pooter = my dog after table scraps...
if you have the registry keys (all of them) and you have all the files (all of them) then yes you can burn a cd with all that information and manually put all the information back exactly where you pulled it from. it may work, it may not...
yes you could just put the old hard drive in the new computer, it may work it may not.
(if you have) your winXP cd, there should be a utility on that cd for transfering programs from one computer over to another one by directly connecting the two. there are ways to back it up and reinstall it... but honestly if you do not have the disks for the software, and you do not have the cd keys, then someone else (more than likely) does. thus either your copy or thiers classifies under the technical def. of pirated software. and since you don't have the cd's, the keys, or the original purchase recept... i'm sure you can see where i'm going with this.
if you purchased this computer with the software installed on it... and did not pay hundreds of dollars extra for that type of software or recieve the cd's then i would be willing to bet someone else has pirated the software...
so my advise to you, is drop the dime and go buy the software if you enjoy it and use it!!
that is all the advice i will give.
good luck.
~Ken
EDIT** we are not software police!!!
we are just not in the buisness of theft or illegal activities.
we enjoy this forum and do not wish to get TF shut down or in trouble for illegal posts about how to steel software!
and we respect our members and Mods enough not to hand out such information.
there is a leagal way to do things. and we try and give LEAGAL and ETHICAL advice. if you have a problem with that, there are plenty of other places you can talk about theft.
have a nice day!
***thank you for saying it....jak***