Possible to create an install file from an installed program?
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Can I create an install file from an installed program? Windows. I need to reformat my hard drive and reinstall everything. There's one program I use a ton for which I no longer have the install disk. The program is version 6.0, released probably 8-10 years ago, of a title that is up around version 14 now, and not really even the same software anymore. I don't want the new version, the vendor refuses to provide me the old version, and I can't find it in the usual torrent sites or "old version" sites. It's paid software, not open source. Is there something that can grab all the necessary files, registry writes, etc. and create an install file for me so I can continue to use this software on my new build?
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Answer:
Before reformatting you could copy all of the files that think are related to the program on to a different machine and see if it runs with the files you think it needs.
stupidsexyFlanders at Ask.Metafilter.Com Visit the source
Other answers
I would try copying the "program files" folder to the new pc as mentioned above, run the .exe & see if any error messages are displayed. They may give info as what else needs to be transferred.
canoehead
Should have linked to the correct place, the new program is http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896645.
Ad hominem
By any chance, does the program in question rhyme with Bloat-o-Slop? If so, I can verify that, with version 6, the serial info is stored within the program directory and not within the registry. So you can just copy the program's install directory to a new computer and run it without issue: So backing up the directory C:\Program Files\Agobi\Bloat-o-Slop and just copying it back to the new system will work a-ok.
Cat Pie Hurts
another possibility might be to create an image of your hard drive, re-image your drive, and run the old image in a virtual machine. Space might be an issue; I like to buy a new drive, get it running, then I can take my time transferring old stuff over. Another issue might be that the old image runs slowly/is infected, etc. You can make a copy of the image file, run anti-malware programs, de-crapifyers, and delete startup processes nily-wily with impunity since you have the ISO to roll back to. What OS you running?
at
You could reverse engineer it by comparing the filesystem immediately before and immediately after the install, but that window is long gone now. You could hope that the program's registry entries are all in one, super easy to find place and it's only files are in C:\Program Files\Name of Program\. I'm not familiar enough with Windows debugging to reccomend a tool, but you could monitor the program as it runs to see what registry keys it looks at and what files it accesses.
Brian Puccio
Yes, it's ulead photoimpact v6.
stupidsexyFlanders
Can you post the name of the software? Somebody here may have a copy you can install from, for which you could use your license key etc.
defcom1
Revert to eBay for another copy?
kenchie
If it's a legal copy, calling the company with your serial# can usually result in new media being sent to you.
rhizome
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