0

I know of a few programs which help you take backups of installed drivers on your system... I would like to know if there is any process or some software which helps you backup any installed software on your system... I did some Google searching but couldn't find anything...

3
  • You would like to back up an installed program? Also, what operating system? May 17, 2013 at 4:34
  • Yes.....On windows 7
    – user224944
    May 17, 2013 at 4:36
  • Just create a image of the HDD. There is no universal tool that only backups your Application because of the added element of registry keys for those programs. Most programs you cannot just cut and paste into a Winows installation and have it work.
    – Ramhound
    May 17, 2013 at 11:24

3 Answers 3

5

In general, there is no universal way to back up any installed program, because some applications are large and complex, and store components, configuration, or binaries in non-standard places. You would need to be much more specific - each and every program would need to be backed up individually with a custom tool designed for just that program.

This is different from drivers, which must follow very specific standards in order for Windows to load them. Because of this, it's possible to write a general program which can back up almost any driver.

1

PickMeApp does exactly what you ask. I was able to backup some pre installed apps on my new PC and reinstall them on windows 8.

You have 2 options for restoring apps; One or more programs can be used to generate an exe installer or install PickMeApp on the new PC and giving it your backup data.

0

This is very different based on program and operating system. Most operating systems have standards that define how a program should behave and how it should store data. If all programs follow these standards it would be possible to back up individual programs easily. Unfortunately it is optional to follow the standards on many operating systems (Windows, Unix).

It is also a question on how much you want to back up. Just the settings, the program and the settings, or the program, the settings and the licensing.

The optimal solution differs based on the scale of the problem. In an enterprise with 100+ people there are solutions to install most programs with specific settings and working licensing across various machines at once. These solutions are not optimal at home.

If you ask more specifically for a concrete operating system and some well known programs (Office, Notepad++, etc.) people will be able to help you.

Assuming you just need to backup the settings of a Windows program on a private PC: In recent Windows versions, the settings of programs are usually stored in a subfolder of C:\Users\[insert_user_name_here]\AppData\

Usually the exact path is C:\Users\[insert_user_name_here]\AppData\Roaming\[name_of_the_program]

AppData is a hidden directory, so to reach it you need to either type the address, or set Explorer to show hidden directories.

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .