Surviving the Laptop Upgrade Wars

[garydale]

Another good reason to go Linux. Licenses aren't usually an issue and you don't need specialized software to copy things. The last time I had to copy a system, it was a simple disk-to-disk copy followed a couple of equally simple software tweaks (the new hardware was detected correctly, but it didn't remove the old NIC driver, so the new NIC showed up as eth1 and I wanted it to be eth0).

If the author had been running XP instead of Vista, the post-SP2 patches alone would have taken hours to install - especially with the multiple reboots XP demands. A complete Linux install, with all the extra software you need to run, takes far less time than an XP install.

 

[Guest]

let me get this straight....you expected to be able to effectively create an image of an old laptop and drop it on a new one without problems?

The backup utility isn't designed for upgrades, it's designed for recovery, and it does a decent job of doing that. What you are asking is impossible, for a myriad of reasons.

Also, as a sidenote, for anyone looking into those Toshiba tablets, don't. I got one in for a VIP client at work the other day, and they are absolutely horrible. The Lenovo ones are FAR nicer.

 

[Guest]

If you have ever worked with computers before in your life you know that it is not possible to take the harddrive out of one windows computer and put it into an newer one and expect it to do anything other than continuously reboot. THIS HAPPENS BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO DRIVERS. Even when going from Vista to Vista you still don't have the drivers that you need for the computer to boot.
I have a suggestion for you.... try UBUNTU or one of it's derivatives.(like KUBUNTU) You can create an image of the disk that you could transfer to the new laptop.
Honestly Toms, is this the most knowledgeable person you have? I'll come work for you and write things that actually make sense.

 

[Guest]

Buy a Mac.
Steve is a real good guy.

 

[Guest]

I'm done with laptop upgrades - or general system upgrades - now. I mean, really, really done.
What do I do? I backup the /home partition and the list of packages I have installed on my system. Then I install a new, fresh, up-to-date minimal system on the new drive, set up the repositories, and add my previous softwares from the backed up package list (if there were updates done, they are applied transparently).
Then, I restore the /home directory (a direct, disk to disk copy will do), check the file ownership flags to be sure everything is right (if I was dumb enough to backup the files without using something to keep file ownership permissions), and log in happily: application settings are restored, my files are in place, system and apps have the latest patches and upgrades installed, and I can start using them right away (indeed, since I haven't needed to reboot ever since the 'base system install' step).

Yes, I've done that several times. No, I never had problems worse than a few apps settings lost when there was an app upgrade done during the move. Yes, everything is indeed restored (even the 5 years old score sheet for a game installed once in 2003, wiped since then, and reinstalled this time around 'just to see'.

Oh, sorry: you're talking about Windows, right? I wonder how people can stand working with a system that has you jumping through hoops to perform what a computer is best suited to do: a data copy.

Yes, I have a Windows around: snug inside its VM image, I can move it around as easily as you'd move a file - it IS a file.

 

[Guest]

The best part was this:

"to be sure my backup was good, I wiped Vista off the Portégé?s hard drive and restored from the backup. Worked like a charm."

Way to go testing backups!

 

[Guest]

This has been entertaining reading. Highly inaccurate, but intertaining.

I have personally moved multiple Vista installations across multiple platforms (AMD, INTEL, chipsets, etc.). My only recourse on boot up is "Click here to activate" followed by "Thank you for activating...".

For the authors sake, please take the following steps and never worry about it again:

1) Acquire GEU (aka Geubuntu) or OpenSUSE
2) Install OS from step 1 with minimal GNOME install
3) During step 2, Create partition with 90% of disk space and set aside
4) Install VMware Server
5) Create new VM
6) Install OS, Apps, etc. or restore image.
7) Move image from machine to machine and never worry again...

 

[Guest]

As an independent IT guy, I factor in the cost of upgrading them to a new laptop. Most of my clients hate laptops and rightfully so, because of the potential nightmares. Let's face it, this is the world according the the shareholder, not the consumer (or company) who shells the money out to keep them able to produce more and more difficulty for the end user to transition.

 

[McBanjo]

You need a Mac. Badly.

 

[eskimo68]

For the last five years I've used the same simple approach.
I use a really old win2000 license to keep things going (full system backups) and have installed everything else into a VMware virtual machine. Thus, setting up a new computer takes max 2 hours + copying the 60G image, after which everything is running smoothly, no piracy involved.
And the best thing is, I can pop that virtual machine into my pocket and set it up somewhere else as needed (yearly poker night, I bring the jukebox in my pocket sort of thing). Not quite sure about the legality here but the virtual machine is used in one place at any time and that's good enough for my morale.
Whatever Windows coming with the machine is good enough for the games as that's the only thing that can't be run well enough under a virtual machine.

 

[spiralsun1]

OK, my big running problem is with a perfectly legit hard drive upgrade from a tiny 40GB to an 80GB hard drive on my Compaq R3000Z -- even that does not work! I bought an EZ gig hard-drive upgrade kit and the drive about a year ago. After struggling with that for months, and contacting Compaq and doing what they said.... NOTHING. It is the FIRST TIME in my long computer career that I am completely stymied. I gave up. Anyone should be able to upgrade their hard drive at any time, right? Are you with me here? At this point in my life, I am hating compaq. I loved the laptop until this. Now, I will NEVER buy another Compaq or HP laptop.

 

[spiralsun1]

OMG, I just want to install a larger hard drive and have been pulling out my hair for over a year, yes-A YEAR, with absolutely no luck. I was using EZ gig 2 upgrade software and kit that is supposed to make it a breeze. Right. I don't have the disks with the software on them, they did not come with the laptop (Compaq R3000Z). I'm screwed. I will never buy another Compaq / HP product EVER.

 

[Guest]

That is why I tend to use Portable Applications even on my own PC's. Migrating to a new PC for me is virtually painless. Install the OS, maybe Office if you like that, and then just create shortcuts to the Portable Applications.

Another plus is the fact that Portable Apps don't use the registry so this stays nice and clean.

 

[1369ic]

What you need is a similar scheme to what some people do in Linux. Use a separate home partition for your files and make a separate partition (/usr/local ) for your user-installed programs. Then you can wipe your root drive and install a new system, or simply copy your /home and /usr/local to the new machine. There may be the odd configuration file that needs to get copied over by hand, but you can figure that out by firing up each program once and plopping a few things on a thumb drive. Of course, I understand Windows throws files all over the hard drive when you install a big program like Office or Photoshop, so it might not be possible in Vista. So, just as a fall back, run Linux in the first place and get by that problem, and the whole "users are pirates" mentality to boot.

 

[Guest]

I totally support this!

 

[anhe64]

yup. one of the reasons I still prefer a PC over a laptop. The only thing you can upgrade on a laptop is add some more memory and then you hit the new laptop nightmare. Bought last year a laptop with integrated graphics and what a sucker is that. Intel graphics one big piece of S*t. No way to swap a graphics card like in my PC. So keep the upgrade of my laptop until well, it really falls apart like my last one with glued power button (broke in two) and a dead disk.

PC has more upgrade possibilities e.g. a HD/BR, new graphics card, more memory, better monitor and more disks. The one thing that does not upgrade well is the cpu since everyone ties their license to it.

After memory my favorite upgrade is the graphics card. Thank you nvidia. No need for a faster cpu or a new PC. just a faster gpu and can play latest games on it perfectly. Much cheaper than a new PC and most important: no reinstallation nightmare.

 

[anhe64]

yup. one of the reasons I still prefer a PC over a laptop. The only thing you can upgrade on a laptop is add some more memory and then you hit the new laptop nightmare. Bought last year a laptop with integrated graphics and what a sucker is that. Intel graphics one big piece of S*t. No way to swap a graphics card like in my PC. So keep the upgrade of my laptop until well, it really falls apart like my last one with glued power button (broke in two) and a dead disk.

PC has more upgrade possibilities e.g. a HD/BR, new graphics card, more memory, better monitor and more disks. The one thing that does not upgrade well is the cpu since everyone ties their license to it.

After memory my favorite upgrade is the graphics card. Thank you nvidia. No need for a faster cpu or a new PC. just a faster gpu and can play latest games on it perfectly. Much cheaper than a new PC and most important: no reinstallation nightmare.