Saving program settings for new computer

[Tosh McCaber]

I'm about to change computers. several of my programmes have saved default settings. How and where do I find and save the current default settings for future use, so I don't have the tedious task of re-installing the settings?

[Gertrude the Wombat]

There is no general answer.

You don't say which operating system you're using - to pick a couple at random, on Linux the settings are likely to be scattered around in a number of little files in unlikely places, in Windows the settings are likely to be scattered around in the registry in unlikely places (and possibly in some files as well).

Some applications may provide means for you to export settings from the old installation and import them in the new one.

In some cases finding and copying the little files and registry keys will work. In other cases this will not work, as the settings refer to or rely on other things which are different on the new computer.

Occasionally you will be lucky, and moving an application is simply a matter of copying a single directory, but most aren't like that ...

Pain, isn't it.

[Sprogget]

Acronis True Image specifically backs up application settings.

[phineas]

Look at this:

How to use Windows Easy Transfer to migrate files and settings from one Windows-based computer to another Windows Vista-based computer (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928634/)

I think it worked perfectly for me.

In XP most of the things you need are in

C: \Documents and Settings\<Your Name>\Application Data

which, I think is hidden


HTH