Help Restoring All Program and Windows Settings

HVCFOG3Y34 · Apr 4, 2015

Today I installed an SSD and installed windows on it in my existing computer. Is there a way for me to restore my program and windows settings easily? All I did was add a new SSD into my computer and the old HDD is still there with all the data.

Darkbreeze · Apr 4, 2015

Not really, and you probably don't want to anyway. As time goes on with our systems, small corruptions, errors, bits and pieces of leftover files and settings both in the file system and the registry, accumulate, and attempting to move those problems to a new installation is generally a bad idea. It's highly recommended that you simply reinstall any necessary programs, update drivers with current versions, configure settings manually and then move any necessary personal files or folders onto the SSD from the old drive.

HVCFOG3Y34 · Apr 5, 2015

Darkbreeze :

So what you are saying is if I reinstall my program on the same hard drive that it will restore my settings? Because all the data is going to stay on that drive because Im going to use it as a storage and my ssd being the boot drive.

Darkbreeze · Apr 5, 2015

No, that's not what I'm saying. However, if you have a game setting profile saved to the other drive, you may be able to import it by browsing to it once you've reinstalled the game on your current drive. IF, you bothered to save the game settings profile. If not, you can probably disconnect your SSD, reconnect the HDD, boot into windows, and export your preferred setttings for windows, applications and games to a folder on your desktop, then power off, reconnect the SSD, boot to the newer installation and then import those settings after installing the desired applications and games.

HVCFOG3Y34 · Apr 5, 2015

Right now I actually have 2 windows 7 installed so i can just boot the other one back up. But I find it hard to believe that you cant just load up a program and have it work like normal. Because a computer can have 100s of programs and reinstalling all those programs can be quite aggravating. I still have the other drive installed with all my data on it. Is there a way for me to copy over specific program settings that don't sync over like chrome?

Darkbreeze · Apr 5, 2015

As I said, there ARE ways to migrate installations, but it's not recommended and more often than not ends up creating unexpected complications. If you want to do it that way, it's up to you. You could actually migrate your entire installation to the new drive, if that's what you wanted to do. Moving installed applications to a new PC OR a different installation, is problematic because it's nearly impossible to move ALL the programs related registry entries and supporting files, to the appropriate locations on the new installation.

The are utilities that can do this, with varying degrees of success, and while it might be ok for a few programs, I'd be HIGHLY skeptical of any utilities ability to transfer a LOT of installed programs to a new installation and not result in one or more programs having issues. If you want to move your entire Windows installation from the old drive to the new one, that can be done too, but since the old drive is mechanical and the new drive is a solid state drive, partition arrangements, sizes and the windows supporting settings and drivers for storage hardware are all likely to be different which CAN result in issues as well. Unfortunately, if you want a trouble free installation, I'd really recommend installing your applications new.

If you want to transfer the entire disk image to the new drive anyhow, these are the best free options for cloning your installation:

http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-drive-cloning-software.htm

HVCFOG3Y34 · Apr 5, 2015

Darkbreeze :

I want to keep both my drives, the SSD and the HDD in the same computer. the SSD for OS and the HDD for program data. What I did so far was I had a computer with an HDD and I stuck a SSD in it. Installed windows 7 on the SSD. Now what i want to do is recover the programs. I'm sorry if i'm not grasping what you are saying, I'm just baffled that there is no easier way to do this. I mean if I can stick an HDD into my computer and keep all my programs the same why cant I stick an SSD on it and do the same? Why aren't the computer programs working the same as on my other windows install?

Darkbreeze · Apr 5, 2015

WHat you are wanting to do can't be done. You can't have one drive with windows installed on it and run the applications that are installed on the other drive. It's not possible. The applications need to be installed on the operating system installation that is currently running. The Windows installation on your SSD has no idea how to run those applications since their supporting files and registry entries are installed on the other windows operating system.

HVCFOG3Y34 · Apr 5, 2015

So it s the registry entries that it needs? Why cant I just copy the specific registry entries i need to get the programs to work? If not, will re installing the programs to the HDD restore any data?

Darkbreeze · Apr 5, 2015

IF you want everything on the SSD to be exactly as it was on the HDD, the only option is to clone the drive, which I linked how to do above.

HVCFOG3Y34 · Apr 5, 2015

Darkbreeze :

Ok, well thank for the help anyways. Something needs to be changed. Seems to me like it would be an easy fix.

Darkbreeze · Apr 5, 2015

Not only is it not an easy fix, but unless I'm not understanding what you're actually trying to do, it's not even possible, and never will be, aside from running remote applications installed on other drives in server environments.

I'd like to think I'm just not understanding what you really want, but I don't think that's the case. Regardless, good luck with your endeavor.

Edit-Honestly, your best option here is probably to clone the entire HDD over to the SSD, so it will be just as it was before you added the SSD, except faster (IF, IF the SSD is even large enough to hold everything you had on the hard drive) and then use the HDD as storage.

Darkbreeze · Apr 5, 2015

What size was your hard drive and what size is your SSD?

HVCFOG3Y34 · Apr 5, 2015

Darkbreeze :

Not big enough to not be able to move to the SSD.

To help you further understand what i'm talking about:
What I did was bought an SSD to put in an existing running computer that had 2 HDDs. I installed windows 7 on my SSD.
Right now i'm duel booting windows 7, one on my HDD and one on my SSD. When I boot my window on my HDD all my programs work like normal. But when I boot my SSD windows it doesn't recognize that all my programs are in that drive, and when I load up a program it doesn't remember any settings, except like steam, chrome (to an extent) and games like Minecraft.
What i want to do is have the SSD windows recognize the existing programs on the HDD. So in other words if I am going to re install any programs it would be on the same drive.
What i'm thinking is that I can pull specific registry entries from the HDD windows and put them on the SSD windows. Idk if that would work. Your probably right, it probably wont work. Ask more questions please if you don't understand, i'm not the best at wording things.

Darkbreeze · Apr 5, 2015

I do understand fully now, and aside from games, it won't work. Even if you move those registry entries to the other OS, there won't be the necessary supporting files which ALL applications look for on the same drive as the OS that is running is installed on. That's the way it's always been and the only way that could be changed is to completely change each program's instruction sets, or use only portable versions of applications, which doesn't apply since your applications are already installed and not all applications have portable versions anyhow.

This isn't even a purely OS related issue. It's behavior cooked into each individual application. If the application installer was run from one drive but it's installation had been directed to a separate drive, in some cases, like with Steam games and such, it will work. On most mainstream applications however it will not as the program and the OS will automatically look for the necessary supporting files and dynamic link libraries on the local drive or else return errors.

HVCFOG3Y34 · Apr 5, 2015

Darkbreeze :

So what would be the fix for me? How would i get my programs back to the way they were working before? How does anyone move to a new computer that has multiple drives and keep program data that cant be transferred?

Darkbreeze · Apr 5, 2015

They either buy drives large enough to clone the entire drive to the new drive, or they reinstall. This should be a consideration BEFORE buying a new drive, so that you'll know there is going to be enough space to reinstall the necessary applications.

HVCFOG3Y34 · Apr 5, 2015

Darkbreeze :

But i thought your not supposed to put that many programs on an SSD due to it wearing it out?

HVCFOG3Y34 · Apr 5, 2015

Also once i migrate all my HDD drive to the SSD can i move the files to another drive?

Help Restoring All Program and Windows Settings

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