XP32 >WIN 7-64bit migration w/ LapLink PCmover
 

Anybody have further info on migrating from XP32 to Win 7-64 using LapLinks PCmover? ON paper it sure looks good and may be a solution to some not wanting to lose time and settings, but...even if LapLink is a MS Gold Certified Partner, that's a lot of variables.

Also, could this affect our current Prospect and CSx installations? Maybe migrating to another installation on the same system would be safer?

Anybody have any info on this new prog from these old-timers at LapLink? These guys might be the key to Win 7 actually making it big. Who wants to test it on a new partition in their system?

Take a look: Laplink Software - Press Releases - Laplink Solves Windows 7 Upgrade Problem for Under $20

I read the press release.
Hmmm... seems like a very tall order to me.
I think you should go first, Stephen ;-)

You would definitely need to deauthorize your Cineform app - it monitors hardware and OS to generate a system code - this will change on your new system. Just reauthorize once you are up and running again.

Would this also be necessary if you simply upgrade Vista 64 system to Win 7 64??

Not sure ..... it has always been hardware or driver changes that have tripped me up, but since it is such a quick process, I would still recommend de- and re-authorizing to be on the safe side. The Cineform folks would know for sure.

Hmmm... that raises the question re all the other authorized/activated software as well- Adobe, etc.
I'm sure we'll start hearing a lot more about it after win 7 is actually released next month.
Certainly worth checking into carefully before doing the upgrade.

I've always found that clean installs are always less work in the long run. Even though oit feels like a hassle at the time. And you get a faster system (for a while) with all the cr** out of the way. I'd be worried about the tiny things that program movers left out or scrambled and you didn't find out until later. I tend to set up dual boots wityh the old setup and gradually move my useage habits over to the new install.

It's hard to believe they can even do it, but..........LapLink are certainly heavyhitters and know their stuff. If anyone could do it, those old buzzards probably could...

But, I figured Robert should be the first victim. Since he bled so much with CS4, he's used to it...

Nah... I'm retiring the XP32/CS3 system to the back up farm. I'm undecided about upgrading the Vista 64 to Win 7 64, vs. clean install of Win7 for my i7 system.
I think I will wait & watch what happens to others. Truth of the matter is that CS4/PHD 4 is actually working quite well with Vista 64/ 12 GB RAM right now, so I'm not cornered yet!!

We'll probably leap soon to actually using the CS4 install on the x64 machine it's sitting on. Just been dragging our feet as we're trying to finish up the 4th episode of a 12-episode series and launch the first 4 in English.

I hated to even think of hassles like CS4 while we're trying to set up for getting material for the first 20 languages to be dubbed/subtitled, but we really need that CS4/Prospect machine actually functioning correctly, before relying on it.

I've had this hope Adobe was going to do a corrective early launch of CS5 and we'd all upgrade at once, but now I don't think they'll do it. There's too few info leaks getting out of Adobe to actually give serious hope for that happening.

Tnx Robert, you give me some hope of actually using CS4 for real work. Now if I just had a couple of EX3's...things would really be looking up. I know you like your's...

not if you upgrade in place. If you reformat and install from scratch, you'll need to deactivate (like I just forgot to do... *sigh*).

Thanks,
Matt

Good news indeed. Thanks Matt.
The only real question is going to be whether or not Win 7 can successfully entwine its tentacals around all of the software I currently have on board, whilst simultaneously extracting all the vestiges of Vista 64.
I think I will image my existing system drive to back up, and then just throw caution to the winds & see what happens.
Stephen- Premiere CS4 has been much maligned, but it has a good look & feel to it, and some nice features. The major annoying problems I had with CS3/ XP 32/ PHD 3.x are non-existant on this system. Most of my problems early on had more to do with getting CF and CS4 to work together. We seem to be getting past that with the latest CF versions.

Robert, that LapLink software does "in place" and it seems they are the only show in town doing it correctly, at least according to the MS guy I saw that mentioned them. That's why it caught my eye. "In place" upgrades are still risky and they seem to have made it a bit less risky.

It's my understanding that the retail release installation of Win 7 must be a fresh install from the Release Candidate version.

Would LapLink allow an in place installation in lieu of a completely fresh installation on a system with the RC version?

Looking again at the press release, it looks like their focus is on upgrading XP, and Vista 32 to Win 7 64. My understanding is that these are indeed tricky & risky OS conversions. In my case I will be upgrading Vista 64 to Win 7 64, which has been billed by MS and others as a "no brainer".
We'll see about that.
It is plausable, since Win 7 is supposed to be just a streamlined/ refined version of Vista. So, the story goes, if you stay in the same class (Vista 32 Home Premium> Win 7 32 Home Premium; Vista 64 Home Premium> etc., etc...), the upgrade is supposed to be easy & quick. I've read a couple of reviews where the upgrade was easily done with the RC version- but none of the reviewers had NLE suites on board.
As is usual with this stuff, it will be a step into the unknown for each of us I'm sure.

Well, let's hope it's smooth and easy for you! I envy your possible easy upgrade, as I'll be doing a separate partition/fresh install and probably trying to do the LapLink thingie, just for fun.

I'll probably wait to see how much blood flows from others before taking the leap, however. This old buzzard is finally starting to get gun shy...just too many scars. Not enough free time to play a CS4/CFHD Prospect/Vista-like dance. When cries of "W7 victory" began to sound like a chorus, I'll add my screech to the new music and dance the W7-64 jig.

Marty, if it does, there'll be a long line waiting to download that little $19.95 prog! It does seem a possibility from their ad info:

PCmover is compatible for migrations from all versions of Windows (since Windows 95), and supports in-place upgrades from Windows 2000 through Windows 7, including 32-bit and 64-bit upgrades and migrations. Only PCmover automatically moves all settings, files, folders, applications, and more to a new PC. Pictures, videos, music, tax files, Internet favorites, documents, spreadsheets, games, and much more can all be moved automatically. Setting PCmover apart from any other solution is the ability to move applications, a capability no other tool provides.

Keep us posted if you find out anything more.

Robert, I thought of you and your inplace upgrade when I read this, and thot I'd quote Videoguys to you:

"If you are currently running your NLE workstation under Vista64, you should have no problem migrating to Windows 7 once all your drivers are available. Just remember to do a clean install. Never install a new Windows operating system upgrade over an existing version of Windows. While it may work out, if anything goes wrong it will be a nightmare to troubleshoot and resolve."

that's from their website on making a DIY video workstation: Videoguys.com and Windows 7

I hear you.
My strategy is to first image my system drive, then do the update. If it works well- I'm set.
If it doesn't work well, I'll just restore the original image & be right back where I started & maybe consider a clean install on a new HD.
MS has an "upgrade analysis" tool for Win 7. It examines your system & software and warns of potential problems- I don't know how accurate it is, but it didn't pull any red flags on my current Vista 64 system.

May your upgrade be a success and I trust you don't have to use that image. High 5's if the Win 7 goes in over your Vista without a murmur, I'll envy you greatly!

Meanwhile I'll wait to see how much blood is spilled over any recorded attempts to update via the LapLink thing. If it's not too much of a bloody mess, I'll probably try it on one 32-bit system. If that actually works fairly well afterwards, I might even try to update two more XP x64 workstations. Maybe.

If there are any real doubts, I'll just create new partitions, do clean installs on all systems and cry over all the programs I have to reload on them! Makes me weary just thinking about it...

Well, your Win 7 day is fast approaching.