PROGRAM TRANSFER TO NEW PC

Hi.  I am trying to find more info re the above, as I have built a new PC with new Mobo, Cpu, PSU etc, and Windows 10 Home, mainly as I hear MS is stopping support for my Windows 7 Ultimate soon, and I want to get used to the new OS, but will run it in parallel with my old one for a a while !

I see there are companies that advertise transferring everything for $50........but when you log in there, they say NOT programs !  I have called them out on this but got nowhere.

Files, and personal info etc is no problem.   Programs can be re-installed with original disks etc, but I'm wondering which files can be transferred from the 'Old' to the 'New'.   A lot of the info will be in users/name/AppData/prog/local or roaming/ etc.

But I'm wondering what can be transferred, or copied from the Registry, as that is probably what it is all about.  
So when the new OS [Win 10 in my case] had been installed, what could be transferred from the Win 7 Registry to make the Progs work.

If the 'Charging' companies [$200 !] can do this over the Internet, there must be a way !      

I hope !
ROD
Member_2_8001787Asked:
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JohnBusiness Consultant (Owner)Commented:
You can try PC Mover (http://www.laplink.com/index.php/specialpages/branded-PCmover-012014?nobundle)

But my honest opinion (I done LOTS of these) is to set the computer up and install software fresh then load you data. The payoff is in a more reliable computer long term.
marsiliesCommented:
Listen to John Hurst, the man knows what he's saying.

Seriously, Windows isn't designed to transfer over programs like that. A few programs are designed to be "portable" or may have specific portable versions that can be run from any folder, and thus can be moved, but you'd know those when you downloaded/installed them. Anything that ran a standard installer, you're better off running a new installation.

Also, as it's a totally new PC, any program that requires activation will need to be activated again anyway, as the activation won't transfer (typically tied to a motherboard).

One thing that may help is that you may be able to transfer configurations, but how to do so is different on a per-app basis. So look at the apps that you want to transfer configs for instead of setting up new, and search for how to transfer the settings/configuration for that specific app. Rinse/repeat.

If the services you find are charging $200, they're not using just software, but having an actual person log in and do the migration for you, which may include simply re-installing the program, reactivating it and moving the config over. It's like an oil-change. You can either pay for someone to do it for you, or you can figure out how to do it yourself. You're paying for their expertise, equipment, and maybe warranty.
Member_2_8001787Author Commented:
OK. Thanks both for your replies.
So you are saying that the Commercial Company will have all my old programs, as well as the Registration keys and codes etc in order to be able to do this over the Internet ?
That's interesting.      

And they're not really 'transferring' at all.   Just reinstalling, the way I would do.    Hmm.
Obviously copying over the personal files and data etc is the easy bit.    It's mainly the Programs I have that I'm interested in, some of which I bought for windows 95 !

Thanks for your help.
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nobusCommented:
>>  some of which I bought for windows 95 !   <<   could be they won't work on W10, or need an updated version
but, as said, it is more secure to install the programs fresh

the only other software that claims to do that (i never tested it)is application mover :  http://www.funduc.com/app_mover.htm
Member_2_8001787Author Commented:
Hi.  Thanks for your post.     I have looked at the link you sent, and it seems good.    

When I said that some of the progs I bought for Win95, I was referring to a Photoshop Elements, which has provided Drivers all along up to my current Win7 Ultimate, so I assume it will still work with Win10.

To be honest, I do feel stuck with Microsoft, as I've used them from 3.1, way back.   But I do find them the most money-grabbing, unfriendly, and difficult company I have ever had the misfortune to encounter.    I know they have made wonderful stuff, and changed the World, but I'm not sure if they needed to be SOOOO money grabbing.  

[And for reason alone I hope they rot in hell.]
I'm sure they'll meet many old corporate friends there !
marsiliesCommented:
It's really going to depend on the "commercial company" doing the job. There is software out there that will attempt to move programs "as-is" from one PC to another, but it either needs the program to do only the most standard way of installing on Windows, or for it to be popular enough for the transfer software to know about all the quirks of that program. The ones offering a transfer service may use a combination of techniques, including a software transfer tool. They may also be able to extract registration/activation keys for a lot of known programs. And yes, they may even have the installers for a lot of programs.

Also, keep in mind any program or service you buy likely has a disclaimer in it about it not working on every program ever, so they may simply be unable to move some of your programs successfully. They also likely have you waive liability for any damage their program/service does to your PC and/or data, outside of refunding your purchase.

If you're using decades-old versions of programs, you may want to look into getting the most recent version instead, or get an alternative. For example, Photoshop Elements is up to version 15. A free, open-source alternative is Paint.NET, which probably has a lot more features than a decades-old version of Photoshop.
http://www.getpaint.net/download.html

The site AlternativeTo is a good place to look up alternatives to the programs you're currently using:
http://alternativeto.net/

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nobusCommented:
i agree MS coyld have don' it another way; they also regularly put me before problems
also - it's kinda weird taht every OS version they made is riddled with lots of problems
this makes me think that their Original concept for drivers and softwares is not ideal, like using DLL fiels, registry, etc..
Member_2_8001787Author Commented:
OK. Thanks to all who posted on this.  It's clear to me now that the forward for me is a mix of what will work easily and what needs to be re-assessed.
Thanks
JohnBusiness Consultant (Owner)Commented:
You are very welcome and I was happy to assist.
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