Prevention

Old Software on New Computers

By Michelle V. Rafter

When it comes to upgrading your computer, out with the old doesn't necessarily mean in with the new.

Even when you've taken advantage of a great deal on a new PC or Mac, you might not be ready to leave behind your favorite old software programs, especially if you didn't get them that long ago.

The good news is many older programs can run on new computers with the latest software operation systems.

The bad news is that, in some cases, you might not know if a program will or won't run before slipping the set-up CD into the machine's drive and clicking "Install."

To their credit, operating system software makers like Microsoft have gotten better at posting compatibility information on their web sites so you can check before you fork over the big bucks for a new system. And most software makers have compatibility instructions on their application download page or shrink-wrapped packaging.

Compatibility Test

Compatibility issues between your old software and new computers come up when vendors overhaul operating system software to fix bugs or modernize features, such as a user interface. Those changes transform the operating systems' kernel, the core components that make it work, which sometimes interferes with the ability of older applications to run on the new operating system, according to Alex Barger, a veteran computer programmer for ProspectMX, of Lancaster, Pa., an Internet marketing firm.

Software makers work around this by adding small programs called drivers to new operating systems that let them mimic older versions, says Barger. And that sometimes allows older applications to run fine on the new machines.

If your new machine runs Microsoft's Windows Vista, the majority of software written for the older Windows XP operating system will run on it. If a program doesn't, it's either because it's very old or it contains a driver for an older model printer or scanner, according to Clyde Lerner, owner of a computer maintenance and consulting firm in Sunnyvale, Calif. "Vista's been around for two years now and pretty much everything's caught up," Lerner says.

There are a few notable exceptions. Pre-2007 versions of Intuit's Quickbooks financial software, for example, don't work on Vista. Neither do versions of Adobe Acrobat and Acrobat Reader older than version 8.0, according to Lerner.

On Apple computers, the Mac OS X 10.5.5 operating system will run software applications written for versions 10.4 and 10.3 but nothing older, Lerner says.

When Phil Stanoch bought himself an HP Pavilion Slimline recently, the Euclid, Ohio, resident and computer analyst dodged the compatibility issue almost completely by only porting programs he uses on a regular basis. Luckily for Stanoch, all his favorites transferred without a hitch "or I downloaded it again from where I originally purchased it," he says. The one exception was Microsoft Office 2007, for which Stanoch downloaded a free, 60-day trial. He says he'll most likely buy the software outright when the freebie expires.

That's a sensibility that's shared by Barger, the computer programmer. At work, people often have to wait to try newer versions of software until their entire office upgrades, so at home, take advantage of the ability to just jump in and try new stuff, Barger says. "It'll be faster and there will be new features," he says. "And you can get programs that you're probably behind the times upgrading to."

New Security Software a Must

There's one type of old program you should never try moving to a new machine: security software. Anti-virus, spyware or other security programs that keep a computer safe from viruses, botnets or other malware are integrated into a machine's operating system software. That makes it imperative to use the most up-to-date version on a new machine, says Lerner, the computer consultant. Even though Macs come with built-in firewall software, Lerner recommends his clients install anti-virus software anyway to avoid inadvertently passing on a virus to a friend through an email attachment, something firewall software won't guard against. More than likely, older security software won't even install on new machines, he says.

Meanwhile, if you want to install an older program on a new machine, the best way to do it is from the original installation disks, not by copying what's on your existing machine's hard drive and moving it to the new machine, Barger says. "When you install a program there's more to it than just copying files," he says. "There are low level system drivers and a lot of registry settings and you are not going to know what's involved. The time it takes to find all that information and put it on a new computer isn't worth it."

Finally, if you've created a lot of custom settings in a particular program, Barger suggests using the Transfer Wizard feature found on the installation disks of most Microsoft-compatible software to make sure those settings are saved when you port over the program.