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Move my old desktop to an external hard drive?
https://computerhaven.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=1422		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  homefire [ Wed Aug 17, 2016 7:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Move my old desktop to an external hard drive?
Our daughter is getting a new desktop computer for photo editing. I have been thinking lately that this *very old* desktop of ours needs to go, BUT it does have a great monitor. My solution, of course, was to offer her this one, thinking that when I do need to use the desktop, I can just plug in my laptop. After doing some research, it seems that is not really an option. Apparently, a laptop screen isn't made to be used as a monitor for another computer. (Why do my bright ideas never work out? :) )

So my next idea was to take this very old system...Vista, no less...and move all the stuff that I actually still use to an external drive, which I can then access from my laptop. So today I began going through things, cleaning up and preparing to move it all, and discovered why I haven't gotten rid of this computer before. I realized there are a few miscellaneous programs that I *do* still use occasionally--a couple of music notation programs, a calendar program that I use to make personalized calendars for our families every Christmas, etc. None of them were hugely expensive, but enough that I don't really want to buy them again. So I am wondering if there is any possible way to transfer them so that I can still use them.

Or is this just another one of my bright ideas that isn't likely to work out? :roll:
Author:  MacDuffie [ Wed Aug 17, 2016 10:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Move my old desktop to an external hard drive?
Mmmm, yes. Not going to work. You can't transfer programs, and your old versions may have trouble with a newer operating system. You can always try to install them, if you have installation media; however, I wouldn't, I would get upgraded versions if available. The main reason being security.
Author:  jaylach [ Wed Aug 17, 2016 10:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Move my old desktop to an external hard drive?
To add to what Patty said there ARE cases where you can copy the install folder for a program from one system to another and it will work but it will still be handicapped. The issue tends to be that you cannot associate any file types associated with the program due to the fact that Windows does not 'know' that the program exists; the registry entries for the program are missing.
Author:  homefire [ Thu Aug 18, 2016 10:28 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Move my old desktop to an external hard drive?
Okay. I was afraid of that. :/

Thanks so much for your help!
Author:  MacDuffie [ Thu Aug 18, 2016 11:44 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Move my old desktop to an external hard drive?
Your statement is a bit misleading, Jay. The only programs you can copy and run are standalone executables - programs that don't install. That is clearly not what is being talked about here.
Author:  jaylach [ Thu Aug 18, 2016 12:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Move my old desktop to an external hard drive?
Just about any of the 'small games' that you get for $10.00 through on-line arcades can be copied and moved between systems.

The install disk for my favorite web editing software, Macromedia's Dreamweaver 8, got fatally damaged and since Adobe now owns Dreamweaver I can't get it replaced. On a hope I copied the install directory to optical and that is how I now install the thing. I just copy the finished install from the optical drive to the new system. On the first run it just asks for a product key and runs fine.

DVD Shrink 3.2 works fine when done with a simple copy/paste of an existing install bypassing the installer to the point that it will even run if copied to a flash drive.

There are many examples.
Author:  MacDuffie [ Thu Aug 18, 2016 2:46 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Move my old desktop to an external hard drive?
Nonetheless, these were not being talked about here.
Author:  jaylach [ Thu Aug 18, 2016 3:29 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Move my old desktop to an external hard drive?
MacDuffie wrote:
Nonetheless, these were not being talked about here.

Very true and the point remains that one just is not going to be successful trying to copy over a system full of programs.
Author:  MacDuffie [ Fri Aug 19, 2016 11:44 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Move my old desktop to an external hard drive?
Yes. The other point being that, generally speaking, you aren't going to want to run very old programs in today's security environment - unless they have no internet access, in which case they would likely be safe.
Author:  Acadia [ Fri Aug 19, 2016 1:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Move my old desktop to an external hard drive?
MacDuffie wrote:
Yes. The other point being that, generally speaking, you aren't going to want to run very old programs in today's security environment - unless they have no internet access, in which case they would likely be safe.

Don't you just love the simplicity of these computer thingies. Even in a forum meant for newbies it gets insane and it is nobody's fault, it is technologies fault, well, what those directing you for their profit are using. Is it no wonder that so many people get hacked? If MS, Apple, anyone! can create a simple system that simply works, without 20-gazillion security updates needed every month, I will put my entire retirement savings into that company!

We deserve better than this, at least I would like to think we do, unless these companies are simply reflecting the planet's consciousness, in that case we get what we deserve. And please understand that I am just not only slam dunking MS on this, I even tried Linux, and Linux sucked just as bad security wise despite what they claim, and Apple too.

Acadia
Author:  MacDuffie [ Fri Aug 19, 2016 6:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Move my old desktop to an external hard drive?
It's true, Acadia. Microsoft is likely better than the rest.
Author:  homefire [ Sat Aug 20, 2016 11:21 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Move my old desktop to an external hard drive?
Acadia wrote:
Don't you just love the simplicity of these computer thingies. Even in a forum meant for newbies it gets insane and it is nobody's fault, it is technologies fault, well, what those directing you for their profit are using. Is it no wonder that so many people get hacked? If MS, Apple, anyone! can create a simple system that simply works, without 20-gazillion security updates needed every month, I will put my entire retirement savings into that company!


Acadia


AMEN to that!!
Author:  jaylach [ Sat Aug 20, 2016 6:27 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Move my old desktop to an external hard drive?
The odd thing is that connections and speed have changed but, in general, there isn't really anything that you can do today that you could not do 10-15 years ago but the size and complexity of an operating system has become insane.
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