PCmover Seattle Times Review

Seattle Times  - Noah Matthews
Dec 1, 2007
Link to article

Whenever I get a new PC, I first get rid of the bloatware shipped from the manufacturer. Then I install all my programs from scratch. After that (it's getting dark now), I copy over my documents and data files. Yes, it's a pain, and it takes up the better part of a day, but I know that I'm starting from scratch, with a clean operating system and clean installs of my programs.

Another way to do it is via PCmover, which transfers everything via a USB or other cable. It's faster, but you're pretty much guaranteed that all your files — even those you don't need or want any more — will follow you to the new PC.

The PCmover I tried was for upward migrations only. From Windows Me to XP, for example, or from 95 to 98. This version comes with a USB cable, Filemover software and a user-friendly interface. A newer version, available from Laplink, will move your files from XP to Vista, and it adds a few useful bells and whistles.

I tried this version because I am hearing and reading that a lot of PC users are sticking with XP and its latest upgrades (all free from the Microsoft Web site). They're finding that Vista is memory-hungry, for one thing, and doesn't offer enough useful utilities to justify the price of the software and the hardware upgrades.

So let's say you're far more cautious than I am, and you've decided to make the move from Windows 98 to Windows XP. This version of PCmover is just the ticket. It will move your settings, e-mail, data and programs to the new operating system or PC.

In a few hours, depending on how much you're moving, you're all set up on your new PC. You don't have to reinstall your programs, such as Word and Excel; they move along with your Word and Excel data files.

If you're confident that you want all those files, this is your day (and your software). But if you would rather reinstall everything, and you have all the installation discs, I think clean installs trump migration.

However, if your programs are running just the way you like, and you don't have a clue how to customize them again, PCmover is the way to go.