Moving a hard drive with photoshop to a different computer
- Thread starter mahcity
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Kendo4life1
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- Feb 6, 2014
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moving a harddrive from a pc to another pc is fine, just make sure that the pc you're moving from and to have the same cable connections.
these connections are probably one power cable, and one SATA cable.
moving it should be no problem as long as you have these 2 cables, you will keep al your files and operating system, do make sure to configure the BIOS in your new pc to boot from the harddrive you're putting in.
these connections are probably one power cable, and one SATA cable.
moving it should be no problem as long as you have these 2 cables, you will keep al your files and operating system, do make sure to configure the BIOS in your new pc to boot from the harddrive you're putting in.
- Mar 16, 2013
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Old PC - OS and photoshop
You wish to move this drive to a new PC and hope it works
That is a definite 'maybe'
Several levels of issues here
Will the OS boot? Unknown. Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn't.
Will you have activation issues with the OS seeing a whole new system? Maybe.
Do you have the serial number/license key for Photoshop? What version?
Lastly - do you really need 'Photoshop'? There are a zillion cheaper or free alternatives that give 90% of the power of PS.
You wish to move this drive to a new PC and hope it works
That is a definite 'maybe'
Several levels of issues here
Will the OS boot? Unknown. Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn't.
Will you have activation issues with the OS seeing a whole new system? Maybe.
Do you have the serial number/license key for Photoshop? What version?
Lastly - do you really need 'Photoshop'? There are a zillion cheaper or free alternatives that give 90% of the power of PS.
earthshaker495
Reputable
- Jul 22, 2014
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- 4,510
It is possible to do this - you need to run "sysprep" before transferring the hard drive. Before you run sysprep you will need your Windows activation key. Also, running sysprep will remove your user account and Windows settings (but you will still have all your files and programs). You will also have to reinstall all of your drivers. Just follow the steps here:
http://www.fixedbyvonnie.com/2014/01/heres-smart-way-move-internal-hard-drives-computers/#.U_O0n_ldWP0
or this old TomsHardware post:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/259835-32-transferring-hard-drive-computer
if you don't know your Windows activation key download and use a program called Magical Jelly Bean here:
https://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder/
After you move the hard drive to your new system just make sure that you are booting from the right location in your BIOS.
Hope this helps!
Edited for typos.
http://www.fixedbyvonnie.com/2014/01/heres-smart-way-move-internal-hard-drives-computers/#.U_O0n_ldWP0
or this old TomsHardware post:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/259835-32-transferring-hard-drive-computer
if you don't know your Windows activation key download and use a program called Magical Jelly Bean here:
https://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder/
After you move the hard drive to your new system just make sure that you are booting from the right location in your BIOS.
Hope this helps!
Edited for typos.
WinOutreach2
Distinguished
- Mar 3, 2011
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With an answer file, it is possible to bypass both conflicts outlined by earthshaker495. For a general guide on how to use Sysprep, see How Sysprep Works here on TechNet.
Defining the setting PersistAllDevices will prevent the removal of installed drivers. This is not desirable if you are migrating between devices with very different hardware configurations, but is an option if you are migrating between similar models, such as where the chipset and motherboard are unchanged. This is covered in the Persisting Plug and Play Device Drivers during generalize section of the above linked article.
To persist the settings configured for a user account, the default mechanism is the CopyProfile setting outlined here, where the Administrator account is configured (typically via Audit Mode) and then copied to the local Default User profile. For a single user, you can simply enable the Administrator account, run Sysprep there, and when prompted by the Out Of Box Experience (OOBE) create a new, temporary user. Once the computer has booted, log out and back in as the original user and delete the temporary account.
With that said, I would strongly urge you to consider the licensing ramifications of such a migration. Some software preinstalled on a specific machine including some OEM installations of Windows are restricted to the machine on which they are originally installed.
I would also strongly recommend that you make a full system backup before attempting to clone or migrate the environment. Some software can conflict with Sysprep and prevent completion, such as some security software, resulting in a system which cannot be booted to Windows and cannot be reverted to a pre-Sysprep condition.
Defining the setting PersistAllDevices will prevent the removal of installed drivers. This is not desirable if you are migrating between devices with very different hardware configurations, but is an option if you are migrating between similar models, such as where the chipset and motherboard are unchanged. This is covered in the Persisting Plug and Play Device Drivers during generalize section of the above linked article.
To persist the settings configured for a user account, the default mechanism is the CopyProfile setting outlined here, where the Administrator account is configured (typically via Audit Mode) and then copied to the local Default User profile. For a single user, you can simply enable the Administrator account, run Sysprep there, and when prompted by the Out Of Box Experience (OOBE) create a new, temporary user. Once the computer has booted, log out and back in as the original user and delete the temporary account.
With that said, I would strongly urge you to consider the licensing ramifications of such a migration. Some software preinstalled on a specific machine including some OEM installations of Windows are restricted to the machine on which they are originally installed.
I would also strongly recommend that you make a full system backup before attempting to clone or migrate the environment. Some software can conflict with Sysprep and prevent completion, such as some security software, resulting in a system which cannot be booted to Windows and cannot be reverted to a pre-Sysprep condition.
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