Transferring software/plugins to new computer advice

[Pat Waara]

Hi everyone,

 

I am purchasing a new computer (it should arrive on Monday), and I'm wondering if anyone has any tips and tricks for transferring the way too many plugins and music software to my new computer. My assumption is that I must first unlicense all my plugins from my current computer then relicense them on my new computer. I have about half of them tied to my computer hardware and the other half on an iLok. The ones licensed on the iLok I assume will come over with the iLok. I have most of my samples on a separate SSD and most of my recordings on a separate HDD, so I should be able to just plug those into my new computer. Any tricks on when reinstalling the software to use those samples to find them on the SSD? I'm looking forward to my new computer, but I am not looking forward to moving everything over. That is always a tedious task.

[KuruPrionz]

Windows or Mac?

 

FWIW, I recently made a fresh boot disk for my MacBook Pro, which has a 512k hard drive - not big enough. I've got a 1tb HDD for recording, a 3tb HDD for backup and now I have a 2tb HDD set up just for recording only.

So I needed to do what you are planning to do.

 

If you are running a Mac, this can be super easy. You'll want to search it but essentially you can initialize a new disk and create a fully functional duplicate of your existing boot drive with all software intact, installed and fully functional.

I don't think software companies care if you transfer your stuff to another computer, as long as it's yours.

 

For what I was doing, I didn't want to install everything and have to back and delete all the non-recording software, my iTunes (now called Music) library, etc. So I installed everything from scratch, starting with a fresh system install that I downloaded from the Apple App store.

 

Some software vendors make it really easy. Native Instruments has a free download for Native Access. That program opens and shows everything you've ever registered with Native Instruments, whether or not it is installed, any available updates, etc. Because I still have a doomed to fail version of Garritan Personal Orchestra from a Tracktion 3 install 7 years ago, I didn't just click "Install All" but it does a reasonably fast and clean install or re-install of all products, registration remains intact. There was no "warning" or other mention that I'd changed drives. And it all works perfectly.

 

IK Multimedia on the other hand, tells you in advance that you should save all of your installers - which I had on my backup disk. I had to install every one of them from separate installers, a PITA!!!! But it did it and their Authorization Manager (which is a free download) showed that they were all registered in their new location.

 

I only have a few Waves plugins but Waves Central was like Native Access, click "Install All" and let it run. Arturia, Izotope and Eventide all have nice installer/authorizer programs too, all free and downloaded from their websites.

 

So my starting point recommendation for you would be to go to all of your plug-in maker's websites and see if they have any of these nifty programs you can download that will do the heavy lifting for you.

For me it was a "click and go do something else for a while" sort of project that took 3-4 days off and on.

 

I really like using the new install, less clutter - all the latest available versions, etc.

On the other hand, don't be surprised of some of your plugins have been abandoned and cannot be installed.

The story I hear again and again is "I have too many plugins!!!" Certainly true for me, I'm in the process of whittling them down. Some things are unique and there are no substitutes. Others, like reverb and delay become redundant pretty quickly. Sort of like having 15 blue crayons...

[Joe Muscara]

That's one advantage to (hardware) iLok that almost everyone can agree on. It makes it really easy to transfer your licenses to a new machine. You don't have to worry about unlicensing the old machine at all.

 

If you are using software iLok, you just have to set it up on the new machine and log in. You can unauthorized the old machine via the app as well.

[Dr Mike Metlay]

That's one advantage to (hardware) iLok that almost everyone can agree on. It makes it really easy to transfer your licenses to a new machine. You don't have to worry about unlicensing the old machine at all.

 

If you are using software iLok, you just have to set it up on the new machine and log in. You can unauthorized the old machine via the app as well.

Just remember to deauthorize the old machine if you do this! Sometimes it's not possible if you don't have the old hardware in hand, which is a pain in the ass, but there you are.

 

Some software will simply move the keys over and run normally. Others will require a reauthorization. If you can easily deauthorize, that's great, but a full uninstall might remove a whole lot of content that you'll have to redownload.

 

Anything that requires a separate content folder SHOULD allow you to specify the file path if it can't find what it needs.

 

Good luck, and ask here if you need anything else!

 

mike