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Moving installed software to another drive without reinstalling...


ppgrainbow

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Hello! :hello:

Sorry that I've been offline for nearly two weeks. I recently had a technician install a second Western Digital Black 1 TB hard drive on my computer and I want to move some of the software installed on drive C to drive D without re-installation. I got the second hard drive for Christmas and had the technician install it the day after.

I also used a utility called XXCopy to copy the files to a different drive and most importantly preserve the date and time the folders were created.

 

Under Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000 and Windows XP, I used XXCopy to copy the files, preserve the timestamp of the folder and COA2 (Change of Address) to change the link to the software and the registry. This is not the case, because COA2 will not install on Windows Vista and higher.

 

So, tell me this. Which freeware utility compatible with Windows Vista will let me move installed software from drive C to drive D without re-installation and preserves the date and time the folders were created?

 

Thank you for your time. :)

Edited by ppgrainbow
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This is not the case, because COA2 will not install on Windows Vista and higher.

Strictly speaking COA2 needs not to be installed.

The issue you are having is probably that it's installer is 16 bit.

 

Can you "install" it to another PC running an earlier OS and then copy to the Vista machine just the coa2.exe and coa2.hlp?

 

Or, alternatively try on the Vista machine to extract the files from the (Wise) installer, using an appropriate tool *like* WUN.EXE?:

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=14906

https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.reatogo.de/sample/test-WUN.zip

https://web.archive.org/web/20060915000000*/http://www.pediy.com/tools/unpack/Wise/WUN.rar

 

jaclaz

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I did use Test-WUN to extract the contents of the 16-bit installer for COA2 using WUN and it worked.

For example, I used the command line to copy the SMBX directory over to drive D. I did the following:

1. I opened up the COA2 utility and change from the old address of C:\SMBX to D:\SMBX.
2. I clicked on "Change now".
3. When the COA2 utility tries to change the address to the folder by searching for any shortcuts, INI files and registry entries.

So far out of 1,233 shortcuts, 2 entries were changed. 2,468 INI files were searched and none of them were changed.

When I viewed the change records, it showed a long name found, but when the procedure was completed, the files were moved successfully. :)

I'll get back to you if there are any problems with COA2 under 64-bit Windows Vista. I'm gonna be doing a XXCopy to copy some files from the first hard drive over to the second hard drive.

Edited by ppgrainbow
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Be aware that the Vista :ph34r: structure uses hard links, so be very, very  careful (this normally is not related to third party software, but if you are going to attempt moving parts of the OS, it may).

 

jaclaz

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Be aware that the Vista :ph34r: structure uses hard links, so be very, very  careful (this normally is not related to third party software, but if you are going to attempt moving parts of the OS, it may).

 

jaclaz

 

Thank you so much for telling me. Unlike Windows XP/Server 2003 and below, why does the structure of Windows Vista use hard links that affects moving installed software to a second hard drive?

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It does due to compatibility issues (the folders that have been replaced by others in Windows 6.x are accessed by older programs through the hard links in order to write the right files in the right folders).

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It does due to compatibility issues (the folders that have been replaced by others in Windows 6.x are accessed by older programs through the hard links in order to write the right files in the right folders).

 

Thanks for telling me. I kinda have the feeling that it will be nearly impossible to fix the hard links in the Registry Editor without having to re-install software from scratch to the second hard drive, wouldn't it?

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As jaclaz said, that is usually not a factor with third party software, but rather comes more into play when moving parts of the OS.  So it will probably depend on what, exactly, you are trying to move.  If you are just wanting to move some of the 3rd party apps you have installed, or parts of them such as where that app's data is stored, it might work OK.  You will probably just have to try it.  Just be sure to have everything backed up and have all the necessary install discs available so that if it all goes wrong you haven't lost anything but time.

 

Cheers and Regards

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Yep, I believe that it is something that one should be aware of, but unlikely to be an issue in "real life" (when third party software is involved), but if you simply run on your Vista drive:

dir /aL /s C:\>C:\junctions.lst

you should have the list of everything that is not a "real" file or folder, and then be able to take (if needed and possible) the additional steps/workaround/fixes required when/if they are affected by the moving of the installed programs.

 

As a side note, and JFYI, installing Vista or 7 on FAT32 experiments :w00t::ph34r:

http://reboot.pro/topic/19643-winsxs-hardlinked-files/

 

jaclaz

Edited by jaclaz
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Thanks

 

Yep, I believe that it is something that one should be aware of, but unlikely to be an issue in "real life" (when third party software is involved), but if you simply run on your Vista drive:

dir /aL /s C:\>C:\junctions.lst

you should have the list of everything that is not a "real" file or folder, and then be able to take (if needed and possible) the additional steps/workaround/fixes required when/if they are affected by the moving of the installed programs.

 

As a side note, and JFYI, installing Vista or 7 on FAT32 experiments :w00t::ph34r:

http://reboot.pro/topic/19643-winsxs-hardlinked-files/

 

jaclaz

 

Thank you so much for the information. I'm gonna be looking into the WinSxS hardlinked files.

 

So far, I moved my games onto the second hard drive and they all run well without any major problems. :)

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