Moving Programs after Clean Install

[rgrossha]

I'm considering a clean install of XP on my T40p to hopefully get rid of some nagging USB / Bluetooth / HDD headaches.

I've got the wonderful intstructions for a clean install, looks doable. However, I've got LOTS of programs installed.

I don't want to do a complete restore, since that will bring over my hardware issues with it.

Is there an easy way to move programs without having to reinstall each and every one (not all of which I have install disks handy for).

Thanks in advance for any pointers.

[daeojkim]

Reinstalling everything is probabaly the best way.

Just take a day on a weekend, turn the TV on, watch some baseball while doing this.

[jdhurst]

For a (long) while now, you must re-install programs because (1) there are registry entries that won't move with the programs, and (2) you are trying to get rid of problems, and one way is proper installation.
... JD Hurst

[Nolonemo]

For a (long) while now, you must re-install programs because (1) there are registry entries that won't move with the programs, and (2) you are trying to get rid of problems, and one way is proper installation.
... JD Hurst

I'm not sure this is entirely acurate. Norton Cleansweep 2000 had a "magic mover" feature that let you relocate programs, I imagine it scanned for and copied over the needed registry entries.

Here's a current program that claims to allow you to selectively transfer programs, settings and data when you rebuild. http://www.eisenworld.com/PCRelocatorUltra.asp?sub=1

I'm getting ready to rebuild my desktop, the registry has gotten gummed up from installing and uninstalling hundreds of applications I've checked out, and the machine sometimes just crawls. I've been unable to fix the problem with spy cleaners, registry cleaners, etc., so it's time to bite the bullet.

I was going to do a clean install of the fifty or so apps that I regularly use, and blow off a weekend, but I may give PCRelocator a try first, see if I can just move over the stuff I'm using and not all the junk.

[jdhurst]

Given the way programs spread out registry entries (Norton being one of the worst), I would not trust program relocators. In your case, with all the problems, your decision to to a reload is probably the best one. Good luck. ... JD Hurst

[pae77]

I agree that the best thing is probably a clean install, but before going that route, you might at least try a repair install of XP to fix your hardware issues. This is preferable to a clean install in many cases since it attempts to only repair your copy of windows without having to delete all the files on your computer first. In many cases a repair installation is enough to fix the problem. A repair install deletes the files normally installed by windows XP and then reinstalls them off the disc. A repair install will not rebuild your computer's registry, delete applications and user settings, or fix problems caused being caused by a program. After the repair install you will have to run windows update. Full instructions on doing it are easy to find by googling "XP repair install."

[Nolonemo]

Given the way programs spread out registry entries (Norton being one of the worst), I would not trust program relocators. In your case, with all the problems, your decision to to a reload is probably the best one. Good luck. ... JD Hurst

Point taken (in fact, I'm amazed that this would actually work, the way stuff gets buried in the registry), but still looking for the easy way out I figure that with a clean install of XP and a transfer of the programs, if I end up with a program that's acting wonky, I'll just uninstall and reinstall. At the worst, I can reload the image I'll have of the bare XP install and start loading programs by hand.

Usually when I build a box, I image the OS install & driver updates plus a core selection of apps (eg, MS Office, Acrobat, ZoneAlarm, AGV) so as to shorten the rebuild if it should come to that, but in this case, I'm pretty sure I got lazy and did an XP upgrade over Win2k, so no point in restoring the old image as a shortcut.

I'll report back on how PCRelocator works when I finally do it....