot of activity)
Click to expand...

Given the tone of the OP's request, I think that partitioning would not be a
good idea.
 
I am using Windows Me and would like to buy a new PC which preloaded with XP
in the near future. I need advice if there is a way to transfer all the
programs and settings now I am using in the old PC to the new PC without the
necessity to reinstall all the programs.

Thanks in advance.

Chris
Click to expand...
 
Zed Rafi said:
and before you install WinXp on your new machine, i very strongly
recommend you partition your new hard drive into at least 2 distinct
drives. this means breaking down your single physical drive into two
virtual drives, used as two distinct drives (c: and d: for example) by
your system.

then, you install windows XP and all software on your C: drive, and keep
your personal data on your D:. This way, if you ever need to reinstall
your OS, you can just flush and reformat your C: drive without having to
laboriously back up all your voluminous personal data (music, photos,
personal documents) on optical disks.
Click to expand...
....and another good idea is to make a third small partition of about one GB
to hold the swap info.
That eases considerably subsequent defragmentings.
 
Michel Firholz wrote:
...and another good idea is to make a third small partition of about one GB
to hold the swap info.
That eases considerably subsequent defragmentings.
Click to expand...

But a swap partion on the same physical disk will not gain any
performance, but if that is not an issue...
--
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
El Gee // www.mistergeek.com <><
Know Christ, Know Peace - No Christ, No Peace
Remove .yourhat to reply
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 
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