How do I move files to my new PC?

"Michael T" <anonymous.TakeThisOut@cox.net> wrote in message
news:eN5DlvtxEHA.2752@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
 > A dear friend just purchased a new computer running Windows XP for his
 > business.
 >
 > As an experienced software engineer he asked me to help him 'everything'
 > from his old computer running Windows 98.
 >
 > Unfortunately he does not have all of his installation CD-ROMs.
 >
 > So is it correct to assume that going to Start > All Programs >
Accessories
  > > System Tools > Files and Settings Transfer Wizard is of little help. It
is
 > my understanding that this is used primarily (if not exclusively) for
 > transferring settings/data for Windows applications only like IE, OE and
 > perhaps Word & Excel.
 >
 > So I have to wonder how do I transfer non-Windows applications (including
 > Registry settings)?
 >
 > Aren't there some kind of programs out there for 'ghosting' the hard drive
 > from one PC to another?
 >
 > If so, will they work for the scenario I have just described? And if they
 > do, is there a problem if the NEW hard drive is partitioned for ONE drive
 > only (i.e. drive C?
 >
 > Thank you for your time.
 >
 > Michael T.
 >
 >

Try these links:

How to Move a Windows Installation to Different Hardware
<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://support.microsoft.com/directory/article.asp?ID=KB;EN-US;Q249694" target="_blank">http://support.microsoft.com/directory/article.asp?ID=KB;EN-US;Q249694</a>

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade of Windows 2000
<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q292175.ASP" target="_blank">http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q292175.ASP</a>

<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;Q315341" target="_blank">http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;Q315341</a>

By the way: What's a "non-windows application"?<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: How do I move files to my new PC? 

"Pegasus (MVP)" <I.can.DeleteThis@fly.com> wrote in message
news:Om$s%239txEHA.1300@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
 >
 >
 > By the way: What's a "non-windows application"?
 >

Oops! I meant non-Microsoft.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: How do I move files to my new PC? 

Michael T wrote:
 > "Pegasus (MVP)" <I.can.RemoveThis@fly.com> wrote in message
 > news:Om$s%239txEHA.1300@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
  >>
  >>
  >> By the way: What's a "non-windows application"?
  >>
 >
 > Oops! I meant non-Microsoft.


What do /you/ reckon it is?! Go on - take a wild stab in the dark!
--
My great-grandfather was born and raised in Elgin - did he eventually
lose his marbles?<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: How do I move files to my new PC? 

Michael T wrote:
 > A dear friend just purchased a new computer running Windows XP for his
 > business.
 >
 > As an experienced software engineer he asked me to help him
 > 'everything' from his old computer running Windows 98.
 >
 > Unfortunately he does not have all of his installation CD-ROMs.
 >
 > So is it correct to assume that going to Start > All Programs >
 > Accessories
  >> System Tools > Files and Settings Transfer Wizard is of little help.
  >> It is
 > my understanding that this is used primarily (if not exclusively) for
 > transferring settings/data for Windows applications only like IE, OE
 > and perhaps Word & Excel.
 >
 > So I have to wonder how do I transfer non-Windows applications
 > (including Registry settings)?
 >
 > Aren't there some kind of programs out there for 'ghosting' the hard
 > drive from one PC to another?
 >
 > If so, will they work for the scenario I have just described? And if
 > they do, is there a problem if the NEW hard drive is partitioned for
 > ONE drive only (i.e. drive C?
 >
 > Thank you for your time.
 >
 > Michael T.


I'm afraid imaging applications would *NOT* help in this situation, because
it would take an image of the drive on the existing system, along with all
the hardware and driver settings which, obviously, wouldn't be correct for
the new system. So, no, there isn't.

If the software he's missing the discs for came with the old system then
it's OEM and OEM licences are non-transferable (and this doesn't just apply
to MS software). He's going to need to purchase the software he needs for
his new system.

--
My great-grandfather was born and raised in Elgin - did he eventually
lose his marbles?<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: How do I move files to my new PC? 

I have used this type of transfer before and the new computer worked just
like the old one, without re-installing everything again. You check out the
web page at:

<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://sewelldirect.com/FastLynxHomePage.asp?kid=-609910610&match_type=search" target="_blank">http://sewelldirect.com/FastLynxHomePage.asp?kid=-609910610&match_type=search</a>

and, I do not work for this group. It isn't cheap but it works. I just
started the transfer before I went to bed and it was finished by the time I
got up the next morning.


"Miss Perspicacia Tick" <misstick.TakeThisOut@lancre.dw> wrote in message
news:zRxkd.9424$mu4.8924@fe48.usenetserver.com...
 > Michael T wrote:
  >> A dear friend just purchased a new computer running Windows XP for his
  >> business.
  >>
  >> As an experienced software engineer he asked me to help him
  >> 'everything' from his old computer running Windows 98.
  >>
  >> Unfortunately he does not have all of his installation CD-ROMs.
  >>
  >> So is it correct to assume that going to Start > All Programs >
  >> Accessories
   >>> System Tools > Files and Settings Transfer Wizard is of little help.
   >>> It is
  >> my understanding that this is used primarily (if not exclusively) for
  >> transferring settings/data for Windows applications only like IE, OE
  >> and perhaps Word & Excel.
  >>
  >> So I have to wonder how do I transfer non-Windows applications
  >> (including Registry settings)?
  >>
  >> Aren't there some kind of programs out there for 'ghosting' the hard
  >> drive from one PC to another?
  >>
  >> If so, will they work for the scenario I have just described? And if
  >> they do, is there a problem if the NEW hard drive is partitioned for
  >> ONE drive only (i.e. drive C?
  >>
  >> Thank you for your time.
  >>
  >> Michael T.
 >
 >
 > I'm afraid imaging applications would *NOT* help in this situation,
 > because it would take an image of the drive on the existing system, along
 > with all the hardware and driver settings which, obviously, wouldn't be
 > correct for the new system. So, no, there isn't.
 >
 > If the software he's missing the discs for came with the old system then
 > it's OEM and OEM licences are non-transferable (and this doesn't just
 > apply to MS software). He's going to need to purchase the software he
 > needs for his new system.
 >
 > --
 > My great-grandfather was born and raised in Elgin - did he eventually
 > lose his marbles?
 >
 ><!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: How do I move files to my new PC? 

Michael:
The problem you raise is a common one, and unfortunately there's no good
program or methodology to do what you want. The problem with every "data
migration" program I've worked with or have knowledge of (including the
FastLynx program mentioned by the last poster) is that they're virtually
useless in transferring Windows applications from one computer running
Win98/Me to another that is running the Windows XP OS. It's a crapshoot at
best, and the odds are stacked against you. Yes, they're fine if all you
want to do is transfer (copy) data files (for the most part) from one
machine to another, but that's about it. In nearly every case, you need the
installation media for the programs and applications you wish to transfer.
And even then you can run into problems when the application was
specifically designed for a pre-XP OS and no updates have been issued for
XP. While there is a so-called "compatibility mode" in XP, it's far from a
certainty that it will work with older programs.

Art

"nor" <wnor DeleteThis @comcast.irc> wrote in message
news:OBSwye$xEHA.2200@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
 >I have used this type of transfer before and the new computer worked just
 >like the old one, without re-installing everything again. You check out the
 >web page at:
 >
<font color=purple> > <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://sewelldirect.com/FastLynxHomePage.asp?kid=-609910610&match_type=search</font" target="_blank">http://sewelldirect.com/FastLynxHomePage.asp?kid=-609910610&match_type...arch&lt</a>>
 >
 > and, I do not work for this group. It isn't cheap but it works. I just
 > started the transfer before I went to bed and it was finished by the time
 > I got up the next morning.
 >
 >
 > "Miss Perspicacia Tick" <misstick DeleteThis @lancre.dw> wrote in message
 > news:zRxkd.9424$mu4.8924@fe48.usenetserver.com...
  >> Michael T wrote:
   >>> A dear friend just purchased a new computer running Windows XP for his
   >>> business.
   >>>
   >>> As an experienced software engineer he asked me to help him
   >>> 'everything' from his old computer running Windows 98.
   >>>
   >>> Unfortunately he does not have all of his installation CD-ROMs.
   >>>
   >>> So is it correct to assume that going to Start > All Programs >
   >>> Accessories
   >>>> System Tools > Files and Settings Transfer Wizard is of little help.
   >>>> It is
   >>> my understanding that this is used primarily (if not exclusively) for
   >>> transferring settings/data for Windows applications only like IE, OE
   >>> and perhaps Word & Excel.
   >>>
   >>> So I have to wonder how do I transfer non-Windows applications
   >>> (including Registry settings)?
   >>>
   >>> Aren't there some kind of programs out there for 'ghosting' the hard
   >>> drive from one PC to another?
   >>>
   >>> If so, will they work for the scenario I have just described? And if
   >>> they do, is there a problem if the NEW hard drive is partitioned for
   >>> ONE drive only (i.e. drive C?
   >>>
   >>> Thank you for your time.
   >>>
   >>> Michael T.
  >>
  >>
  >> I'm afraid imaging applications would *NOT* help in this situation,
  >> because it would take an image of the drive on the existing system, along
  >> with all the hardware and driver settings which, obviously, wouldn't be
  >> correct for the new system. So, no, there isn't.
  >>
  >> If the software he's missing the discs for came with the old system then
  >> it's OEM and OEM licences are non-transferable (and this doesn't just
  >> apply to MS software). He's going to need to purchase the software he
  >> needs for his new system.
  >>
  >> --
  >> My great-grandfather was born and raised in Elgin - did he eventually
  >> lose his marbles?
  >>
  >>
 >
 ><!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: How do I move files to my new PC? 

Hi, Michael.

In addition to moving from one computer to the other, your friend has the
problem of migrating the software from Win98 to WinXP. Win98 is built on
MS-DOS, as you probably know, while WinXP is built on the NT architecture.
Thus, the two Windows versions deal with hardware much differently. (Device
drivers that work in Win98 almost certainly won't work in WinXP, but that is
not likely to be a problem in this case, since WinXP is already running on
the new machine.) While the Windows user interface still looks much the
same on the screen, there are lots of differences below the surface.

Simply copying all the application program files to the new computer would
not be enough to allow them to run there. Each must be installed, from the
CD-ROMs or other original media, in WinXP so that it can make its required
entries in the new WinXP Registry. It doesn't matter if the application is
from Microsoft or Adobe, Quicken or some other source.

When transitioning from Win98 to WinXP on the same computer, we can use the
"upgrade" method. This first installs WinXP, replacing Win98's operating
system files, and then attempts to migrate all the installed applications,
reading the Win98 Registry and making WinXP Registry entries based on those.
In your friend's situation, that won't be possible because there is no
upgrade on a single machine. But many users, even after "upgrading" in this
way, find that they have carried over so much deadwood from their pre-WinXP
life that they eventually reformat their drive and reinstall WinXP and all
their applications, anyhow.

Data, of course, is quite different from the applications that created all
those files of photos, music, financial data, letters, etc. Data files can
simply be copied by any convenient means (floppies, CD-R, direct cable
connect?) from the old HD to the new. Often, the easiest way is to
physically remove the old HD from the old computer and temporarily install
it as a secondary drive in the new computer to transfer the files. WinXP
doesn't care whether the drive(s) have one partition each or dozens, or
whether they are formatted FAT32 or NTFS.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
rc.TakeThisOut@corridor.net
Microsoft Windows MVP

"Michael T" <anonymous.TakeThisOut@cox.net> wrote in message
news:eN5DlvtxEHA.2752@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
 >A dear friend just purchased a new computer running Windows XP for his
 >business.
 >
 > As an experienced software engineer he asked me to help him 'everything'
 > from his old computer running Windows 98.
 >
 > Unfortunately he does not have all of his installation CD-ROMs.
 >
 > So is it correct to assume that going to Start > All Programs >
 > Accessories
  > > System Tools > Files and Settings Transfer Wizard is of little help. It
  > > is
 > my understanding that this is used primarily (if not exclusively) for
 > transferring settings/data for Windows applications only like IE, OE and
 > perhaps Word & Excel.
 >
 > So I have to wonder how do I transfer non-Windows applications (including
 > Registry settings)?
 >
 > Aren't there some kind of programs out there for 'ghosting' the hard drive
 > from one PC to another?
 >
 > If so, will they work for the scenario I have just described? And if they
 > do, is there a problem if the NEW hard drive is partitioned for ONE drive
 > only (i.e. drive C?
 >
 > Thank you for your time.
 >
 > Michael T.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: How do I move files to my new PC? 

Hello R.C. good stuff on the subject of migration.

I will be facing the same ordeal pretty soon when I will buy my new
laptop next month or so. I have a 6 year old Fujitsu Lifebook loaded
with my business applications and all my data and one of these days it
is going to cause problems (20 gbyte HDD is 70% full).

I am thinking of an HP 9000 series should I go for FAT32 or NTFS and if
the HDD of the new laptop is FAT32, should I reformat and reinstall the
OEM OS and applications from scratch, this is the chance to get rid of
all the deadwood that you described so well...

Please advise

Frank


R. C. White Wrote:
> Hi, Michael.
>
> In addition to moving from one computer to the other, your friend has
> the
> problem of migrating the software from Win98 to WinXP. Win98 is built
> on
> MS-DOS, as you probably know, while WinXP is built on the NT
> architecture.
> Thus, the two Windows versions deal with hardware much differently.
> (Device
> drivers that work in Win98 almost certainly won't work in WinXP, but
> that is
> not likely to be a problem in this case, since WinXP is already running
> on
> the new machine.) While the Windows user interface still looks much
> the
> same on the screen, there are lots of differences below the surface.
>
> Simply copying all the application program files to the new computer
> would
> not be enough to allow them to run there. Each must be installed, from
> the
> CD-ROMs or other original media, in WinXP so that it can make its
> required
> entries in the new WinXP Registry. It doesn't matter if the
> application is
> from Microsoft or Adobe, Quicken or some other source.
>
> When transitioning from Win98 to WinXP on the same computer, we can use
> the
> "upgrade" method. This first installs WinXP, replacing Win98's
> operating
> system files, and then attempts to migrate all the installed
> applications,
> reading the Win98 Registry and making WinXP Registry entries based on
> those.
> In your friend's situation, that won't be possible because there is no
> upgrade on a single machine. But many users, even after "upgrading" in
> this
> way, find that they have carried over so much deadwood from their
> pre-WinXP
> life that they eventually reformat their drive and reinstall WinXP and
> all
> their applications, anyhow.
>
> Data, of course, is quite different from the applications that created
> all
> those files of photos, music, financial data, letters, etc. Data files
> can
> simply be copied by any convenient means (floppies, CD-R, direct cable
> connect?) from the old HD to the new. Often, the easiest way is to
> physically remove the old HD from the old computer and temporarily
> install
> it as a secondary drive in the new computer to transfer the files.
> WinXP
> doesn't care whether the drive(s) have one partition each or dozens,
> or
> whether they are formatted FAT32 or NTFS.
>
> RC
> --
> R. C. White, CPA
> San Marcos, TX
> rc DeleteThis @corridor.net
> Microsoft Windows MVP
>
> "Michael T" anonymous DeleteThis @cox.net wrote in message
> news:eN5DlvtxEHA.2752@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...-
> A dear friend just purchased a new computer running Windows XP for his
> business.
>
> As an experienced software engineer he asked me to help him
> 'everything'
> from his old computer running Windows 98.
>
> Unfortunately he does not have all of his installation CD-ROMs.
>
> So is it correct to assume that going to Start All Programs
> Accessories-
> System Tools Files and Settings Transfer Wizard is of little help.
> It
> is-
> my understanding that this is used primarily (if not exclusively) for
> transferring settings/data for Windows applications only like IE, OE
> and
> perhaps Word & Excel.
>
> So I have to wonder how do I transfer non-Windows applications
> (including
> Registry settings)?
>
> Aren't there some kind of programs out there for 'ghosting' the hard
> drive
> from one PC to another?
>
> If so, will they work for the scenario I have just described? And if
> they
> do, is there a problem if the NEW hard drive is partitioned for ONE
> drive
> only (i.e. drive C?
>
> Thank you for your time.
>
> Michael T.-




--
witteman
 >> Stay informed about: How do I move files to my new PC? 

If you are using Windows XP on both computers:
Click Start in the bottom-left corner, go to All Programs, Accessories,
System Tools and click on "Files and Settings Transfer Wizard".
Now follow instructions on the screen.

Hope this will help.

John

"witteman" wrote:

>
> Hello R.C. good stuff on the subject of migration.
>
> I will be facing the same ordeal pretty soon when I will buy my new
> laptop next month or so. I have a 6 year old Fujitsu Lifebook loaded
> with my business applications and all my data and one of these days it
> is going to cause problems (20 gbyte HDD is 70% full).
>
> I am thinking of an HP 9000 series should I go for FAT32 or NTFS and if
> the HDD of the new laptop is FAT32, should I reformat and reinstall the
> OEM OS and applications from scratch, this is the chance to get rid of
> all the deadwood that you described so well...
>
> Please advise
>
> Frank
>
>
> R. C. White Wrote:
> > Hi, Michael.
> >
> > In addition to moving from one computer to the other, your friend has
> > the
> > problem of migrating the software from Win98 to WinXP. Win98 is built
> > on
> > MS-DOS, as you probably know, while WinXP is built on the NT
> > architecture.
> > Thus, the two Windows versions deal with hardware much differently.
> > (Device
> > drivers that work in Win98 almost certainly won't work in WinXP, but
> > that is
> > not likely to be a problem in this case, since WinXP is already running
> > on
> > the new machine.) While the Windows user interface still looks much
> > the
> > same on the screen, there are lots of differences below the surface.
> >
> > Simply copying all the application program files to the new computer
> > would
> > not be enough to allow them to run there. Each must be installed, from
> > the
> > CD-ROMs or other original media, in WinXP so that it can make its
> > required
> > entries in the new WinXP Registry. It doesn't matter if the
> > application is
> > from Microsoft or Adobe, Quicken or some other source.
> >
> > When transitioning from Win98 to WinXP on the same computer, we can use
> > the
> > "upgrade" method. This first installs WinXP, replacing Win98's
> > operating
> > system files, and then attempts to migrate all the installed
> > applications,
> > reading the Win98 Registry and making WinXP Registry entries based on
> > those.
> > In your friend's situation, that won't be possible because there is no
> > upgrade on a single machine. But many users, even after "upgrading" in
> > this
> > way, find that they have carried over so much deadwood from their
> > pre-WinXP
> > life that they eventually reformat their drive and reinstall WinXP and
> > all
> > their applications, anyhow.
> >
> > Data, of course, is quite different from the applications that created
> > all
> > those files of photos, music, financial data, letters, etc. Data files
> > can
> > simply be copied by any convenient means (floppies, CD-R, direct cable
> > connect?) from the old HD to the new. Often, the easiest way is to
> > physically remove the old HD from the old computer and temporarily
> > install
> > it as a secondary drive in the new computer to transfer the files.
> > WinXP
> > doesn't care whether the drive(s) have one partition each or dozens,
> > or
> > whether they are formatted FAT32 or NTFS.
> >
> > RC
> > --
> > R. C. White, CPA
> > San Marcos, TX
> > rc.DeleteThis@corridor.net
> > Microsoft Windows MVP
> >
> > "Michael T" anonymous.DeleteThis@cox.net wrote in message
> > news:eN5DlvtxEHA.2752@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...-
> > A dear friend just purchased a new computer running Windows XP for his
> > business.
> >
> > As an experienced software engineer he asked me to help him
> > 'everything'
> > from his old computer running Windows 98.
> >
> > Unfortunately he does not have all of his installation CD-ROMs.
> >
> > So is it correct to assume that going to Start All Programs
> > Accessories-
> > System Tools Files and Settings Transfer Wizard is of little help.
> > It
> > is-
> > my understanding that this is used primarily (if not exclusively) for
> > transferring settings/data for Windows applications only like IE, OE
> > and
> > perhaps Word & Excel.
> >
> > So I have to wonder how do I transfer non-Windows applications
> > (including
> > Registry settings)?
> >
> > Aren't there some kind of programs out there for 'ghosting' the hard
> > drive
> > from one PC to another?
> >
> > If so, will they work for the scenario I have just described? And if
> > they
> > do, is there a problem if the NEW hard drive is partitioned for ONE
> > drive
> > only (i.e. drive C?
> >
> > Thank you for your time.
> >
> > Michael T.-
>
>
>
>
> --
> witteman
>
 >> Stay informed about: How do I move files to my new PC? 

>> "Michael T" anonymous.RemoveThis@cox.net wrote in message
>> news:eN5DlvtxEHA.2752@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...-
>> A dear friend just purchased a new computer running Windows XP for his
>> business.
>>
>> As an experienced software engineer he asked me to help him
>> 'everything' from his old computer running Windows 98.
>>
>> Unfortunately he does not have all of his installation CD-ROMs.
>> So is it correct to assume that going to Start All Programs
>> Accessories- System Tools Files and Settings Transfer Wizard is of
>> little help.
>> It is my understanding that this is used primarily (if not exclusively)
>> for
>> transferring settings/data for Windows applications only like IE, OE
>> and perhaps Word & Excel.
>>
>> So I have to wonder how do I transfer non-Windows applications
>> (including Registry settings)?
>>
>> Aren't there some kind of programs out there for 'ghosting' the hard
>> drive from one PC to another?
>>
>> If so, will they work for the scenario I have just described? And if
>> they do, is there a problem if the NEW hard drive is partitioned for ONE
>> drive only (i.e. drive C?
>>
>> Thank you for your time.
>>
>> Michael T.-


> > R. C. White Wrote:
>> Hi, Michael.
>>
>> In addition to moving from one computer to the other, your friend has
>> the problem of migrating the software from Win98 to WinXP. Win98 is
>> built
>> on MS-DOS, as you probably know, while WinXP is built on the NT
>> architecture. Thus, the two Windows versions deal with hardware much \
>> differently. (Device drivers that work in Win98 almost certainly won't
>> work in WinXP, but that is not likely to be a problem in this case, since
>> WinXP is already running
>> on
>> the new machine.) While the Windows user interface still looks much
>> the
>> same on the screen, there are lots of differences below the surface.
>>
>> Simply copying all the application program files to the new computer
>> would
>> not be enough to allow them to run there. Each must be installed, from
>> the
>> CD-ROMs or other original media, in WinXP so that it can make its
>> required
>> entries in the new WinXP Registry. It doesn't matter if the
>> application is
>> from Microsoft or Adobe, Quicken or some other source.
>>
>> When transitioning from Win98 to WinXP on the same computer, we can use
>> the "upgrade" method. This first installs WinXP, replacing Win98's
>> operating system files, and then attempts to migrate all the installed
>> applications, reading the Win98 Registry and making WinXP Registry
>> entries >> based on those. In your friend's situation, that won't be
>> possible because there is no
>> upgrade on a single machine. But many users, even after "upgrading" in
>> this
>> way, find that they have carried over so much deadwood from their
>> pre-WinXP
>> life that they eventually reformat their drive and reinstall WinXP and
>> all
>> their applications, anyhow.
>>
>> Data, of course, is quite different from the applications that created
>> all
>> those files of photos, music, financial data, letters, etc. Data files
>> can
>> simply be copied by any convenient means (floppies, CD-R, direct cable
>> connect?) from the old HD to the new. Often, the easiest way is to
>> physically remove the old HD from the old computer and temporarily
>> install
>> it as a secondary drive in the new computer to transfer the files.
>> WinXP
>> doesn't care whether the drive(s) have one partition each or dozens,
>> or
>> whether they are formatted FAT32 or NTFS.
>>
>> RC
>> --
>> R. C. White, CPA
>> San Marcos, TX
>> rc.RemoveThis@corridor.net
>> Microsoft Windows MVP


"witteman" <witteman.2row2p.RemoveThis@pcbanter.net> wrote in message
news:witteman.2row2p@pcbanter.net...
>
> Hello R.C. good stuff on the subject of migration.
>
> I will be facing the same ordeal pretty soon when I will buy my new
> laptop next month or so. I have a 6 year old Fujitsu Lifebook loaded
> with my business applications and all my data and one of these days it
> is going to cause problems (20 gbyte HDD is 70% full).
>
> I am thinking of an HP 9000 series should I go for FAT32 or NTFS and if
> the HDD of the new laptop is FAT32, should I reformat and reinstall the
> OEM OS and applications from scratch, this is the chance to get rid of
> all the deadwood that you described so well...
>
> Please advise
>
> Frank


Michael:
As Frank has indicated, R. C. White has explained the migration-of-data
process very well concerning a transition from a Win98 OS to a WinXP one.
While awaiting any further response from R. C. White to Frank's and/or your
query let me give you some of my thoughts on the matter...

1. First of all, if those "business applications" that you refer to on your
friend's present (desktop?) PC that contains a Win98 OS are crucial to him -
as I expect they are - you should not at the outset tamper with that PC's
HDD in any way except to use a disk imaging program to either create a disk
image of the drive or clone the contents of that drive to an external HDD as
a backup device in the event that at one time or another you have to
manipulate the data contents of that HDD. I assume you or your friend are
already employing some type of routine backup system. At least I hope that's
the case.

2. Your friend's new (desktop?) PC will, of course, be equipped with the XP
OS, formatted NTFS as you have indicated. While, in theory, you could format
its drive FAT32 (using, for example, a Win98 startup boot disk), and thus in
the process delete the entire contents of that HDD, and then fresh install
the XP OS, it's questionable whether you should pursue that course since,
for a variety of reasons - primarily performance & security issues - NTFS is
a significantly superior file system as compared with FAT32. So unless he
has a special & overriding need for the FAT32 file system I think it would
be in his best interest to leave well enough alone.

Then, too, if the new PC is an OEM machine and a "full" XP installation CD
is not available because the system includes *only* a recovery/restore type
of XP installation CD, then the above may not even be feasible.

I assume you're aware that the XP OS - either during the installation of the
OS or subsequently through its Disk Management utility - has a 32 GB
limitation re formatting partitions FAT32. But, as noted above, the XP OS
can be happily installed on FAT32 partitions > 32 GB if such partitions
already exist at the time of the OS installation process.

BTW, I'm assuming that your friend's new PC will be equipped with a
large-capacity HDD, e.g. > 120 GB. If that be so, another potential problem
re formatting that HDD with the FAT 32 file system might be that one could
run into future data corruption issues using a large-capacity HDD with the
FAT32 OS. So that's another negative to keep in mind.

3. In summary, re the above, there would seem to be little or no reason for
you to format your friend's new PC's HDD FAT32 unless those business
applications you refer to and possibly the user-created data in connection
with those programs are *only* compatible with a FAT32 file system. And
furthermore he's unable to obtain updates to those programs & data so that
they would be compatible with an XP OS, or he cannot use any other
XP-designed similar program as a practical substitute, so that you would
have really no choice in the matter but to employ the FAT32 file system.
Even then there could be a compatibility problem using those programs in an
XP environment, regardless of the file system in use (see below).

4. However, as R. C. White has pointed out, while there's likely no problem
copying over the user-created data from the old to the new machine, there's
little or no chance that your friend's programs can be successfully ported
over to an XP OS installation, *regardless* of the file system employed on
the latter. Hopefully he has the installation media for those programs and
even more hopefully they will be compatible in an XP environment. As you can
imagine that is not always the case with many programs that have been
designed for a Win9x/Me OS.
Anna

Frank:
I hope it is, but I'm not sure if any of the above is relevant or helpful to
your situation.
Anna
 >> Stay informed about: How do I move files to my new PC? 

Anna Wrote:
> "Michael T" anonymous.TakeThisOut@cox.net wrote in message--
> news:eN5DlvtxEHA.2752@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...-
> A dear friend just purchased a new computer running Windows XP for
> his
> business.
>
> As an experienced software engineer he asked me to help him
> 'everything' from his old computer running Windows 98.
>
> Unfortunately he does not have all of his installation CD-ROMs.
> So is it correct to assume that going to Start All Programs
> Accessories- System Tools Files and Settings Transfer Wizard is of
> little help.
> It is my understanding that this is used primarily (if not
> exclusively)
> for
> transferring settings/data for Windows applications only like IE, OE
> and perhaps Word & Excel.
>
> So I have to wonder how do I transfer non-Windows applications
> (including Registry settings)?
>
> Aren't there some kind of programs out there for 'ghosting' the hard
> drive from one PC to another?
>
> If so, will they work for the scenario I have just described? And if
> they do, is there a problem if the NEW hard drive is partitioned for
> ONE
> drive only (i.e. drive C?
>
> Thank you for your time.
>
> Michael T.---
>
> --
> R. C. White Wrote:
> Hi, Michael.
>
> In addition to moving from one computer to the other, your friend has
> the problem of migrating the software from Win98 to WinXP. Win98 is
> built
> on MS-DOS, as you probably know, while WinXP is built on the NT
> architecture. Thus, the two Windows versions deal with hardware much
> \
> differently. (Device drivers that work in Win98 almost certainly won't
>
> work in WinXP, but that is not likely to be a problem in this case,
> since
> WinXP is already running
> on
> the new machine.) While the Windows user interface still looks much
> the
> same on the screen, there are lots of differences below the surface.
>
> Simply copying all the application program files to the new computer
> would
> not be enough to allow them to run there. Each must be installed,
> from
> the
> CD-ROMs or other original media, in WinXP so that it can make its
> required
> entries in the new WinXP Registry. It doesn't matter if the
> application is
> from Microsoft or Adobe, Quicken or some other source.
>
> When transitioning from Win98 to WinXP on the same computer, we can
> use
> the "upgrade" method. This first installs WinXP, replacing Win98's
> operating system files, and then attempts to migrate all the
> installed
> applications, reading the Win98 Registry and making WinXP Registry
> entries based on those. In your friend's situation, that won't be
> possible because there is no
> upgrade on a single machine. But many users, even after "upgrading"
> in
> this
> way, find that they have carried over so much deadwood from their
> pre-WinXP
> life that they eventually reformat their drive and reinstall WinXP
> and
> all
> their applications, anyhow.
>
> Data, of course, is quite different from the applications that
> created
> all
> those files of photos, music, financial data, letters, etc. Data
> files
> can
> simply be copied by any convenient means (floppies, CD-R, direct
> cable
> connect?) from the old HD to the new. Often, the easiest way is to
> physically remove the old HD from the old computer and temporarily
> install
> it as a secondary drive in the new computer to transfer the files.
> WinXP
> doesn't care whether the drive(s) have one partition each or dozens,
> or
> whether they are formatted FAT32 or NTFS.
>
> RC
> --
> R. C. White, CPA
> San Marcos, TX
> rc.TakeThisOut@corridor.net
> Microsoft Windows MVP--
>
>
> "witteman" witteman.2row2p.TakeThisOut@pcbanter.net wrote in message
> news:witteman.2row2p@pcbanter.net...-
>
> Hello R.C. good stuff on the subject of migration.
>
> I will be facing the same ordeal pretty soon when I will buy my new
> laptop next month or so. I have a 6 year old Fujitsu Lifebook loaded
> with my business applications and all my data and one of these days
> it
> is going to cause problems (20 gbyte HDD is 70% full).
>
> I am thinking of an HP 9000 series should I go for FAT32 or NTFS and
> if
> the HDD of the new laptop is FAT32, should I reformat and reinstall
> the
> OEM OS and applications from scratch, this is the chance to get rid
> of
> all the deadwood that you described so well...
>
> Please advise
>
> Frank-
>
>
> Michael:
> As Frank has indicated, R. C. White has explained the migration-of-data
>
> process very well concerning a transition from a Win98 OS to a WinXP
> one.
> While awaiting any further response from R. C. White to Frank's and/or
> your
> query let me give you some of my thoughts on the matter...
>
> 1. First of all, if those "business applications" that you refer to on
> your
> friend's present (desktop?) PC that contains a Win98 OS are crucial to
> him -
> as I expect they are - you should not at the outset tamper with that
> PC's
> HDD in any way except to use a disk imaging program to either create a
> disk
> image of the drive or clone the contents of that drive to an external
> HDD as
> a backup device in the event that at one time or another you have to
> manipulate the data contents of that HDD. I assume you or your friend
> are
> already employing some type of routine backup system. At least I hope
> that's
> the case.
>
> 2. Your friend's new (desktop?) PC will, of course, be equipped with
> the XP
> OS, formatted NTFS as you have indicated. While, in theory, you could
> format
> its drive FAT32 (using, for example, a Win98 startup boot disk), and
> thus in
> the process delete the entire contents of that HDD, and then fresh
> install
> the XP OS, it's questionable whether you should pursue that course
> since,
> for a variety of reasons - primarily performance & security issues -
> NTFS is
> a significantly superior file system as compared with FAT32. So unless
> he
> has a special & overriding need for the FAT32 file system I think it
> would
> be in his best interest to leave well enough alone.
>
> Then, too, if the new PC is an OEM machine and a "full" XP installation
> CD
> is not available because the system includes *only* a recovery/restore
> type
> of XP installation CD, then the above may not even be feasible.
>
> I assume you're aware that the XP OS - either during the installation
> of the
> OS or subsequently through its Disk Management utility - has a 32 GB
> limitation re formatting partitions FAT32. But, as noted above, the XP
> OS
> can be happily installed on FAT32 partitions 32 GB if such partitions
>
> already exist at the time of the OS installation process.
>
> BTW, I'm assuming that your friend's new PC will be equipped with a
> large-capacity HDD, e.g. 120 GB. If that be so, another potential
> problem
> re formatting that HDD with the FAT 32 file system might be that one
> could
> run into future data corruption issues using a large-capacity HDD with
> the
> FAT32 OS. So that's another negative to keep in mind.
>
> 3. In summary, re the above, there would seem to be little or no reason
> for
> you to format your friend's new PC's HDD FAT32 unless those business
> applications you refer to and possibly the user-created data in
> connection
> with those programs are *only* compatible with a FAT32 file system. And
>
> furthermore he's unable to obtain updates to those programs & data so
> that
> they would be compatible with an XP OS, or he cannot use any other
> XP-designed similar program as a practical substitute, so that you
> would
> have really no choice in the matter but to employ the FAT32 file
> system.
> Even then there could be a compatibility problem using those programs
> in an
> XP environment, regardless of the file system in use (see below).
>
> 4. However, as R. C. White has pointed out, while there's likely no
> problem
> copying over the user-created data from the old to the new machine,
> there's
> little or no chance that your friend's programs can be successfully
> ported
> over to an XP OS installation, *regardless* of the file system employed
> on
> the latter. Hopefully he has the installation media for those programs
> and
> even more hopefully they will be compatible in an XP environment. As
> you can
> imagine that is not always the case with many programs that have been
> designed for a Win9x/Me OS.
> Anna
>
> Frank:
> I hope it is, but I'm not sure if any of the above is relevant or
> helpful to
> your situation.
> Anna

Hi Anna,

I was not aware that NTFS is a better format for larger (1 partition)
drives, my new one will have 200 gig so for sure I will follow your
advice and will leave things alone as it is bound to have been
formatted as NTFS (I hope). Probably I will buy a latest generation HDD
case that will take my old HDD (20 Mbytes) for fast data transfer to my
new Laptop and then I will use that case with a spare 20 Gig HDD for
backing up files. I wrote HP laptop but Toshiba Satellite high end
looks even better (bigger HDD).

Speaking of imaging, I would like to share this with the group: I have
Windows95 'imaged' on my laptop since 5 years using Connectix software
just because of an old DOS application with a bunch of data files that
won't run in the later Windows OS, so I run the Connectix Virtual PC in
WindowsXP that opens Windows95 just like in the old days (same sounds,
same effects) and then open the DOS application. Printing, file
transfer and screen dump is a hassle and it takes up a lot of space on
my HDD...but then nothing is perfect.

Frank




--
witteman
 >> Stay informed about: How do I move files to my new PC? 

"witteman" <witteman.2rutym.DeleteThis@pcbanter.net> wrote in message
news:witteman.2rutym@pcbanter.net...
> Hi Anna,
>
> I was not aware that NTFS is a better format for larger (1 partition)
> drives, my new one will have 200 gig so for sure I will follow your
> advice and will leave things alone as it is bound to have been
> formatted as NTFS (I hope). Probably I will buy a latest generation HDD
> case that will take my old HDD (20 Mbytes) for fast data transfer to my
> new Laptop and then I will use that case with a spare 20 Gig HDD for
> backing up files. I wrote HP laptop but Toshiba Satellite high end
> looks even better (bigger HDD).
>
> Speaking of imaging, I would like to share this with the group: I have
> Windows95 'imaged' on my laptop since 5 years using Connectix software
> just because of an old DOS application with a bunch of data files that
> won't run in the later Windows OS, so I run the Connectix Virtual PC in
> WindowsXP that opens Windows95 just like in the old days (same sounds,
> same effects) and then open the DOS application. Printing, file
> transfer and screen dump is a hassle and it takes up a lot of space on
> my HDD...but then nothing is perfect.
>
> Frank


Frank:
Just one thing...

Since your new laptop will be equipped with a 200 GB HDD, were I you, I
would be thinking in terms of obtaining a *much* larger HDD than your old 20
GB one to be used as a backup device, especially considering the relatively
inexpensive prices for large-capacity disks these days. I would guess that a
20 GB HDD would be woefully inadequate as a backup device in a USB or
Firewire exter