How to run programs from my old HDD to my new SSD

Hey everyone, I recently got a new Crucial M4 64Gb SSD, installed windows, and other frequently used programs to it, but all of my settings (Such as start menu order and theme and whatnot) all stayed on my HDD.
My main question however, is that I get errors when trying to run programs I left on my HDD such as WoW. I tried sending the shortcuts to my SSD's desktop, but still can't run everything I'd like. Is there anyway to run these programs without reinstalling them all to my HDD, because that would take months to find them all (Not to mention AT&Ts 300kbps download speeds). Please help I am so mad bros!

Unfortunately the registry entries for your installed programs remained with the old OS install, some will work some will not. For the ones that don't work you'll have to reinstall them. When reinstalling the software you may select where to install them (ie the HDD os the SSD). This will create the registry entries required to run the software within your new OS. There are ways to not have to download some software and using the old install files to aid in the re install, without being at the computer personally it's beyond the scope of the help I can give from here. Perhaps someone with more knowledge then myself in the community can aid further.

For your themes, start menu etc. you can try typing "easy transfer" within the start menu, or manually set them backup the way you like.

Well thanks for your help! I'm glad to know there are programs out there. I'll try it out and see if my SSD is worth the hassle haha

WoW shouldn't cause a problem if you're running it from the HDD, but you should now that a shortcut is not a program. Run WoW.exe or Launcher.exe and it should work.

WoW wasn't the best example seeing as it does in fact work haha. It's just random programs.

Well, random programs may have things stored somewhere around %AppData% and the registry, and may cry if they can't find them.

I agree with the other posters before me, for most software, you'll have to reinstall. You should also think of getting rid of the windows folder, it could create conflicts.

Here's a little trick to save space on your SSD (and it might also help you merge your user accounts).

I'm going to assume you're using Win7 (Vista works exactly the same way, XP is a little different so if you're using XP, I'll have to write a different procedure).

You should move your Users folder to your hard drive, that way the stuff that doesn't need to open quickly (pictures, movies, music, etc.) will reside on your HDD. It DOESN'T move %AppData% so you will still have a Users folder on your SSD but it will be much smaller.

0) If you are using the same profile name for your SSD windows installation and your HDD profile. Rename the HDD profile (simply add a suffix like 1 or whatever at the end, keep that as a backup for the moment).

1) Open your C:\Users, locate your profile.

2) Open another windows explorer and go to your HDD (I'm gonna call it D:\ from now on) D:\Users. Create a folder with the same name than your profile so for example it could look like D:\Users\DwarfKing\.

3) Select the content of C:\Users\*Your profile*, at least Desktop, Documents, Music, Pictures, Videos, Save Games. You can move everything except the hidden folder AppData.

4) With all the folders selected in C:\Users\*Your profile*, right click AND HOLD on one of the file, drag to D:\Users\*Your profile* and then release. A pop-up menu will ask what you're trying to do select "Move here". This will move the file from your SSD to your HDD and redirect MOST (but not necessarily all of them so if you do this early enough you shouldn't have any problems) links.

5) When you're done moving the files, you can copy those from your older profile and paste them in your new profile. If you do that for your desktop be warned that most of your older link will not work because of the previously mentionned issue with the registry.

Thanks for the awesome tips Dakyris!

Oh and how to I put all of my libraries on my new SSD to the libraries of my HDD?

Well nevermind then, when I boot it just leaves a flashing line on the top left (like it's waiting for me to type) and when I can actually get on my SSD it freezes its balls off. Back to good ol' HDD

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Your SSD shouldn't just freeze. What have you done? :3

@Dakyris, does that really work? I've been using the Properties method before, but if that works and its easier, hey, thanks for the info.

txus.palacios said:

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Your SSD shouldn't just freeze. What have you done? :3

@Dakyris, does that really work? I've been using the Properties method before, but if that works and its easier, hey, thanks for the info.

Click to expand...

Yeah I've been using this method since Vista's release. That means for my 4 last builds.

I don't know! I'm using AHCI and I've even re-installed windows twice now. It's weird, first my mouse and keyboard stop working, then it completely freezes and I have to force restart. Don't know what's going on

Is the firmware on the SSD up to date (000F is the latest version). Link

I updated it and it still froze after about 3 minutes... Should I install Windows again after the new firmware update? Could it it actually be broken?

Shouldn't have to reinstall, the earlier firmwares had some problems. Sounds like the problem isn't the ssd.

The problem only happened after X (replace X with a lot of) hours.

Well I reinstalled windows, and it still freezes up after 3 minutes. But before I installed the windows updates it didn't freeze at all. This sounds like a problem with microsoft to me. Another thing is my mobo is kind of sketchy, like random things don't work, could that possibly be the problem? I've tried switching sata ports...

I've had a 128GB m4 since Sandy came out.

Not a single problem except a power cycle I had to do.

txus.palacios said:

I've had a 128GB m4 since Sandy came out.

Not a single problem except a power cycle I had to do.

Click to expand...

Let's trade drives shall we?
I feel like it's windows or my mobo, and if that's the case, I'll put it in my MacBook pro...