If I move a hard disk from my old machine to my new one, can I just run my old applications from it?
Helping people with computers... one answer at a time.
Moving data from an old machine to a new is relatively easy. Moving programs to your new machine typically requires a reinstall of the application.
If I buy a new PC with Windows 7 can I then install my old hard drive as a slave and access and run programs installed on it such as PhotoShop CS3 and Microsoft Office 2007?
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Yes, no, maybe and most likely not.
I'm sorry to be that vague, but the answer isn't always clear (though it is for the two programs you mention).
It's a common desire, and a common question. I'll look at the scenarios where it works, and where and why it does not.
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One common, very common, and quite valid approach to moving data from an old machine to a new is to take the old machine's hard drive and install it as a second drive in the new. Sometimes you'll hear this referred to as a "slave" drive, which is actually an artifact of the IDE or PATA hard drive interface, and fairly immaterial.
The bottom line is that the old drive appears as nothing more than a second drive - often drive "D:" - in the new machine.
Another alternative is to take the old drive and place it into an external USB enclosure, and connect the drive to your new computer - or any computer for that matter - using the USB interface. Once again, the old hard disk simply appears as another drive and another drive letter on your new machine.
This is great for accessing data. Everything that was on the old machine's hard drive is typically just there - ready to be accessed, albeit via a different drive letter.
Programs, however, are another matter.
While all the files that comprise a program are also visible on the old hard drive, the applications may or may not work.
A good rule of thumb is: if the program required a setup program to install in the old system, then simply moving the drive will not allow that program to run in the new.
Put another way: if it needed a setup program before, it'll need a setup program again.
The problem is actually fairly simple - many programs, including programs like PhotoShop or Office, rely on configuration and registry settings that are made within the operating system, and occasionally elsewhere. Without having run setup, those settings are not in place, and the programs will not run.
Occasionally there are programs - typically smaller, downloadable utilities - that don't require a setup at all, or automatically perform their own setup if they detect that it's needed. These programs can be run from just about anywhere.
But most significant applications, especially suites like Office or PhotoShop, don't fall anywhere close to that category.
As an aside, there are applications that, for a fee, will move software from one machine to another as well as entire installed systems including both the operating system and all installed software from one machine to another. I've no direct experience with them, but PC-Mover by LapLink is getting some press these days.
Personally, I'm a huge fan of taking a new machine as a point at which to start with a clean slate, and reinstall, from scratch, only those programs I actually use.
That's why it's so important to keep your installation disks and product keys. Not only for backup should your own hard disk or computer die, but for the day when you want to upgrade to a completely different machine.
You'll need to reinstall those applications from scratch from their original media before you can use them.
Article C3940 - December 3, 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.
Had a problem with my pc requiring a new machine so I bought a new Windows 7 machine last week. Had my old C drive installed as E in new machine. I use Adobe CS2 for work. Had disks, appropriate key etc. & tried to install them, but Adobe would not activate the program. Checked help & boards on Adobe site & determined that they no longer support CS2 & are trying to force a purchase of CS4. Found the prior application on my now E drive (old drive), set up a shortcut to old program for InDesign, Photoshop etc and am working away for the last week. Reading your comments above makes me nervous. Will this routine suddenly crap out & I am left high & dry in the middle of a major project, thus having to scramble & lay out $1600 to replace a program I own and should be able to work with? I guess my ? is not important, I'm just venting about how rude Adobe is in this and also want to let you know that, in my case, I am running Photoshop etc. from a slave drive. Perhaps it is because I tried to install originally on new C drive and therefore set up necessary registry items?
Posted by: Bill Byer at December 8, 2009 3:19 PMAll good points. Using the old HD as a 'new' slave is a reasonable idea except for a couple of considerations:
1. It may be near the end of its life - HDDs do have an effective lifespan.
2. It will almost definitely be much smaller than the HD on your new computer and may not be able to cope with all the new and future info you'll possibly want to store. Videos and music are the big disk fillers now.
Furthermore, don't forget it has one huge, capacity-hogging directory that is no longer required - the old operating system. BUT, you can't just simply find the directory called 'Windows' and blow it away. If only computing life were that simple. Far better to have done a proper backup before getting the new computer and restoring all that data to the new one. That way it's only transferring the necessary docs, pics, music, spreadsheets, etc. and NOT .dll's etc. etc.
Then, no matter if you're going to re-use that disc or pass it on to somebody or leave it at the tip, you should PROPERLY erase all the old disc. I don't just mean 'erase'; you need to use DBAN NUKE or some similar 'heavy metal' application to WIPE the old drive. (BTW, DBAN is a free application - Linux based of course - that is quite easy to use by running it from a Live CD). It's pretty rare for me to not receive a computer that has stuff on it that the owner wouldn't want the world to see.
As an IT tech guy, I can assure you that computer change-over time is a great time to develop better housekeeping habits but it's also a time that some tragic mistakes can be made if proper backups aren't done first. And of course, the old advice applies, make sure you can restore everything from that backup before you do anything else.
I'll bet the guy (they're always guys LOL) at the computer store didn't explain all this as he wrote up the sale.
Posted by: David at December 8, 2009 3:25 PMMy question is slightly different from the others. My machine is only 3 months old and is running Vista 64. I have a lot of apps and files installed on it, and don't want to do a clean install and lose my Vista environment. If I buy another hard drive and use it to do a clean install of Windows 7 on it, how exactly do I go about making it a dual boot system? Should it be controlled by the new drive with 7 on it, or should I use the old drive with Vista on it to control the boot process? In either case how exactly do I go about doing that (making a dual boot system). Sorry about taking so long to ask for what is probably a simple answer :)
Larry
Posted by: Larry Medoff at December 8, 2009 4:56 PMHas anyone come up with the definitive last word in upgrading an XP to WIN-7? I started reading 6 hours ago but everyone has a slightly different version of what will work best without doing a total clean install.
HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!
20-Dec-2009
>>Another alternative is to take the old drive >>and place it into an external USB enclosure, ...
I've done that - even though all my old files are on the HD, I can't access them due to Windows 7 file permissions. Is there a simplistic command I can execute to change all file permissions on the ext hard drive so I can finally access them? Thanks in advance for your time and response.
Posted by: Shelly at February 13, 2010 7:08 AM