When buying a new PC, I have always manually installed everything I needed, from old to new, installing software from original sources. Is there a free better, automatic way to do it than this?
Just bought a new Win10 PC - transfer of old to new?
- Thread starter Harry Bloomfield
- Start date
Short answer, no, there isn't an easier way for single PCs.
Organisations with a large number of computers will create a standard image with the operating system and relevant applications, and then write the image to new computers instead of installing things one by one. They also use deployment servers to automate the roll out of new applications and settings to existing machines. For anything fewer than 50 clients, this is probably more trouble than it's worth. It's certainly isn't time or cost-effective for single machines.
Organisations with a large number of computers will create a standard image with the operating system and relevant applications, and then write the image to new computers instead of installing things one by one. They also use deployment servers to automate the roll out of new applications and settings to existing machines. For anything fewer than 50 clients, this is probably more trouble than it's worth. It's certainly isn't time or cost-effective for single machines.
When I bought my new PC the company took my old machine and transferred all my files across to the new machine at no cost.
They offer this service to anyone buying a computor from them.
They offer this service to anyone buying a computor from them.
I have had this Acer so long, I have almost forgotten how to begin manually setting one up from scratch and transferring files across.
Mis-read requirment - OP looking for app transfer not data - pls ignore my below suggestions.
A few options listed here:
https://www.windowscentral.com/how-transfer-your-data-old-pc-new-pc
But I use an external hard drive (that I then keep safe) as means I have all the data backed up in case new computer crashed.
Jump to:
A few options listed here:
https://www.windowscentral.com/how-transfer-your-data-old-pc-new-pc
But I use an external hard drive (that I then keep safe) as means I have all the data backed up in case new computer crashed.
Jump to:
- 1. Use OneDrive to transfer your data
- 2. Use an external hard drive to transfer your data
- 3. Use a transfer cable to transfer your data
- 4. Use PCmover to transfer your data
- 5. Use Macrium Reflect to clone your hard drive
- 6. Use Nearby sharing instead of HomeGroup
- 7. Use Flip Transfer for quick, free sharing
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I see a few good suggestions on how to move files across, but OP's original question was how to reinstall applications. That has to be done manually.
I rather thought/hoped the process had improved since the last time I bought a new PC - what I hoped for was just run a process and the new would be setup exactly as my old was, with everything in place. I thought that was what PCworld claimed to be able to do?
I have borrowed the USB disk from the TV and I'm copying old onto that. I'll copy the entire contents from that into a new folder on the new, then begin the long job of reinstalling all the apps, then the data. All I have on the new at the moment, is the Win10 OS and Firefox, which has picked up all the bookmarks and logins from my old laptop.
Harry - never used - but this might be what you are looking for to transfer apps:
https://www.zinstall.com/
Ouch, just seen the price of US$119 - too rich for me for a once every few years opertation.
However the advantage (for me) of using pencil and paper and making notes of what apps you need to install is that I find that I get rid of all the old software that I do not use.
Note that I make my list by pressing Control Alt Delete and making a scree dump of the running apps.
Don't forget to save and tranfer your Browser bookmarks, remembering you might be using more than one (most allow you to login and transfer automatcially).
SFK
https://www.zinstall.com/
Ouch, just seen the price of US$119 - too rich for me for a once every few years opertation.
However the advantage (for me) of using pencil and paper and making notes of what apps you need to install is that I find that I get rid of all the old software that I do not use.
Note that I make my list by pressing Control Alt Delete and making a scree dump of the running apps.
Don't forget to save and tranfer your Browser bookmarks, remembering you might be using more than one (most allow you to login and transfer automatcially).
SFK
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Same here - I close my eyes to the security and to the data mining opportunities they have with my doing that.
C
Captain Nemesis
You cant simply transfer all the executables, DLL files, registry entries etc, not only are the folder structures different, they just aint going to work anyway.
Reinstalling may not work either - the versions you were running might not work on W10.
What you can do from now on, to make life easier next time, is when you install something off the internet, instead of just installing on the fly, download the installation file(s) and save them. Create a set of folders with a meaningful structure, and then you can transfer all that to a new PC and quickly begin the process of re-installing, or trying-to-reinstall-and-then-downloading-the-latest-version.
Ive got a C:\SOFTWARE folder, and in there folders such as
BROWSERS
BROWSER ADD-ONS
EMAIL
IMAGE VIEWERS
VIDEO
.
.
Any of those could have folder structures under them, e.g. there's
BROWSERS\FIREFOX\
BROWSERS\OPERA\
VIDEO\EDITORS\
VIDEO\PLAYERS\
VIDEO\PLAYERS\GOM\
VIDEO\PLAYERS\QUICKTIME\
As for all your files, just restore them from the latest backup
Or if youre trashing the old PC, get a USB HDD enclosure and stick the old HDD in it.
Reinstalling may not work either - the versions you were running might not work on W10.
What you can do from now on, to make life easier next time, is when you install something off the internet, instead of just installing on the fly, download the installation file(s) and save them. Create a set of folders with a meaningful structure, and then you can transfer all that to a new PC and quickly begin the process of re-installing, or trying-to-reinstall-and-then-downloading-the-latest-version.
Ive got a C:\SOFTWARE folder, and in there folders such as
BROWSERS
BROWSER ADD-ONS
IMAGE VIEWERS
VIDEO
.
.
Any of those could have folder structures under them, e.g. there's
BROWSERS\FIREFOX\
BROWSERS\OPERA\
VIDEO\EDITORS\
VIDEO\PLAYERS\
VIDEO\PLAYERS\GOM\
VIDEO\PLAYERS\QUICKTIME\
As for all your files, just restore them from the latest backup
Or if youre trashing the old PC, get a USB HDD enclosure and stick the old HDD in it.