System transfer?

[Artreid]

I am running XP SP2 and have a new computer.
How would I backup data, files and installed programs so that I can restore
them to the new computer? I have tried moving the HDD and find that does not
work well at all.

Thanks

 

[SmoothNinjaGirl]

start..all programs.. accessories..system tools..files and settings
transfer wizard.. try that once..

 

[Anna]

I am running XP SP2 and have a new computer.
How would I backup data, files and installed programs so that I can
restore them to the new computer? I have tried moving the HDD and find
that does not work well at all.

Thanks

Artreid:
You might want to consider a disk imaging program such as the Acronis True
Image program These types of programs can create a "clone" of your
day-to-day working drive - in effect a bit-for-bit copy of that drive or
create a disk image of your drive (a "snapshot"), so that you can have (for
all practical purposes) a duplicate of that drive at any given
point-in-time, including the OS, all your programs & data -- in short,
everything that's on your working drive. What could be better as a backup
system?

And if & when the time comes for you to restore your system you can do it
relatively simply from either the clone you've created or the disk image.

The problem, or I guess I should say limitation, with the typical backup
programs such as the one included in Windows XP along with so many of the
third-party backup programs is that they are basically designed to back up
the data files the user has created. To be sure that's important. Of course
you want to back up data you've created. But these programs do not "back up"
your operating system. They do not "back up" your Registry settings. They do
not "back up" your programs & applications. And in my view that's a serious
limitation. How many of us look forward to that onerous and time-consuming
task of reinstalling all our programs, configuration settings, etc.
following the
system going down because of a mal-functioning corrupted drive or one that
has become defective?

So consider a program such as the one I've mentioned. Acronis -
http://www.acronis.com has a 15-day trial version available. Give it a try.

BTW, I've prepared step-by-step instructions for using that program - both
for backup & restoration operations. If you (or anyone) is interesting in
seeing such, so indicate and I'll post them.
Anna

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I am running XP SP2 and have a new computer.

How would I backup data, files and installed programs so that I can
restore them to the new computer? I have tried moving the HDD and
find that does not work well at all.

Why not? What problems did you have (other than the installed programs not
working; see below)?

The first thing to understand is that although you can transfer data files
of any kind, you can *not* move your installed programs to the new computer.
Except for an occasional trivial program, all programs have many references
to them throughout Windows, in the registry and elsewhere. If you have a new
Windows installation, these references will all be lost, and you will also
have to reinstall your programs.

Regarding moving data, there are several choices. Here are a few ways:

1. E-mail the data from the old machine and read it on the new one.

2. Network the two machines and transfer the data over the network.

3. Remove the drive from the old computer and install it temporarily (or
even pemanently) in the new computer.

4. Use floppies and span the larger files over several diskettes using a
file splitting program (or any standard zip utility, which can also do
this).

5. Copy the files to CDs

6. Copy the files to a USB thumb drive.

Which of these is best for you depends on several things: how much data you
have to transfer, whether you plan to keep the old computer, whether you are
willing to spend a few dollars for a thumb drive if you don't have one, etc.

 

[Artreid]

When I install the HDD form my old machine into the new one I get all sorts
of error msgs, (I believe because all the hardware is different in the new
machine). So, I never get past booting up the old HDD on the new machine.

It sounds like the suggestion of copying the Files and system settings might
work. However. I am copying the system settings from the old machine (with
its hardware) I'm not sure how that will work on the new machine with
diferent hardware?

 

[Anna]

When I install the HDD form my old machine into the new one I get all
sorts of error msgs, (I believe because all the hardware is different in
the new machine). So, I never get past booting up the old HDD on the new
machine.

It sounds like the suggestion of copying the Files and system settings
might work. However. I am copying the system settings from the old machine
(with its hardware) I'm not sure how that will work on the new machine
with diferent hardware?

Artreid:
You probably would be best off by running a Repair install of the XP OS
after you move your old HDD to your new computer.

There are a number of websites that contain step-by-step instructions for
undertaking a Repair install. If you do a Google search on "XP repair
install", you'll be pointed to many of these sites. Here are a few...
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm#RI
http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/repair_xp.htm
http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=138
Anna

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

When I install the HDD form my old machine into the new one I get all
sorts of error msgs, (I believe because all the hardware is different
in the new machine). So, I never get past booting up the old HDD on
the new machine.

I'm not clear as to what you trying to do here. Are you trying to add your
old drive as a second drive on the new computer? Or are you trying to move
the old drive with its Windows installation to the new one, and run Windows
from it?

If the latter, you can *not* simply do that. Unless the new motherboard is
almost identical to the old one, at the very least, you'll have to do a
Repair Installation. See "How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install" at
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

That usually works, but If the new motherboard is different enough, it may
not, and you will need to reinstall cleanly, losing all your data and
everything else on the drive.

So make sure you have a backup of anything you can't afford to lose before
starting.

However, if you are trying to add your old drive as a second drive on the
new computer and you are having a problem, please be much more specific
about what the problem is. You say "I get all sorts of error msgs." Please
post the exact verbatim text of these error messages.

It sounds like the suggestion of copying the Files and system
settings might work. However. I am copying the system settings from
the old machine (with its hardware) I'm not sure how that will work
on the new machine with diferent hardware?

Exactly what "system settings" are you trying to copy? How are you trying to
do this?