Would this be a better fix?

[malpierre]

I am also trying to transfer files from my old Windows Vista 32bit PC, to my new Windows 8.1 64bit PC. Would I be able to do any and everything with the old HD in the new PC?

 

[clutchc]

You need to do a clean install of the new OS and then a clean install of your programs. Win won't know they are there.

 

[malpierre]

I'm a bit new to all of the ins and outs of the computer. I have some skills but, how would I go about doing a clean install of the OS that's pre-installed? Can the old HD be used within the new PC to just occasionally access a few programs?

 

[clutchc]

I'm a bit new to all of the ins and outs of the computer. I have some skills but, how would I go about doing a clean install of the OS that's pre-installed? Can the old HD be used within the new PC to just occasionally access a few programs?

I see. You have a new Win8 PC and an old Vista PC both. Right? You want to make use of the files and pgms on the old PC somehow. I'm sorry, but that can't be done. The best you can hope for is to install the same pgms from scratch on the new PC if they are compatible with Win8 and try to access the data that is on the old drive by installing the old drive into the new PC. You are moving from an old obsolete platform to a newer platform.

 

[malpierre]

I'm a bit new to all of the ins and outs of the computer. I have some skills but, how would I go about doing a clean install of the OS that's pre-installed? Can the old HD be used within the new PC to just occasionally access a few programs?

I see. You have a new Win8 PC and an old Vista PC both. Right? You want to make use of the files and pgms on the old PC somehow. I'm sorry, but that can't be done. The best you can hope for is to install the same pgms from scratch on the new PC if they are compatible with Win8 and try to access the data that is on the old drive by installing the old drive into the new PC. You are moving from an old obsolete platform to a newer platform.

 

[malpierre]

Thanks! That should work for me.