21 replies to this topic

[Joe]

 

As Telsa described, its not possible to simply copy programs from one PC (or directory) to another PC. 

Moving programs from one PC to another is even trickier because Windows blocks the program files for security reasons (check the "Properties" > "Security" tab for the "Unblock" checkbox indicating the file came from another computer or internet).

 

During and after installation, Windows programs typically store system and user settings in specific hives of the Registry. If you simply copy the files, these settings and configurations will be missing, and the program won't work.
To transfer programs from one PC to another, you would need tools like "EaseUS Todo PCTrans" or "PCmover." However, I have no experience regarding whether these programs always work flawlessly. Therefore, here is a pragmatic but effective approach:

• Export the programs' user configurations from the old PC, using my script:
  
  REM Backup of the most important Registrykeys for Vpin-Software as File export
  REM all keys are from the User-hive HKCU, they are valid for the just loggedin user
  
  @echo off
  
  REM system language independent use of date/time
  for /f %%x in ('wmic path win32_localtime get /format:list ^| findstr "="') do set %%x
  REM Format that leading "0" will be added, if necessary
  if "%Month:~1,1%"==""   set Month=0%Month%
  if "%Day:~1,1%"==""     set Day=0%Day%
  if "%Hour:~1,1%"==""    set Hour=0%Hour%
  if "%Minute:~1,1%"==""  set Minute=0%Minute%
  if "%Second:~1,1%"==""  set Second=0%Second%
  
  REM build date and time-string: YYYY-MM-DD_HH-MM-SS
  set MYDATE=%Year%.%Month%.%Day%
  set MYTIME=%Hour%-%Minute%-%Second%
  set DateTime=%MYDATE%_%MYTIME%
  
  REM every time a new directory is created for the exported keys and log files
  mkdir %DateTime%
  
  
  start /wait reg export HKCU\SOFTWARE\DirectOutput %DateTime%\DirectOutput.reg /Y
  start /wait reg export HKCU\SOFTWARE\DOFLinx %DateTime%\DOFLinx.reg /Y
  start /wait reg export "HKCU\SOFTWARE\Future Pinball" %DateTime%\FuturePinball.reg /y
  start /wait reg export HKCU\SOFTWARE\Freeware %DateTime%\VPinMAME.reg /y
  start /wait reg export HKCU\SOFTWARE\PinUPPopper %DateTime%\PinUPPopper.reg /y
  start /wait reg export HKCU\SOFTWARE\UltraDMD %DateTime%\UltraDMD.reg /y
  start /wait reg export HKCU\SOFTWARE\Valve %DateTime%\Steam.reg /y
  start /wait reg export "HKCU\SOFTWARE\Visual Pinball" %DateTime%\VisualPinball.reg /y
  
  start /wait reg export HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{A23BFDBC-9A8A-46C0-8672-60F23D54FFB6} %DateTime%\DOF-object-registration_HKCR.reg /Y
  start /wait reg export HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\WOW6432Node\CLSID\{A23BFDBC-9A8A-46C0-8672-60F23D54FFB6} %DateTime%\DOF-object-registration_WOW6432.reg /y
  
  REM save VPinballX.ini
  copy %APPDATA%\VPinballX\VPinballX.ini %DateTime%\VPinballX.ini
• Install the programs into the same directory on the new PC
• At first Create a system backup, (EaseUS to backup f.e.)
• Import the user settings again into the registry of the new pC
• Copy the files from the old PC into the same directories where they were originally located
• Check all .exe and .dll files to see if they are blocked, and unblock them if necessary.
• check and compare the configuration of the programs between the old and the new PC.
• to unblock all the files within a directory use powershell
  dir -r | unblock-file

 

you can try to just clone over the full boot disk and then let it load drivers for the new hardware.

[fhjui]

>>you can try to just clone over the full boot disk and then let it load drivers for the new hardware.

 

thats not a good idea. At first, Cloning PCs isn't supported from microsoft til today. And that has some good reasons: the unique computer-ID is also duplicated to the new one.

That can have issues f.e. joining the computer to a active directory domain.

And existing errors and version histories, unused or wrong DLL-registrations are carried over.

I didn't recommend that way without reason. (over 30 Years IT pro and MS software eng.)

Edited by fhjui, 14 July 2026 - 07:22 AM.