Registry Question

[bw]

I have a new computer. I had backed up my data to an external drive. Using
Google Earth as an example, I restored it to its original location
(c:\program files\google\google earth)

After restoring this entire directory, I was able to run google earth as
usual.

But, google earth was not in the "Add or Remove Programs" list in the
control panel.
Why am I able to run google earth if it is not in the "Add or Remove
Programs" list?
Is google earth in the registry by doing this simple restore?

I then "installed" google earth as usual, and the program worked just fine
again, but this time, it WAS in the "Add or Remove Programs" list.

So I'm curious as to what is going on here. Can someone explain how
programs get into the registry and the "Add or Remove Programs" list...and
WHY?

Thanks so much,
Bernie

 

[Tom Porterfield]

I have a new computer. I had backed up my data to an external drive. Using
Google Earth as an example, I restored it to its original location
(c:\program files\google\google earth)

After restoring this entire directory, I was able to run google earth as
usual.

But, google earth was not in the "Add or Remove Programs" list in the
control panel.
Why am I able to run google earth if it is not in the "Add or Remove
Programs" list?
Is google earth in the registry by doing this simple restore?

I then "installed" google earth as usual, and the program worked just fine
again, but this time, it WAS in the "Add or Remove Programs" list.

So I'm curious as to what is going on here. Can someone explain how
programs get into the registry and the "Add or Remove Programs" list...and
WHY?

During the programs installation it will write the necessary values to
the registry so that it shows up in the add/remove list. When you
simply copied the files from backup you did not run the install,
therefore the registry entries were not created. Most programs cannot
be installed and work in the way that you did, as most programs require
a number of registry entries, not just those that cause it to appear in
the add/remove list, in order for the program to even run, and those
entries are created at install time.

Backing up and restoring data using an external hard drive is a good way
to go, but for programs it is better to just reinstall them on the new
machine rather than trying to restore the program files from a backup.

 

[bw]

Thanks Tom,

So it would seem that the "correct" procedure would be to restore the entire
directory in question, and then INSTALL the program to set the registry and
"Add or Remove Programs" list (which is what I did).

Is this correct?
Bernie

 

[Tom Porterfield]

Thanks Tom,

So it would seem that the "correct" procedure would be to restore the entire
directory in question, and then INSTALL the program to set the registry and
"Add or Remove Programs" list (which is what I did).

Is this correct?

Unless the directory contains data files that don't get put there as
part of the install, then I would skip restoring the directory and just
do the straight install.