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DaniWeb
- Ken Hess
Dec 28, 2009
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Laplink Software PCMover Professional $59.95 Download Version
If you don't know it already, you can't upgrade directly from Windows XP to Windows 7 using
the Windows 7 bootable media. Microsoft suggests upgrading to Vista then to Windows 7. That's an
expensive undertaking.
It's also quite daunting to consider moving from your old Windows XP computer to a new
Windows 7 computer. You'll have to locate and reinstall all your programs and applications,
transfer your files and reconfigure your new computer. Using one of Laplink Software's PCMover
products, you can make the move with far less expense, stress and effort.
This review covers my own experiences in migrating from my old Windows XP PC to my new
Windows 7 laptop. I've used Windows XP for several years now and have installed several dozen
programs, amassed over 100GB of files and customized my computer in such a way that would be
difficult, if not impossible, to duplicate without doing a disk-to-disk copy.
I purchased a new Acer laptop (Aspire 7535-5020) that came with Windows 7 Home Premium. I
immediately reinstalled the system with Windows 7 Ultimate N and downloaded Acer support files to
put it back to a factory fresh state before continuing the migration from Windows XP to Windows 7.
I downloaded PCMover Pro from Laplink's website and installed it on both computers. The
installation was smooth and quick on both systems. Next, I fired up the PCMover software on
the old computer--having never read any instructions for the software--and realized that I need to
run the software on the new system first.
Basically PCMover works as a sender/receiver pair. You have to set up the listener
(receiver/new PC) first and then configure the sender. Once the new PC was setup to listen
for connections, I ran the PCMover wizard on the old system, designated it as the OLD Computer and
selected the type of migration (Full)--Selections are Full (Files, settings and applications),
Files and Settings only or Files only. Then, I selected my user account and the list of programs
that I wanted to move.
The wizard finishes by building a list of files that need to be moved. Once the
migration begins, you'll see a progress meter tell you how many files have been moved, how much
time has elapsed and how far you have to go.
The entire process took me 6.5 hours to complete over my wired network. My move consisted of
applications and only a small amount of my accumulated data. I recommend Laplink PCMover Pro for
moving your applications and data. It's well worth the $60 price tag. It's also worth noting that
you should definitely purchase the Laplink USB cable (~$10 if purchased with the boxed Pro Product)
to speed up your migration (Reportedy, up to 5 times faster).
Laplink Pro, and the "Mover" family of products aren't perfect but if you want a hassle free
move and can make it work on the first pass, buy it.
Rating: 7.5/10
Pros: