LapLink PCmover review

Transferring your FILES, settings and programs from an old PC to a new one is usually a time-consuming task, especially if you've built up a large collection of music, photos and videos.

PCmover offers to do it for you, even if you're going from Windows 95 to Vista Ultimate.

If you want a boxed copy with a special USB2 cable, you won't get much change from £40, but for £30 you can download PCmover from www.laplink.com and use an existing network cable. If you don't have a network, you can use a USB flash drive, or burn CDs or DVDs.

You'll need to install PCmover on both computers. Starting with the new PC or laptop, the wizard checks the currently installed programs and settings. You then start the same wizard on your old computer and are given the opportunity to customise which settings are transferred. Options include Microsoft Outlook settings and contacts, Word settings and Internet Explorer settings. You can opt out of moving browser settings to try and avoid copying any spyware.

We tested PCmover by transferring everything from a Dell Inspiron 9400 notebook, running Windows XP Home, to PCs with Vista Home Premium. PCmover reported that a whopping 22GB of data needed to be moved, including 29,836 files and 95,453 settings. It took just under half an hour using the USB2 cable, and much longer - an hour and 15 minutes - with a network cable. Everything went smoothly, except that McAfee Internet Security Suite 2006 had to be reinstalled.

PCmover has a few limitations. You can't choose programs to transfer; it's all or nothing. The same goes for files of a certain type, so any you don't need will have to be deleted later. Anti-virus and anti-spyware programs will have to be reinstalled, and programs may have to be reactivated. Printers, scanners, TV tuners and other hardware will have to be installed manually.

The biggest blow is that you can't re-use PCmover on another PC. If you upgrade again, you'll need to buy another licence.

If you'd sooner spend money to avoid hassle, PCmover will put a smile on your face. But for a single use it's poor value.