Need Big Time Help!!!!

[Cajuncowboy]

I have two programs on my laptop that were installed with a CD ROm. I no longer have the CDs but I nned to transfer the programs to my Desk Top pc.

How do I do this? I really appreciate any help ya'll can give me.

 

[GTaylor]

What were the programs?

 

[Meat-O-Rama]

Long story short, it's unlikely you'll be able to transfer the programs from one to the other. When you install software in Windows, it doesn't just copy the files to your computer, it also creates a group of settings that tell the program how to behave. This is true for all but the simplest of programs, and merely copying the files from one computer to another liekly won't get it done.

 

[the kid 05]

have you tried going to the software developers website? i go to www.yahoo.com to get their web browser because i lost the cd, maybe the same will work for you?

 

[Seven]

Long story short, it's unlikely you'll be able to transfer the programs from one to the other. When you install software in Windows, it doesn't just copy the files to your computer, it also creates a group of settings that tell the program how to behave. This is true for all but the simplest of programs, and merely copying the files from one computer to another liekly won't get it done.

What about "lap link" software? I've used it before. It was awhile ago but it worked from laptop to laptop. Windows 98 OS. What do you think?

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Can you ghost a PC Hard drive onto a regular hard drive?

I am not sure with laptop to pc, I know you would at the very least have to do some driver updates and such, and maybe it would not be worth your time, but could be a be all end all solution.

That or find someone else that has the CD programs and borrow them.

 

[Yeagermeister]

Can you ghost a PC Hard drive onto a regular hard drive?

I am not sure with laptop to pc, I know you would at the very least have to do some driver updates and such, and maybe it would not be worth your time, but could be a be all end all solution.

That or find someone else that has the CD programs and borrow them.

If you ghost the laptop odds are windows won't load because the drivers won't load correctly. You'll get the old BSOD.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

If you ghost the laptop odds are windows won't load because the drivers won't load correctly. You'll get the old BSOD.

Well I don't know about Laptop vs PC that is what would worry me as I just don't know.

However if two PCs are running the same OS and Filing system, more times than not they will load windows but it will go through the finding new hardware setup where you can load the new drivers.

PC and Laptop may be just too different for it to work, plus the whole different chip set may not work.

 

[iceberg]

there's not that big a difference between the laptop and the pc itself. they all have a bios, processor, usb ports, and all that. if you tried to copy the entire drive over you'd have mixed results whether you did it pc to pc, or laptop to pc. (or any other way). most of the time it will simply see new drivers and keep installing them and rebooting till you're done. not really recommended but you can always transfer it over *then* install windows on top of itself and hope. if it flakes out be prepared to format and start over.

but as was pointed out early on - install programs do so much more than copy files.

look in the folder itself to see what's there and if you see a "setup.inf" file then you can open it up and look at all the reg changes it makes during the install and where it places all the files. you could use that as a guide to ensure you copy things over properly and to the right places, but even then you'd have to export the reg keys and import them to the new machine - which is easier than doing it manually.

if you registered the programs, then do as someone else suggested, go to their site and ask for a replacement cd. if you didn't, you may be SOL.

 

[Yeagermeister]

Well I don't know about Laptop vs PC that is what would worry me as I just don't know.

However if two PCs are running the same OS and Filing system, more times than not they will load windows but it will go through the finding new hardware setup where you can load the new drivers.

PC and Laptop may be just too different for it to work, plus the whole different chip set may not work.

It doesn't matter if it's a laptop or desktop. I have taken the hard drive out one machine and put it in another and it won't load windows but like you said sometimes it can work. In 98 pc it doesn't matter but a 2k or XP is where you can have problems.

 

[Yeagermeister]

there's not that big a difference between the laptop and the pc itself. they all have a bios, processor, usb ports, and all that. if you tried to copy the entire drive over you'd have mixed results whether you did it pc to pc, or laptop to pc. (or any other way). most of the time it will simply see new drivers and keep installing them and rebooting till you're done. not really recommended but you can always transfer it over *then* install windows on top of itself and hope. if it flakes out be prepared to format and start over.

but as was pointed out early on - install programs do so much more than copy files.

look in the folder itself to see what's there and if you see a "setup.inf" file then you can open it up and look at all the reg changes it makes during the install and where it places all the files. you could use that as a guide to ensure you copy things over properly and to the right places, but even then you'd have to export the reg keys and import them to the new machine - which is easier than doing it manually.

if you registered the programs, then do as someone else suggested, go to their site and ask for a replacement cd. if you didn't, you may be SOL.

I never register programs unless I have no choice and then I use my boss' email address.

 

[GTaylor]

I never register programs unless I have no choice and then I use my boss' email address.

This is your boss, you're fired

j/k - regarding e-mail addresses used, let's just say for my sake I hope I never meet up with the bloke who uses happy@aol.com because happy at me he ain't

 

[Yeagermeister]

This is your boss, you're fired

j/k - regarding e-mail addresses used, let's just say for my sake I hope I never meet up with the bloke who uses happy@aol.com because happy at me he ain't

I use leaveme@alone.com :laugh1:

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

It doesn't matter if it's a laptop or desktop. I have taken the hard drive out one machine and put it in another and it won't load windows but like you said sometimes it can work. In 98 pc it doesn't matter but a 2k or XP is where you can have problems.

I think the problems with those different OS is the filing systems.

Fat16 and Fat32 can be so so but if you switch between those two and NTFS it can really mess it up and you do indeed get a bootloop and or BSOD.