One in five surfers in the UK has wasted money they've spent on software by not transferring it onto their newly bought PC, according to a survey.
A fifth of people have wasted money by paying for software programs but not transferring them when buying a new computer.
Seven per cent of those questioned believe they have lost more than £100 in this way during 2009.
The survey, carried out by YouGov on behalf of software retailer Softwareload, found that many people also didn't bother to research new purchases online before taking the plunge.
"One in five UK software buyers admit they are confused about how to transfer software they've already paid for onto a new PC, although the true figure could be higher," said Dirk Lebzien, vice president of Softwareload.
"The industry needs to work harder to make these processes simpler," he continued.
The findings also revealed that downloading software from the internet is only slightly more popular than buying physical copies of the programs, though younger people were much more likely to download.