Thicko Question: I want to ...

DevilGoesDown2Bristol

Just a word of warning... Under no circumstances attempt to clone your old PC's operating system drive and transfer it to a new PC. Your seven-year-old OS and hardware drivers will simply crash in an ungodly mess when you put them on a new motherboard and chipset. Not only that, but you'll have overwritten the new operating system installation that will presumably come with your new PC!

Use File and Settings transfer, for sure, but as diable has already pointed out, you'll need the original installation disks/downloads in order to install your programs on the new base unit.

Jaffa.

Aspiring wrote: »

... buy a new desktop PC (just the base, not the peripherals) and transfer some of the programs from the PC I use now to the new PC.

I have a Seagate external drive (can't remember the size, but it's huge compared to the stats of my PC), which I have used to backup my current PC and I wondered if the information I have "backed up" would be enough for simply transferring the information/programs I want to a new PC? Did it back up the programs automatically, or was I meant to do something specifically to back those up?
Thank you.

Your programs will need to be re-installed from the internet or CD (e.g. iTunes and Microsoft Office). Note though that Office and other programs that require a product key may not work on your new computer as you have registered them to the old computer. For office XP/2003/2007 You may need to telephone Microsoft and explain to them that you would like to move your licence to a new computer.

Jaffa.

penrhyn wrote: »

OK If its a live box then you just have to swap over the Ethernety cable (f)to your new PC and it should just work.



Whoops I've gone French.

If B is ADSL filters, whats D :huh:

-TangleFoot-

Jaffa. wrote: »

If B is ADSL filters, whats D :huh:

Looks suspiciously like a splitter to me...

Aspiring

Great information, thank you.

diable wrote: »

You will transfer over your profile which should include My Documents etc etc etc but it will not copy your programs over and you will need your original software disks to install them on to your new PC.

The software that I wish to use on the new PC, I still have the original disks for. (Adobe Photoshop etc)

The downloaded programs I have paid for (and a couple of freebies) which came from the internet, I have located the emails with the relevant information on them. (ie McAfee)

I will have to use the operating system that comes with the new PC (which will be Vista), I understand that. Pity, because I prefer XP to Vista.

DevilGoesDown2Bristol - thank you (love your username ) Good point about overwriting the OS.

Jaffa - I won't be using my current version of Office on the new PC; I've recently purchased a newer version which, if it's not already on the PC, I will install