I need a little help
I need a little help
So sometimes I refurbish and assemble computers for people. I built a couple of these for a guy who uses them to run CAD programs for cutting metal and creating statues, signs, and similar items. They’re still pretty outdated. The machine is old, probably from the DDR2 era, running Windows Vista. He sticks with an old program because he’s familiar with it and it functions properly. His company no longer supports that software. I can’t recall the exact name of the program, but he’s at work right now. They don’t want to upgrade; they prefer to keep using what they have. They’re asking me to build something that could replace their current setup if needed—something straightforward and plug-and-play.
I’ve got around 120 computers plus a variety of other devices I can think of. I was considering building a few older models, but I’d go for DDR3 with an SSD instead. I’ll keep the design simple so it doesn’t damage the existing hard drive during the transfer. If anyone has suggestions, I’d really appreciate it.
Thanks,
Nick
It's likely you'll encounter OS and architecture challenges when attempting to replicate a clone. Make sure the installer for the CAD software is compatible or adjust accordingly. Another option might involve using a virtual machine, but I don't have enough experience with this approach in real-world projects.
never a good idea to clone the OS for use with a different motherboard.
you never know what sort of compatibility issues will arise and what kind of limited performance you may suffer.
if there is still an old installation package available to them(CD/DVD, downloaded, etc) for this "old" software;
find an old Vista installation disk,
build the backup/replacement system,
install the OS offline,
install the "old" software package to the new system.
I have the disk. I understand what you're referring to. I learned the difficult way. Using the previous disk and finding Vista is something I was considering too. The only issue is that a lot of files and additions were made to the program over time. Is there a method to transfer the program from the old computer to the new one? Copy and paste, please. I believe I've done this before and had some success, though it didn't turn out perfectly. That's the key point. Thanks for your help.
What is VM? Is there a method to transfer that program from the old computer to the new one? I tried before and it worked, but I'm not sure if it was done correctly. There are many files and updates added over time, and I need to move everything to the new computer. That's the main goal. Thanks for your reply.
Vista and W7 cannot run natively on the latest hardware.
Use a virtual machine such as VMware Player
https://www.techspot.com/downloads/1969-...layer.html
to create a virtual computer within Windows. This allows you to execute almost any operating system and its applications.
You can allocate specific CPU cores, RAM, and disk space for it. The main limitation is that it doesn’t directly connect to physical hardware components like ports, so programs needing direct access must be virtualized as well.
Standard ports such as USB and serial/parallel are already supported in a virtualized form and work normally.
In theory, you could back up the system disk and restore it into the VM.
You should test this on a newer PC first.
When considering copying programs onto other drives or computers, it's important to note that sometimes the process skips the executable file, which means the program isn't installed into the Windows OS or registry. This method is worth trying if you prefer that approach. Running the VM can be beneficial as it mimics a real PC installation. You determine the hard drive capacity within the Virtual Machine based on the total HDD size and available space, then set the appropriate RAM and enable internet access when necessary.
It's just a few old machines. Back then there were only five Space Shuttles, and 20 years later they were searching for 8086 chips on eBay instead of trying to make new upgrades. Perfectly accurate copies using original parts would likely work fine without any problems. You could also simply copy the disks to SSDs—though if they're ICH7, AHCI won't be supported and performance might suffer, but TRIM still functions even without it.
Typically, program's custom user settings and/or saved files are located in the application directory, within the users' folders (such as C:\Users\*user_name*) or in the OS Program Data folders (like C:\ProgramData). You often see discussions online about where certain applications keep their files. If you need to restore them, copy all related folders and reinsert them after a fresh software installation.