PC Personality Clone: It's Ethical, It Works, But Is It Enough?

[RedBoot]

Hey, I know these guy's at SaberData-

I agree the article lacks some important details, the main point is that this product is designed to be plug and play and has the driver software in flash memory so you don't need to install anything.

Also, there seems to be a misunderstanding about what it does. It clones from one OS to another OS (different type or revision) or to different hardware. So it's different from an image restore (ghost).

It's really for consumers who can't get PC's to talk together and know nothing about how to move user accounts, emails, network settings and stuff like that. And, also for people who know about computers but don't want to waste moving all the stuff over. Maybe not for pro's who work this stuff every day.

As for application migration, the registry merge stuff from alohabob (bought by microsoft & taken off the market) is very dangerous in that all the bad DLL's and applications you don't want get copied so you may end up slowing down a clean PC or causing some funky stuff to happen.

Anybody that's ever tried the Microsoft wizard may have some sore points about it. Some of which are moving out of Win98 to XP and systems that have multiple accounts.

There was a very technical review of the PC Personality Clone product features by Mike Maxwell (www.pctechweekly.com) or take a listen at www.saberdata.com

 

[ir_efrem]

straight from Saber Data...

Effortlessly move all your
Contacts and Address Books
Email & Account settings
Calendars and Appointments
Pictures, Music & Video's
Favorites and Bookmarks
Internet Connection Settings
Printer, Network and Wireless settings
Microsoft Office Settings and Templates
Favorite Background & Display Settings
Shortcuts and Task Manager Settings
Hundreds of Applications Settings...
And Much..Much More!

some one please, anyone??, why do you need to pay for more activation codes to transfer more info from other computers...

 

[RedBoot]

As I understand it, it takes some pretty hefty scripts to get application settings to work between different operating systems. It could take a while to figure out what revisions needed what files in what directories. If application file extensions changed names or, if user data and template file extensions or names change from Win98 to WinXP. Sure, it can be done by hand, or I guess you can write or search for scripts to do it but I would rather just pay the $69 bucks and have a martini by the pool instead!

So why are application scripts even necessary?? Here is why; have you ever upgraded an application to a new version (Office 2000-Office 2003) just to find out that your tool bars and templates got all messed up and you can find anything that used to work. I know, I've spent hours finding stuff that got moved! I hate wasting time like that. Most of the time Microsoft has hidden it or consolidated to a new function? So by using scripts that put everything back the way I like it I don't get as frustrated.

 

[zenmaster]

This product, however, will not handle those issue.
You will still need a drink. Maybe two.

This simply copies your profile information.
Even this is not guarenteed if you use things such as EFS or other security measures.

It does not handle the application issues.

This is clearly pointed out in the article among the things it does not handle. In fact it is beyond a resonable scope to have the prodcut reconfigure settings from O2K to OK23 if those settings were not designed by MS to be shared and compatible.

What it will do is copy the information in the %user_profile% director and much of the info in the user.dat file in your profile.

Howerver, if it does not transfer alot of other low level security information, much encrypted data in your profile will not be accessible.

It would copy your O2K3 settings to another PC with O2K3. It would not translate O2K settings to O2K3 settings on another machine. O2K3, however, may read some of the O2K settings and use thos.
(Note: Most of those settings are not stored in the same location.)

 

[RedBoot]

Just for the fun of it I made a call to SaberData and asked that question.

They gave (emailed) me the example for the Palm Desktop Organizer application settings migration scripts between two computers with different OS's;
Here is a short excerpt
1) Check for version key's (Palm Desktop 3.1 vs. 4.0 etc)
2) Check for earlier versions prior to 3.0.x if true do #3 & #4
3) Read/store/Apply General Settings kept in the Registry
4) Read/Store/Apply General per user settings kept in Users application folders
5) Check for Version 4.1.4 if true
6) If true install Directory as Palm version dependent
7) etc..

I think you get the idea. The email they sent me goes on but it looks to me like the scripts are very comprehensive. I wouldn't want to figure all this version stuff out myself. But I would expect my Palm directories to look and work the same.

And yes, your right, it's about time to have those drinks.