Moving Program files to a new hard drive

[winifreid]

My Windows 2000 machine stopped printing or recognizing any printer and would give an "Out of resoures" error when I tried to add a printer. I tried all the fixes I could find, but nothing worked. I re-installed 2000 on another HD and I can print. However, I would like to find an easy way of moving all my programs from the old HD (still connected) and avoid reinstalling the 30 or so programs I have. Any ideas?

[guns1inger]

There are programs that can migrate applications from one disk to another within a single windows installation, but shifting between installations is another matter. Partition magic can do disk to disk moves within a single windows instance. I don't know if it can migrate across instances.

[winifreid]

It would seem like this should be easy. I mean, how often do you either transfer your whole OS disk to another or, what I want to do; transfer programs to a new OS instalation? Windows and programs should be written in such a way as to make this easy. I guess that would make piracy easier, too

[free is better]

i know its tedious but reinstalling all of your programs is a great way to give your computer a fresh start if any of the program files became corrupted and caused a conflict.

[kschang]

Norton Cleansweep had an app mover, but you have to do it app by app. And I'm not sure if the latest versions still have it. Symantec keeps buying out other utility companies and burying their products.

[Nelson37]

You can easily move OS and Applications altogether using Ghost or similar product. The problem occurs when there is something corrupt about the OS. The Applications are so tightly knitted into the OS that is difficult to seperate the two. Also, anything you bring over from the corrupt OS could cause the same problem on the new install, and the whole purpose of the new install is to avoid the corruption. If you knew exactly which DLL, registry entry, or ini file was causing the corruption, then you could avoid the problem but then if you knew that, you would not need the new installation.

Ain't computers fun?

It is actually a good idea to do a full re-install periodically, how often is related to how much software you install. Typically many of these progs are rairly or never used, and even if uninstalled often leave lots of crap behind. One such may very well be the cause of your printer issue. I liken it to moving house, its a pita but you also sort thru a lot of crap you never use and throw it away.