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Cloning Desktop to Laptop

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  • 08-12-2009 11:42am
    #1
    Crosshair
    Closed Accounts Posts: 81 ✭✭


    Hi all, first post in this section so easy on me!
    I currently use a desktop pc for most of my applications but now i need to switch to a laptop, I have a large amount of data and programs installed that i may have difficulty reinstalling from scratch on a laptop.
    Is there any way of cloning the entire contents of existing desktop to new laptop (so that applications will work), both os will be xp pro (new laptop will prob be vista or 7 but i can probably manage to do fresh xp install).
    Hope my question makes sense!
    Thanks in advance.


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    #2
    majiktripp
    Registered Users Posts: 2,471 ✭✭✭majiktripp


    Its possible yes, not easy or 100% guarunteed to work though.
    Firstly clone the Desktop hard drive using Acronis or Norton Ghost etc to the New laptop hard drive. Once this is done the laptop will try and boot but have no drivers for the different hardware that the laptop has compared to the desktop machine. You will have to do a repair to the Windows installation using an XP Pro CD. Once the repair is done, you should be able to boot into windows and start installing whatever remaining drivers are needed (ie. sound,graphics,network etc). Whether or not your previously installed programs will like having a repair done to XP (as this causes issues with the regristry entries the apps may have had) is another thing.
    So yes it is possible, but whether or not 100% of all your applications work or not is another thing...
    You could have use VMWare to make a vm machine of the Desktop and use VMware Player on the laptop to run said VM Machine. If none of that makes sense , google VmWare! :)


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    #3
    NullZer0
    Registered Users Posts: 1,629 ✭✭✭NullZer0


    Acronis True image uses universal restore so that you can provide drivers etc when restoreing to laptop.

    If you use this method Acronis will strip the drivers from the desktop image AFAIK.


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    #4
    Dublin_Gunner
    Registered Users Posts: 7,692 ✭✭✭Dublin_Gunner


    Cloning a desktop to a laptop could be quite a messy affair.

    Do you not have the install disks of the applications? (or at least the downloaded .exe's etc?)

    If you clone the entire desktop drive, you are going to cludge the laptop up with everything on the desktop, needed or not, including the registry, which will probably end up a mess.

    You could try to copy the installation location folders from the desktop to the laptop, but there's no guarantee that will work.

    Data is no problem - copy/paste.

    You could of course buy a HDD caddy and stick the desktop drive in there? Connect it to the laptop and copy anything over that you need - would probably provide the cleanest way of doing it IMO.


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    #5
    Solitaire
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 18,377 Mod ✭✭✭✭Solitaire


    You're most likely better off cloning your documents/files etc. and putting them on the laptop and virus-scanning the lot, then reinstalling any apps you need as neccessary. Otherwise you're just carpet-bombing the laptop's lovely fresh OS install with endless tons of old tripe and bent Registry entries :o


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    #6
    Crosshair
    Closed Accounts Posts: 81 ✭✭Crosshair


    Thanks for all the replies, I suppose i was just looking for a quick solution
    but i can see that there is no easy answer, the main reason for cloning was that some of the applications are very large (8 DVDs) and are activated with an authorisation code to one computer only, will probably bite the bullet install each application separately on the laptop
    Thanks Again.


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    #7
    Dublin_Gunner
    Registered Users Posts: 7,692 ✭✭✭Dublin_Gunner


    Crosshair wrote: »
    Thanks for all the replies, I suppose i was just looking for a quick solution
    but i can see that there is no easy answer, the main reason for cloning was that some of the applications are very large (8 DVDs) and are activated with an authorisation code to one computer only, will probably bite the bullet install each application separately on the laptop
    Thanks Again.


    Ouch, that's going to take some time. Can you de-activate the installs somehow?

    If they don't activate (presuming they have online activation) surely the support department for the product can help?


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    #8
    lmimmfn
    Registered Users Posts: 3,553 ✭✭✭lmimmfn


    Crosshair wrote: »
    Thanks for all the replies, I suppose i was just looking for a quick solution
    but i can see that there is no easy answer, the main reason for cloning was that some of the applications are very large (8 DVDs) and are activated with an authorisation code to one computer only, will probably bite the bullet install each application separately on the laptop
    Thanks Again.
    im presuming thats securom or similar? in which case what it stores in the users directory( and hidden ) are files which have checksums based on your hardware, so even if you got the OS working theres a very very high probability that the apps wouldnt work.

    You could try nocd launchers with them, should allow a direct copy unless they wont run if reg keys dont exist( which happens with some games/apps ).


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