The Computer Buzz

May 15th, 2008

Nome and Paul Van Middlesworth - owners - The Computer Factory
 

Transitioning To Your New PC

Home and business users who purchase a new PC to replace an older system are often faced with the need to transfer important files from the old PC's hard drive to the hard drive of the new one. There are several ways to accomplish this task. Choosing the best way for your particular circumstance may take a little forethought.

You cannot simply clone your old hard drive to the hard drive in the new computer and expect it to work. Your old operating system has all the bus and device drivers for the old computer but none for the new PC. Trying to delete the old drivers and install the new ones using the old computer's operating system is a tedious and risky venture. We only attempt this process under extreme circumstances. An example might be where a very expensive applications program (perhaps worth several thousand dollars) had been installed on the old hard drive and the original installation discs or license was lost. Under these circumstances it would be worth the risk and effort to attempt to use a "cloned" hard drive.

If the user has the applications program discs and product keys (licenses) for his software, transferring data files is fairly simple. The user first installs the desired applications programs on the new PC (i.e.: QuickBooks, ACT, Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook, Family Tree Maker, etc). Then files can be copied from the old computer in several ways. One method would be to copy the data files from the old PC onto media (CD, DVD, Floppy, Tape, ZIP Drive, external hard drive etc) and use the media to copy files into the new PC.
Another method would be to network the old and new systems together in a LAN (local area network) and copy files between them.

We often simply install the hard drive from the old PC as a slave drive in the new computer. Then the files can be copied to the new drive or simply allowed to remain in storage on the old drive within the new computer. The downside is that it leaves the old computer without a hard drive.

The method we most often use is as follows: First we clean up the old drive to be sure there is no malware lurking inside. Then we copy the entire contents of the old drive into a folder named "old data" on the new hard drive. When the applications software is installed in the new drive, the data files in the "old data" folder become accessible. When all the data is retrieved, the "old data" folder can be deleted.

It is important to remember that programs will not transfer from one drive to another, only data. No matter what method you use to save your old files, you will always need to reinstall all of your applications software including your ISP, Printers, scanners and camera drivers.

It is usually not possible to set up a new computer to look, feel and act exactly like your beloved old PC. Be flexible. Some changes are for the better.