Possible to uninstall prog and reinstall without disk?

[grafx]

I plan to buy a new computer in the future. I do not have the original install disks for some programs. These were programs I downloaded and had limited time serial numbers for installation. It is it possible with some program to uninstall these programs with the registry information intact and reinstall them on the new hard drive and insert the necessary registry info??

 

[Bubbaleone]

No, you can't. Your best option is to create an image (clone) of your current hard drive, onto a different hard drive, and then copy the cloned image to the hard drive on the new machine. Without knowing what operating system and hardware you're currently running, and what type PC (OEM or custom built) you plan to buy, I can't give you much info.

I will say that if you currently have Windows 7 and the new machine will have Windows 7 also, then this is possible with a Startup Repair following the cloning procedure, to correct the difference in hardware.

It will work for XP as well but you'd have to run XP on your new machine, and finding XP drivers for todays newer hardware is becoming problematic.

 

[grafx]

I have Vista, but the new machine will have 7 or 8.

 

[mikeymikec]

One trick that worked for me for time-sensitive serial numbers is to reset the clock to the appropriate date, use the serial, then set it back again

 

[Bubbaleone]

I have Vista, but the new machine will have 7 or 8.

If you're very technically inclined, and feel up to a challenge, you can use Sysprep to prepare a Vista image to be installed on the new hardware and then do a Vista to Windows 7 upgrade installation.

That's the only method I know of that may (no guarantee) retain your third-party Vista programs. And this doesn't even touch on what sort of activation problems you'll encounter. Might just be best to bite the bullet and be prepared for having to replace software that you don't have installation media and/or valid keys for.


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