Surviving the Laptop Upgrade Wars

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This is one thing I really like about Macs. You can easily migrate your apps, docs, settings from your old mac in the manner you described in your paragraph about how things should work.
 
This is one thing I really like about Macs. You can easily migrate your apps, docs, settings from your old mac in the manner you described in your paragraph about how things should work.
 
Apple has figured out a way to transfer all of the important data, applications, desktops, bookmarks, etc from one system to another using a firewire cable. This works even if your target computer has a newer OS. They also have a built in utility to image your hard drive to a file.
 
I should turn you into the BSA and get some free cash. What you are doing is illegal. NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, and I mean NO Microsoft license allows you to "move" the OS to a new laptop/computer. You may change components on your laptop/computer (i.e. harddrive, memory, etc..) but once you change the motherboard (the heart of the laptop/computer) you must purchase a new FULL version of the OS. You may use the builtin/third party programs to "move" applications to a new laptop/computer. Never the OS !!!!!!

Wow and you write for a IT website. Time to take your creditentials away.
 
Ok, some people haven't been paying attention.

There are tons of tools that make migration painless, especially with Vista. (There are several 3rd party tools as well)

Microsoft has tools designed for migration from machine to machine and works so fast and slick you wouldn't believe it comes from Microsoft.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=39F724EB-4E37-4BE0-ADFC-786786E73E50&displaylang=en&clcid=0x409

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/buyorupgrade/easytransfer.mspx

Easy transfer is the original tool designed for User profiles and documents and settings (like the XP Migration tool).

The new version is Transfer Companion, and not only does all the user profile (or multiple provfiles), documents, but ALSO transfers all the installed applications and settings to the new machine (even leaving the software activated.)

This is a install software and click, it will transfer live from machine to machine via USB, network, etc, as well as a stored location that you pre-configured and shoved the data to, like an external storage drive.


If you are migrating or moving around much, you should be using these tools. Also pay attention to MS's new Mesh technologies, as it will move user profiles to centralized locations available via the internet like current Windows profiles are hosted on local domain servers. i.e. you will be able to flip a switch and have your desktop appear on any computer in the world in a matter of seconds. (Intenet based roaming profiles and data.)

 
Buy a Mac is the easy answer. I bought a Macbook and have to say it was a pleasant experience. I use Neooffice - an open office variant - I no longer M$ and all my other apps are available for Mac also.
 
So you took an image of your old laptop and expected it to work flawlessly on completely different hardware?

And you're upset why?

Might as well take a drive image of a Sun Microsystems server and then compain that it won't work on your xbox.

Windows has tools such as the "Windows Easy Transfer" which help you migrate the majority of your settings and files. You're always going to have to re-install sxome things as a part of upgrading (or changing hardware).

As another user mentioned, OEM licenses aren't designed to be transferrable either.

While I can understand your frustration and see the outcome you were trying to achieve - I'm afraid your expectations were too high, and you went the wrong way about it.

Try the transfer wizard next time, after re-installing your vital apps.
 
We use acronis true image and it pretty much does what you want. We have moved users from p3 and p4 machines to brand new quad core machines with practically no issues.

I'll take a different tack then punisher and dave and assume that you you are probably transferring from one oem license to a system with another oem license. If you try and keep the os version the same and if you change the key later, you'll be fine and at the most, you'll have to call ms and they will be fine with it as we've done that also. We have also moved regular retail licenses and they will only care that you must deactivate the previous computer.

And Dave, moving a modering operating system that can be forced to redetect new hardware changes and adapt, is something that we would expect to be possible, especially within a generation or two of compatible computer hardware and especially when it's coming from an OEM. Comparing a sparc machine to an xbox is stretching it.

And Punisher, you need to relax.
 
I am a tech who has replaced too many motherboards and know that the true issue has nothing to do with the licensing. Assuming the hardware is compatible enough to boot windows the worst case scenario would be to make ?The Call? to Microsoft asking them for a new activation code. Moving from one chipset to another just doesn?t always work. Usually your safest bet is to make the move to an NVIDIA chipset. However, if you were to say, go from an NVIDIA to and Intel, AMD, VIA, or SIS you will have to reinstall. Moving from one chipset within the same brand is usually a safe passage but Intel I found is still hit or miss.

If the hardware is incompatible?..the hardware is incompatible, sorry man but you are barking up the wrong tree.
 
I don't want to start another Mac/PC debate here but you should really try Mac OS X. Its Migration Assistant allows you to move the whole system from machine to machine. I've been migrating my system from Powerbook G4 to MacBook to Macbook Pro without re-installing any apps.
 
I can not agree with this article. Reinstalling software is something everyone does and really has nothing do do with this theoretical "laptop upgrade wars". Besides, a fresh install is one of the greatest things. Many of us reformat and reinstall once or twice a year on our existing systems just for that fresh install performance. I don;t understand why anyone would want to get a new computer and then keep years of built up crap slowing it down.
 
The "secure wipe" USB cable helps nothing. Cloning one disk to another is as easy as typing "dd" at the command line. Software piracy cannot be the reason why the restore doesn't work. However, OEM copies of Windows are tied to the hardware, so they won't boot on a new drive.

Would it perhaps work better if you first backed up the old disk, then cloned it to a new disk, then installed a new copy of Windows over that new disk, without first booting it?

Finally, the transfer wizard is a joke. I "transferred" from Windows XP to Vista 64, and not even one quarter of my programs came with it. I decided to wipe and re-install instead. Look at it as spring cleaning.
 
OK, I understand what you are asking for but doesn't Microsoft already include something that pretty much does that (the right way, without having to worry about drivers, etc.)? Windows Easy Transfer.
I've never used it and I'd be unlikely to because I don't think it is a big deal to move into a new computer but I'd try that before I bought one of the commercial alternatives.
 
Try Microsoft's free: Automated Installation Ki.

It has a command called ImageX which does exactly what you need.
 
I have to agree with the Mac comments. MAC OS X Migration Assistant does exactly what you are asking for. It moves all documents, music and apps into your new OS. You can clone your Mac HD onto an external drive and plug it into your new Mac and voila, it will find the external HD and move all of the above items over. Reboot and you're good-to-go!

With Windows, it seems much more complicated but I agree with the one mention that when I used Windows PC's, I formatted and reinstalled everything, once per year. I no longer have to do that with my Macs, thankfully. MS could make a program that works just as well as Apple's Migration Assistant, if they choose to. I would love to see it, as I have had to assist many friends that attempted to migrate to a new OS from Microsoft!

Tek
 
You do realize what you're asking for is already availible - it's called Migration Assistant, and it's for - gasp - Mac OS X. Comes with the system. You connect your computers together with a Firewire cable and tell the new one to import users and software from the old one. Then you let it run. The down side is that it works so well it's almost like not getting a new computer - your work environment hasn't changed at all.
 
imagex is a bit too complicated imo. I used ghost and "net-runna Vista Preparation Tool" to copy my images to my new laptop. You should try it. It solved all my problem, just run it on your old laptop, ghost it, then restore the image on the new laptop...
 
The most serious problem with current OSs ( Vista, XP, Linux, ...) is reboot !
Can somebody make a revolution, a OS without need to be rebooted !!!

 
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