I have a new-to-me computer, running W-7 64 bit. My existing computer runs W-7 32 bit. I want to copy all the files, folders and programmes to new computer so that it looks much like the old one. There are already some programmes and files on the new computer that I don't want overwritten or lost, IOW I want to _add_ the contents of my old computer, rather than just making a direct clone.
Can anyone recommend suitable software? I see programmes such as PCmover and Zinstall look as if they would do the job, but has anyone got experience of them? Both computers have wireless links to a common BT hub. Can the transfer be done via the hub, without a wired link?
What a palaver! Why does one need a 'program' simply to copy files, surely you just network the two machines and copy the files. For data files they live in your 'home' directory. Program files may be a bit messier and, anyway, as you're moving from 32-bit to 64-bit the executables will (probably) be different so you'll need to [re]install from scratch I'm afraid.
What a palaver! When setting up a new Mac here, it will ask if I want to transfer settings, programs and data from another machine (various ways are offered to do that), and if I say yes, then it does it. Some software here has been through several such copies and continues to run without a hitch as it did on the machine it was originally installed on, some generations ago.
You don't, but you might find files you want are not all in obvious places.
to the point that it's probably not worth trying, copying the obvious files of the program over is just the start, there will likely be extra runtime libraries, and simply copying those isn't enough they need to be registered, then there are registry entries
Transfer the data files and folders across the network. If there's a chance some may have the same names as those already on the new computer then transfer the whole lot to a new folder (call it 'transfers'?) and then take your time in moving them from there to wherever you want them to finally rest.
For the programs it's probably bets to bite the bullet and simply install them from scratch. Especially as you're going from 32 bit to 64 bit.
Run the old install as a VM on the new. Virtual Box etc...
To properly move applications they need reinstalling, unless ye can fudge all the entries in the registry and get around 32/64 bit issues with libraries etc...
You need to distinguish between "data" and "programmes". The latter, in most cases, are better installed from scratch.
For "data" it is easy, so long as your data is structured in some sensible way (as it should be, assuming you have an existing backup strategy).
I use ROBOCOPY which is part of windows (it's like an updated XCOPY) for most of my backups. With that, it's just a single line command. I would be inclined, as others have said to copy to a memory stick, and then to the new machine. Easiest to do it with a batch file. This is one to copy
*everything* on a memory stick (which has to be H:) to a Win10 machine. The "pause" is so that the final screen remains visible so that you can check for success. You can look up the "switches".
cd H:\ robocopy H:\ c:\Users\me\documents\folder_for_copy /MIR pause
What I did on one hardware upgrade was to take the old hard drive, put it in the new machine and make it the bootable one, which kept my old operating system and all the installed software. Then I wiped the new, larger hard drive to make it data only, and copied the data over from the old C:\
That won't work for you if you want to go from 32 bit to 64 bit.
For basic shifting of stuff, you don't need any additional software. However the tools will de-skill the process of moving more complicated things like your user profile, and possibly applications as well.
Shifting data is easy. User profiles, not too difficult.
Moving applications however is more troublesome since apps are usually installed and not just copied onto a new system. The installation process may install dependant libraries in system folders, make changes to the registry and other configuration files specific to the installation choices and system configuration. So to successfully move an application without using the original installation program either needs a specialist bit of software that recognises that app, and knows all the installation dependencies and can recreate them, or some fairly in depth reverse engineering to work out all that stuff from scratch yourself (not usually worth doing except in exceptional circumstances).
Also since you are moving architectures (i.e. 32 to 64 bit) there may be applications that won't run well or at all on the new platform. For example 16 Bit apps are not supported under 64 bit windows.
(as someone else suggested - you could virtualise the whole old machine and run that in its entirety on the new one - that's quite of the easiest way of dealing with older applications that are not supported on new platforms)
Gosh laplink huh, not used that for dacades... it seems to have grown a bit ;-)
Yup.
Once you have them both on the same network you should be fine. (assuming the router is configured not to block access between wireless clients).
Basically you need to create a folder on the target machine and enable sharing with write access. Then set the permissions on the folder to give full control to "EVERYONE". On the old machine just browse to the new computer in My Network Places, and you should see the shared folder. Copy stuff to that.
Presumably the two Macs *do* have to be networked somehow though! :-)
Once you have both machines connected to the same network so they can 'see' each other and know each others' names then I don't see a lot of difference.
What would happen if moving between Macs running different architectures?
Well clearly. Here SWMBO and I have our own machines, there's another acting as file server, and the printer, all on the LAN.
If I get a new machine I plug in onto the LAN and then turn it on. At some point the OS will ask whether I want to transfer everything from another machine and provide a list of those available. I pick one and it copies all users, their settings, files, applications, application support files, etc to the new machine. Once that's done I just get on and use it, nothing else needed.
The difference is that you wouldn't see a thread like this one in the Mac ng's because it wouldn't be needed.
What d'ye mean by "different architectures"? If you mean 32/64 bit, then up to now that's not been an issue, as both have been supported for the last several years. Next year they'll drop support for 32-bit altogether, so I just got Office 2016 to replace Office 2008 (which latter is an example of an app that's now been transferred a couple of times from one machine to another without losing a beat).
If you mean PowerPC vs. Intel, it's 13 years since that happened and about 6 OS versions ago. Even that had little impact, they supplied an on-the-fly translator so you could continue to run the old apps. Eventually support for that was removed since under those circs you have to have two copies of all libraries, etc, but they tend to wait until most apps have had new versions for a while to give time for the transition.
No, you would get the 'I've just upgraded my OS and now some of my apps won't run and it tells me they are no longer supported.
Or the fairly recent hardware that won't run the latest version of OSX?
I just installed W10 on a laptop that came with XP and *everything* ran ok straight away.
Yes, OSX (and Linux) is generally better (than Windows) re the ability to simply copy programs across, assuming you can get the programs for OSX or Linux in the first place that is.
I was also able to install W10 on an old MacBook that wouldn't take (anything like) the latest version of OSX. Go figure. ;-(
Yup had the SIL phone me in a panic because she had allowed her Mac to update itself to a new (minor) OS version, and then found that none of her Adobe creative suite would run. She had publishing deadlines looming and the only way she could fix it in a hurry was to go buy a later version of CS for £1300! (needless to say she told me all this after the fact when it was too late to do much about).
Apple help get round that by making such shonky laptops you need to buy a new one every 18 months anyway ;-)
The MacBook I was given to play with was melted, cracked and distorted ... yet was probably pretty 'expensive' when new and I understand such failings aren't unknown with the range.
It's currently running W10 and Linux as the OS it was designed for is way too limited nowdays.
This s/h Mac Mini has been ok, considering, even running XP. The stupid slot drive failed years ago and I've not bothered replacing it.
I love the way the 'MacBoys' insist that the slot drive was ok because 'no one' ever uses mini cd's these days. Yet I'm still getting kit that has drivers and software that comes on such.
Maybe if you just use your computer as a typewriter ...
I wonder if there is any correlation between those who support Apple, voted Leave and like cats? ;-)
The change from XP to Vista/W7 broke significant programs such as some versions of Autocad. The options were then buy a new package at megamoney or pay for a 3rd party update to the existing Autocad at £300 plus. Apparently Microsoft removed a feature that Autocad relied upon :(
Then that may have been something unofficial that was bad programming?
The point is, I often download install and run programs where one 'setup.exe' supports Windows from XP to 10 and 32/64.
With Mac you 'more often' find you have to match an older version of the prog with the version of OS ... and that can be even more manual / complicated on Linux and the different OS / Kernel versions / package managers etc. As I said, assuming they actually do a Mac / Linux version of the program in the first place.
In much of industry, AutoCad is the standard. It is pretty common. Huge numbers of small businesses, that could little afford to upgrade, needed to to retain the ability to read and write AutoCad files for their clients.
No. My recollection is that they removed an entire, documented system, that they'd decided to no longer support.
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