How do I move installed applications from Windows XP to Windows 7 when I don't have installation media?
Helping people with computers... one answer at a time.
When upgrading or moving to a new PC you'll probably need the installation media for your applications. Without it, things can get difficult.
At present I am using XP which I have backed up fully with Acronis. If I upgrade to Windows 7 or buy a new PC with Windows 7 will I be able to reinstall programs such as Office 2007 and Adobe PhotoShop CS3 from the Acronis back up as I no longer have the original discs.
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No.
A backup is not a replacement for installation media.
And given the approach that Microsoft is taking to the Windows XP to Windows 7 migration path, that may put you in a difficult position.
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If you're purchasing a new machine there's no simple solution to this problem. The fact is that you need to install the applications on the new system, and to do that you need the installation disks. The backup that you've taken is a backup of already installed applications, which cannot be used to install them elsewhere.
About the only hope I have for you is that there are tools, such as LapLink's PC-Mover which I'll discuss below, that claim to be able to move an installed application from one machine to another.
The upgrade path is equally difficult, though there are a couple of ugly additional options.
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Don't upgrade. If you rely on an application that you're not going to be able to install in Windows 7, then moving to Windows 7 may simply not be an option.
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Purchase another copy of the application, and this time retain the original installation media.
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Upgrade XP to Vista first. This is a real hack and I really don't recommend it since each upgrade step seems to add some system instability, but theoretically this works. Upgrade your XP system to Windows Vista, and then upgrade that Windows Vista system to Windows 7. Both of these have supported "upgrade" scenarios that would presumably leave your applications installed.
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Use a tool such as LapLink's PC Mover Upgrade Assistant. This software (which I have NOT evaluated) is advertised as allowing a direct XP to Windows 7 migration while preserving all your applications and settings. Note that this commercial software is currently priced at $30 per upgrade.
The long and short of it is that without installation media, any upgrade or any new machine purchase can be a problem. While there are potential approaches you might need to take sheerly out of necessity, the lesson here is that installation media and product keys are important, and should be kept in a safe place for as long as you might need the software.
Article C3901 - October 20, 2009
Leo A. Notenboom has been playing with computers since he
was required to take a programming class in 1976. An 18 year career as a programmer at Microsoft soon followed.
After "retiring" in 2001, Leo started Ask Leo! in 2003 as a place for answers
to common computer and technical questions. More about Leo.
You may consider to use WET (windows easy transfer) and PickMeApp: two free solutions to migrate from XP to Windows 7. WET may transfer your XP settings to Win 7 while portable PickMeApp tool may transfer programs from XP to Windows 7. PickMeApp claims to support unlimited number of programs.
Posted by: Appmen at February 1, 2011 8:10 AMIt would have been valuable to see a mention of connectivity requirements. Need I network them together or can I use a USB cable or a USB (flash) drive?
09-Feb-2011
Posted by: DCC at February 8, 2011 3:19 PM
My XP laptop is dying so I bought a new Desktop with WIN7 already installed. Now I find that most of the software that I have bought on CD/DVD will not work on Win7 - including OFFICE, of course, so I have to buy everything again. Basically, WIN7 is a monumental con, and I should have insisted on XP.
You buy a new house? You HAVE to buy all new furniture???
30-Aug-2011
Posted by: Robin Clay at August 30, 2011 11:19 AM
Oh, and I did use WET.... but my HAT it takes FOREVER !
I have a USB cable with crossover, and an Ethernet cable ditto, but neither seemed to work. How do they work? How do I GET them to work?
30-Aug-2011
Posted by: Robin Clay at August 30, 2011 11:23 AM
Thank you, Leo, for your response.
My other challenge is that my old MS-DOS programs that I have been using without (too many) problems since the 1980s won't run under WIN7.
"In the old days", there was a MS-DOS command that allowed you to specify what version of MS-DOS the program was to run under - seem to recall it was C:/version myprog.com or similar. But not anymore...
Any suggestions - please ?
02-Sep-2011