New PC setup without reinstalling everything?

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New PC setup without reinstalling everything?

I’m a MS VS developer, my current PC has lots of good programming tools and add-ons installed, and lots of other software, that I use everyday without a problem The PC is a couple of years old and my boss wants to buy me a new powerful PC model. This is great and all, but I’m afraid it’s going to take me days/weeks of time to rebuild my PC from scratch, and there’s got to be thousands of tweaks and program settings involved.

Is there a way to setup a New PC setup without reinstalling everything? Can I migrate over my entire Windows XP environment?

Any comments are appreciated.

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Concidering that the new PC will most likely come with Win 7, migrating may be difficult. The data should be no problem. Apps will require an install and you might need updated versions. My Win 7 machines were more like hours to customize and setup the way I wanted rather than days. A couple of sites to check are How To Geekwhich has hundreds of tips and tricks and Paul Thurrott’s Supersite.

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New PC setup without reinstalling everything?

I’m a MS VS developer, my current PC has lots of good programming tools and add-ons installed, and lots of other software, that I use everyday without a problem The PC is a couple of years old and my boss wants to buy me a new powerful PC model. This is great and all, but I’m afraid it’s going to take me days/weeks of time to rebuild my PC from scratch, and there’s got to be thousands of tweaks and program settings involved.

Is there a way to setup a New PC setup without reinstalling everything? Can I migrate over my entire Windows XP environment?

Any comments are appreciated.

John hello,
There is a way … However i have not personally done this but, i will relay the information to you.
1. Acronis True Image Home V 7046 ( disk Imaging software) I have and use this almost daily you can backup the entire HD , all APP’s and programs ,tweeks etc. all at the speed light (my approx 20GB systems image with verification in about 7 mins.) Cost of program is all over the map seen it as low as 10$USD
2. Acronis “PlusPack” V-7046 ( this is where i have not done this) can install your system to different hardware. I have this system installed ,but have not had an opportunity to try it yet (thank goodness)
3. The procedure is you install TI Home first then add “PlusPack” …. then image your original OS, then transfer the image to the new machine. My suggestion is go to Acronis Forum and read all links on PlusPack, also search the True Image Home forum as well.

Also i have heard about something called easy transfer (Windows App) …. i do not know if this is an option for you , but you should investigate the possibility. Check out the Acronis forum http://forum.acronis.com/ Regards Fred

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If it’s Windows 7 your moving to, roll up you sleeves and get to work. I don’t believe you will be able to do what you are asking.
If you plan to keep your XP os, it might be possible, might is the keyword, and there is no guaranty that it will be anything other
than problematic.

There is an ongoing thread that the OP is attempting to perform something similar:
Installing after a Mobo Upgrade, by RochelleP

A bit more clarification on what your planning to migrate XP to would be helpful.

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New PC setup without reinstalling everything?

I’m a MS VS developer, my current PC has lots of good programming tools and add-ons installed, and lots of other software, that I use everyday without a problem The PC is a couple of years old and my boss wants to buy me a new powerful PC model. This is great and all, but I’m afraid it’s going to take me days/weeks of time to rebuild my PC from scratch, and there’s got to be thousands of tweaks and program settings involved.

Is there a way to setup a New PC setup without reinstalling everything? Can I migrate over my entire Windows XP environment?

As long as you know that all your current programs will run on Windows 7, see Laplink® Software – PCmover – Automatically move PC applications to a new computer.

Joe

--Joe

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While it would be a bit of a shame to put xp on really fast new Hardware, yes it can be done easily tho not cheaply. ( I would suggest doing a dual boot of 7 and xp on the new machine till you get it all figured out but that is another lesson.)
Here is what i would do/have done. Buy ShadowProtect and downlaod the ISO recovery CD , this is what you will use to drop the XP image onto the new machine. DL the small setup .exe for install of ShadowP to XP.
This assumes the new machine has no OS on it, (if it has 7 preinstalled you will have to dual boot install of XP then drop YOUR image onto the partition where XP is on new machine. that i have not done so you will have to do some research on how to but it should be easy)

Install Storage crafts Shadowprotect on your old XP machine. License it. Image your OS with ShadowProtect from within windows or from CD , its no different outcome. I would suggest backing up/imaging to an external harddrive or USB key , its faster as well. Break up the image into DVD size peices if you want to burn it to dvd, i do that anyway.
Setup your new machine to boot from CD first and place SP Recovery CD in the drive. Shutdown and Connect the External hdd with your image to the new machine . Restart and boot from CD. Follow the Restore wizard and make sure you choose the HIR option, That is the Harware Independent Restore. THis will put your old XP onto new hardware without any of your old hardware ( HAL layer) information.
Reboot when finished and get ready to install all your drivers for the new machine, Motherboard, chipset, LAN video etc and Viola!! your all backup and running in no time. the backup will take anywhere form 10 to 20 minutes depending on your OS size ( in future always keep the OS partition small, 30 Gbs should do ) Restore will take about the same usually less.
I have used Acronis, Ghost and every other imaging softs out there and IMO SP is hands down the best there at this. As i said, it aint cheap but you get what you pay for here.
Enjoy.
s

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The first thing I would try is cloning your HD to the new machine’s HD, and boot up.

If you are lucky, XP will ask you for all the new drivers (and chipset, video, etc.), then probably want to be re-activated (too many new hardware flags!).

There is a way to delete all the hardware driver info in XP so it boots up ‘clean’, but I don’t know the procedure (it involved either deleting a system Directory, or a Registry branch).

Start with the simplest option?

I would say the ‘best’ option for the new PC is Win7 and freshly installed programs.

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Will, this is a possibility if he is going from Intel to Intel with only a motherboard change but in my experience doing this, unless its only a mobo change, you will get a blue screen. Yes it is possible to remove the HAL layer ( i love that acronym hehe ) deleting some of the above, if you have the time to putz with this, go ahead otherwise go with the sure thing guaranteed to save time and be 100% successful : imaging and doing an HIR.
hey your mileage may vary 🙂
s

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