[IndyBlue]

Dear Geeks to Go,

You always solve my problems, so here I am again with another one. I'm not that computer savvy, so I apologize in advance if I'm not using the correct terminology to describe my situation.

Here's the background. I had a Dell computer with Windows XP. I got the Blue Screen of Death, and Geeks to Go helped me recover my hard drive (MANY THANKS!!!). So, now I have a CPU (our IT guy at work gave it to me) and a new external hard drive. The CPU does not have a lot of storage space on it, but I have the external drive, which has lots. I have my old hard drive, and am able to access it by hooking it up to my current computer. I've already moved all my documents, pictures, and music to my new external hard drive.

Here's my dilemma: how do I transfer actual programs from the old hard drive to my new CPU/external hard drive? For example, I have two games (solitaire and mahjongg sets) that I purchased on the Internet over 8 (?) years ago. When I copy them onto my new CPU, they work; however, the registration keys don't seem to transfer over, and so I'm stuck with the trial versions. How do I find those registration keys? How do I get them to transfer over?

I have a bunch of programs like that. There's a photoshop program, and all sorts of others. Many of these I purchased/downloaded over the Internet, and I'm afraid that I will only get the trial versions. Like I said, I have all my files (e.g. photos, Word docs, music, etc.) but I'm having trouble moving the actual programs to my new CPU.

Can someone guide me here? Is there special software I can download? I don't know anything about this stuff, and would appreciate your help! I'm sure there's more information that you need, so please let me know what I need to provide for you. I downloaded Belarc Advisor--will that help at all?

MANY, MANY THANKS!!!

Sincerely,

Indy

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Since you now have a different PC to the one with which you installed those programs the first time, you will have to install them again using the original installation file or installation CD. They won't work until you do that. The 'new' Windows folder and the 'new' Registry on your new copy of Windows contain no entries or support files for those programs. Only by re-installing those programs can the Registry & the Windows folder be updated with the necessary data. There is no other way.

[phillipcorcoran]

Since you now have a different PC to the one with which you installed those programs the first time, you will have to install them again using the original installation file or installation CD. They won't work until you do that. The 'new' Windows folder and the 'new' Registry on your new copy of Windows contain no entries or support files for those programs. Only by re-installing those programs can the Registry & the Windows folder be updated with the necessary data. There is no other way.

[IndyBlue]

I see... Just curious, though-wouldn't my old hard drive have the original installation files (including the registration keys)? I found all the programs, but I'm not sure how to copy them/move them over. That is, I'm not sure how to move them over completely intact. Where does a computer store the registration keys? (Note: my old hard drive was pulled out of my damaged computer, and I'm able to access it in its entirety using some hookup our company's IT guy lent me. I have access to everything that was on my previous computer. I see the programs, but there seem to be all sorts of files, and I'm not sure which ones to copy.)

Sorry if I'm belaboring the question; I don't know how this stuff works. If I've lost the registration keys, I'll just accept it and move on. Thanks for your patience and time; I appreciate it!

[IndyBlue]

Also, how would I wipe my hard drive clean after I'm done taking everything I need from it? (Sorry!)

[Macboatmaster]

IndyBlue

With respect you are causing confusion.

I appreciate that you posted this problem originally in the Vista Forum.
You apparently recongised your mistake and then posted it in the Xp forum on this thread at 0516 hrs today.

However you had ALREADY posted it in this forum at 0511 hrs on this link here.
http://www.geekstogo...__fromsearch__1

Edited by Macboatmaster, 21 February 2011 - 10:28 AM.

[IndyBlue]

I apologize. I saw that I had posted twice in this forum and couldn't figure out how to delete the extra post. I'm so sorry--I'm not an experienced forum user. I'm sorry for any inconvenience my duplicate postings may have caused.

[Macboatmaster]

IndyBlue
Do not worry too much it is just, as you will hopefully appreciate, that with the vast number of posts on this site, it is time wasting for two separate persons to be posting on the same problem on different threads.
Additionally it is of absolutely no benefit to you, as advice offered on one thread, may not sit easily with advice offered on another.

[IndyBlue]

I totally understand, and once again, I apologize. Please feel free to delete the extraneous posts if you are able. Thanks for your patience; I will be more careful when I post in the future.

[Macboatmaster]

IndyBlue

Either I am confused from your posts on this thread, or from this and your earlier thread when you asked about recovering the data.

OR with respect you are confused.

A CPU is a Central Processing Unit., it sits on the motherboard and as far as you need to be concerned, it has NO storage capacity.

I have had a look at your previous thread and I am not convinced that the problem was the hard drive.

If you mean that the IT guy at work has given you a NEW hard drive albeit that it does not have much storage capacity, then my advice would be to place THAT hard drive in the computer, boot and see if it is recognised in the BIOS. If it is I would then install WINDOWSXP on that drive and make that drive the first boot device.
When you have that running and updated with all SP`s etc, do NOT forget to install an anti-virus.
Microsoft Security Essentials is free and is recommended on this site.

then insert your original hard drive into the computer, do not make it a boot device and all being well you should be able to use your programs. DO not access your actual OLD windows folder.

Pls come back with any questions.

[mikeloeven]

often times the registration keys as well as the applications's preferances for installed programs are simply stored as a dword value inside one of the program's registry keys. now i dont know exactly what the program is called but if you clicked install for only this user it will be in HKCU_software_application name
if you clicked install for anyone who uses this machine it will be in HKLM_software_application name. but just use remote regedit to open the registry of your old drive export the program's entry and import it into your new machine. if the program is just a simple game it should now act as if it was installed properly. if it is a more complicated program like photoshop than it probibally wont work because all that data is spread around in multiple keys. but serch around on google alot of times you can find a list of all a programs registry entries and what they do.


i used to do this with neverwinter nights when i coppied the program directory to my external drive. it would give an error about not being installed but once you merged the key it ran on any computer.

but you want to reserch this proceedure on google because i dont know what programs your using or what entries you need to export.

Edited by mikeloeven, 22 February 2011 - 10:39 AM.