Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Eisenworld, Inc.

David L Henrickson

Eiko Eisen

Michael James Day

Calin Negreanu

Arunesh Chandra

Joseph Albert Robles, Iii

Terrance James Dolan, Iv

Michael F Kenny

Migration of data relevant to, or associated with, one or more users from a prior operating system installation to a new operating system installation can be performed with reference to an archive of some or all of the data on a storage media made prior to the installation of a new operating system. Manifests associated with operating system components can be referenced to identify data to be transferred from those operating system components to new versions of those components. Independently generated manifests can also be referenced to migrate the files and data for one or more application programs, such as popular or commonly found application programs. User data and files to be migrated can be identified by loading registration database files from the offline operating system in the new operating system, or otherwise parsing a similar construct from the offline operating system.

Offline migration from prior operating system installation

Computer tools and methods novelly combine periodic backup and restore features with migration features to transfer the components of a failed system to a new system. As well as backing up and transferring critical data files during the disaster recovery operation, an aspect of the present invention also transfers, inter alia, applications, user states, hardware settings, software settings, user preferences and other user settings, menus, and directories. In another aspect of the present invention, a network of shared end-user computers periodically backs up each individual end-user computer to a central instrumentality, in a novel manner to reduce storage and time requirements. That is, redundancies for the end-user computer backup files are eliminated or greatly reduced by only making reference to but not storing components that are generic to the system, and further for each previously stored component, only storing differential or incremental information, unless predefined conditions are met.

Combined computer disaster recovery and migration tool for effective disaster recovery as well as the backup and migration of user- and system-specific information

A method and apparatus for relocating application programs, settings, menus, files and documents from a source computer to a target computer. The method and apparatus function properly regardless of whether the source and target computers have the same hardware or operating system. The method includes scanning the source and target machines for all applications programs, settings, menus, files, and documents in order to create a relocation strategy. The relocation strategy is created in view of pre-programmed selection rules or selection rules created by the user. The strategy is then implemented by copying, replacing or merging data from the source machine to the target machine.

Application and method for transferring information between platforms

Computer tools and methods novelly combine periodic backup and restore features with migration features to transfer the components of a failed system to a new system, which new system may be dissimilar to the old system. As well as backing up and transferring critical data files during the disaster recovery operation, the present invention also transfers, inter alia, applications, user states, hardware settings, software settings, user preferences and other user settings, menus, and directories. In another aspect of the present invention, a network of shared end-user computers periodically backs up each individual end-user computer to a central instrumentality, in a novel manner to reduce storage and time requirements. That is, redundancies for the end-user computer backup files are eliminated or greatly reduced by only making reference to but not storing components that are generic to the system, and further for each previously stored component, only storing differential or incremental information, unless predefined conditions are met. In yet another aspect of the present invention, remote end-users upload, via a wide area network such as the Internet, backup information to a central location. In the case of end-user computer failure, backup and migration information can be delivered to a new machine by means such as mailing a storage medium (e.g., compact disc), and downloading from the Internet.

Remote computer disaster recovery and migration tool for effective disaster recovery and migration scheme

A computer migration method for transferring non-physical aspects from a source computer to a target computer according to an embodiment. In one embodiment, the method includes surveying the source computer aspects, and without scripts, associating portions of the source computer aspects into source computer Application Groups on the fly. The method also includes generating a list at least including the source computer Application Groups; receiving a user's selection of source computer Application Groups to be migrated to the target computer; and transferring selected source computer Application Groups to the target computer,; wherein the target computer is adapted to supplant the source computer after migration.

Non-script based intelligent migration tool capable of migrating software selected by a user, including software for which said migration tool has had no previous knowledge or encounters

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Hialeah, FL, United States of America

David L Henrickson