Moving hard drive (or data) from old laptop, must remain bootable and retain data

[MachoManRS]

Here is the scenario and I'm not sure how to proceed. We have an old Dell Latitude C840 with 256MB ram and Win XP that runs one of our machines. This computer is of course old and slow and crashes when loading big files. However, the software that this laptop runs is very expensive software that was given to us and activated with an activation disk that we no longer have. The person who wrote the software is no longer alive, so we can't obtain another one.

I'd like to get the program and all the saved files on another machine that's faster, but I have to use the existing installation. I can't re install the program.

How much of a disaster would it be if I cloned the hard drive to a hard drive on a newer laptop with an entirely different hardware configuration? Would the computer ever run smoothly seeing as all of the drivers and other things would be wrong and require reinstallation? Would it run at all? I'm thinking about transferring it to a HP Pavilion dv5000. Not exactly modern by any standards, but much more capable than the current machine.

Anyone have an opinion?

Thanks you

 

[DocGreen]

Here is the scenario and I'm not sure how to proceed. We have an old Dell Latitude C840 with 256MB ram and Win XP that runs one of our machines. This computer is of course old and slow and crashes when loading big files. However, the software that this laptop runs is very expensive software that was given to us and activated with an activation disk that we no longer have. The person who wrote the software is no longer alive, so we can't obtain another one.

I'd like to get the program and all the saved files on another machine that's faster, but I have to use the existing installation. I can't re install the program.

How much of a disaster would it be if I cloned the hard drive to a hard drive on a newer laptop with an entirely different hardware configuration? Would the computer ever run smoothly seeing as all of the drivers and other things would be wrong and require reinstallation? Would it run at all? I'm thinking about transferring it to a HP Pavilion dv5000. Not exactly modern by any standards, but much more capable than the current machine.

Anyone have an opinion?

Thanks you

If you already have the new(er) laptop, I say give it a shot! Cloning doesn't alter the original drive, so while you worked out the bugs and got the new installation up and running you could continue to use the old laptop... and if worse comes to worse and the new laptop doesn't run right, you've only lost a few hours of time and are right back where you started.

That being said, I've moved system drives from one computer to another in the past... Windows will load generic drivers for most things automatically, so from there it's just a matter of updating with the correct drivers. Here's a thought... what if you created a 2nd hardware profile in advance and pre-loaded it with all the drivers for the new laptop? I've never done anything like that before... does anyone else have an opinion on that?

 

[SilverLeaf]

Why not use Sysinternal's disk2vhd to create a virtual hard disk and the use Virtualbox on a newer laptop to run the application(s) virtualized?

 

[javjim]

Worst case I think you can create a virtual machine from a Image.

You could check http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/create-a-virtual-machine-image-of-your-existing-hard-drive-windows/

Havent tried it myself but, you could try. and Backup the hell of that machine.

 

[phaZed]

Along with the others suggestions, I would urge you to actively look for a replacement program and assess how much longer you should use this program you depend on. Windows XP is quickly becoming the dinosaur, in 5-10 more years it will practically be a fossil!

 

[MachoManRS]

I think I will try Disk2vhd and see if that will work. If it does and I understand it correctly, that might allow me a relatively easy way to put the program on multiple computers on an as needed basis, as I could just carry the vhd around on a thumb drive. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong?

I appreciate all of the responses. And yes I've been after the guy who's head that division for over a year to just bite the bullet and buy new software. It's in the 5 figure range though so it's not an easy decision. I have been slowly phasing out all of the old systems and we're making good progress, so he knows it's probably just a matter of time.

Thanks!

 

[JD1248]

Acronis True Image Home W/ plus pack. Use the universal restore to a newer faster computer. Works like magic.

 

[drjones]

Why not use Sysinternal's disk2vhd to create a virtual hard disk and the use Virtualbox on a newer laptop to run the application(s) virtualized?

Yep, this.

I'm finally having my eyes opened to the magic of virtualization.

Use the tool above, create a .vhd file, and then install VirtualBox (free).
Run it as a VM.

Easy to backup (which of course you will do on a regular basis, right?) and easy to move to new/different hardware as needed.

Now the next project is finding an entirely new solution. Nothing lasts forever, and since the sole developer of this application has passed on, it's time to find a new piece of software.

The longer you wait, the more painful and costly it will be to migrate away from this software, and it WILL ultimately bite these guys in the rear if they don't do it.

 

[PC Ops]

Expect re-activation (issues) you might have to tackle in both scenarios (virtualization & moving to a newer laptop).

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Wow that's a tough one. So the person that developed it is no longer alive...we can assume nobody else picked up the torch and is supporting/updating that software?

Since it was a Dell...I'll wager an OEM Windows license. So transferring that Windows installation to another piece of hardware....there's that technical issue of being against Microsoft licensing (OEM license lives and dies with the hardware it was purchased with). If someone rebuild that computer with a full Retail Windows XP license...you're good to go and can proceed to the nightmare of transferring the image to newer generation hardware.

I'd be wary about an HP Pavillion for something important..even though the Latitude is ancient..it's a business class laptop...I'd probably take that over a Pavillion. What about filling the RAM on the Latitude to 1 gig (that's all it took), and finding a new HDD to clone it over to. Keeps licensing happy, keeps your work to a minimum (not having to fight blue screens and driver cleaning and driver hunts to find drivers to support WinXP on that Pavillion of which HP probably does't have XP drivers for).

Virtual approach...not bad, still against licensing, but...may work as long as this old software doesn't need legacy hardware control. (direct connect to LTP or serial or something like that). And if you do Windows XP mode under Windows 7...it would sorta almost keep Microsoft licensing happy.

Long term answer...find a replacement piece of software for this that is current and supported.

 

[Larry Sabo]

Would be fun to image the drive for safekeeping, then prune out the unnecessary trash and clone what's left to an SSD drive, then swap drives. I did that with an old Dell 6400 laptop that was a slug with its original 5400 rpm drive and it's young again.

 

[MachoManRS]

Wow that's a tough one. So the person that developed it is no longer alive...we can assume nobody else picked up the torch and is supporting/updating that software?

Well, he owned the company and was quite friendly with one of our guys. On a handshake deal our guy got an authentication program with unlimited unlocks with no expiration. The guy from our company lost that program and of course the new company management isn't willing to give a program like that out anymore. So here we are.

I'd be wary about an HP Pavillion for something important

I agree. I do have a straight image of the drive and I'm in the process of creating a vhd right now and as long as I have backup copies of that image I think I'll be fine. It is taking a looooong time on a machine that old with 256mb of ram, but it seems to be chugging along. Thank you everyone for your responses. If this doesn't work you've also given me other options including Acronis and some others.

Thanks!

 

[hightechrex]

I'm gonna have to echo what a few others have said. Image the entire drive in VMware and run the OS along with the software in a virtual machine.

 

[glricht]

Expect re-activation (issues) you might have to tackle in both scenarios (virtualization & moving to a newer laptop).

Was thinking the same thing. Many older programs used activation codes based on hardware signatures. (Hardware signatures and dongles were ways that old programs used to prevent them from being run on multiple machines without proper licensing.)

If this program's licensing is based on hardware signatures, you may be out of luck no matter how you move to a new environment.

 

[TenYardFight]

Well, he owned the company and was quite friendly with one of our guys. On a handshake deal our guy got an authentication program with unlimited unlocks with no expiration. The guy from our company lost that program and of course the new company management isn't willing to give a program like that out anymore. So here we are.

Thanks!

Oh, it's easy then. Pay them.

 

[gikstar]

Would be fun to image the drive for safekeeping, then prune out the unnecessary trash and clone what's left to an SSD drive, then swap drives. I did that with an old Dell 6400 laptop that was a slug with its original 5400 rpm drive and it's young again.

Don't think an SSD drive will work - that system uses a PATA drive not a SATA drive, so one can't just update the hard drive to an SSD and stick it in that older laptop.
I think I would go with cloning the drive to an SSD drive and install it in a newer Dell Latitude laptop. After installing the new drivers using the DriverPack Solution software, go into the system and change the Windows XP serial to the new serial # off of the COA of the newer Latitude.
I've had problems with cloning systems from Dell to HP before.

Some programs only run on certain operating systems and some older 'machines' that have to utilize that software can not be 'reprogrammed'.

 

[MachoManRS]

Well, thank you to everyone. The virtual box seems to work just fine. I just ran a test program and it came out without anything going bad. I did run into the problem yeoldestonecat mentioned that it was an oem xp license, but I updated the license and now we're good to go.

I do have a question for anyone who might know. I'm testing the virtual box on a corei3 machine with 6 gb ram, win7 pro. I just load up the virtualbox manager inside win 7 and load my vhd file. It runs considerably faster than the laptop, but there is a noticeable lag between actions and what it displays on the screen. Is this just standard with a VM? Or do I have something wrong? I gave it 1024 MB of ram, default everything else, with vt-x.

 

[SilverLeaf]

Did you install the Guest Additions?

 

[MachoManRS]

Did you install the Guest Additions?

That made a huge difference! And all I did was install the additions. Thank you

 

[djyox]

I'm a huge advocate of VM. I'm glad this worked out for you. And I know someone pointed out that XP is soon to not be supported by Microsoft. But oh well. Your VM now has one job, just to run your machine. It doesn't (hopefully) have to go online, and I say rock on. Back up the image, as hardware fails, just load on your next box.