Computer help

[OKLAHOMAN]

Just brought home a new Desk top Dell computer. I'm NOT computer literate at all. I'm just wanting to transfer my photos to the new computer and need to know the best way to do this. Please speak to me in English not computerese:wink: yes I'm that computer:redface: illiterate. Also might need to transfer Word.

 

[Wheaties]

Best way is an external hard drive.

Next best way is a USB flash drive

Next best way is CDs

You could also buy carbonite or something similar and install it on your old computer then transfer everything that way. That's may be too computer-ee though.

 

[TellicoTurning]

Roy,
You'll probably get a few other responses with more information, but my wife, her son and I transfer photos between our computers all the time using the little thumb drives or jump drives for storage... get one that's a gig or more because pictures often take a lot of space...
Plug the jump drive into your USB port on the front... the machine should receive the drive, acknowledge that it's installed and ready to use.
Then go to your picture file, open the folder you want to transfer... on the tool bar at the top of the screen, click on EDIT, from list in the window that drops down, choose either COPY TO FILE or MOVE TO FILE... depending on which you want... a move will transfer the pictures and remove them from the original folder... Copy will do just that they will copy to the jump and still be in the original location. Transfer the jump drive to the new computer and copy or move from the jump to your new computer.
You can repeat until you've moved all the files.... if you use copy, you may have to format or clear the jump between steps if it's not large enough... if you use move, then the pictures will clear the jump each time.

On word, I've not been successful in transferring word from my computer to my wife's so you may have to get a copy of word on disc and install it directly from the CD drive.

 

[Mark]

In my opinion, transferring Word will be much harder than simply installing it. Just my $.02 Installing it from scratch, will add it to the registry. Moving or transferring it, will not let it make the necessary setting changes on your new unit.

Moving picture files is a breeze. Save them to a portable media (that means a diskette, a CD or a memory stick) all of which can be purchased at Staples, Walmart, Kmart, etc, if you don't already have them. Simply copy your picture files to the media and then move the media to your new unit and save them to the hard drive.

If you have used an internet based storage site (Image Shack, Picassa, etc.) You can just copy your picture files from your old pc - to the site, then copy them back when you get your new pc setup on your internet connection.

Hope that helps. I'm sure you will get other suggestions as well.

 

[ROOKIETURNER]

Pull out the old hard drive. Take it to your local computer store. Tell them you want an external harddrive case for your drive. Take it home and plug it in to your new computer. Forget everything else about using any media to transfer, it will take WAY TOO LONG!!! If you are like me, your time is way to valuable to sit in front of a computer transfering MEGS or GIGS of pics, videos and other important information.

If you need any help, I sent you a PM with my phone number.

 

[DennisM]

Pull out the old hard drive. Take it to your local computer store. Tell them you want an external harddrive case for your drive. Take it home and plug it in to your new computer. Forget everything else about using any media to transfer, it will take WAY TOO LONG!!! If you are like me, your time is way to valuable to sit in front of a computer transfering MEGS or GIGS of pics, videos and other important information.

If you need any help, I sent you a PM with my phone number.

That is the best bet for it.

 

[alphageek]

Pull out the old hard drive. Take it to your local computer store. Tell them you want an external harddrive case for your drive. Take it home and plug it in to your new computer. Forget everything else about using any media to transfer, it will take WAY TOO LONG!!! If you are like me, your time is way to valuable to sit in front of a computer transfering MEGS or GIGS of pics, videos and other important information.

If you need any help, I sent you a PM with my phone number.

This is an excellent idea overall... Maybe... Depending on the size of the hard drive, you may be better off buying a external hard drive..

The other big tip - you sound like you don't back up your hard drive today... Hard drives are the #1 component to fail (even in a new computer). If you don't back up those images SOMEWHERE..... You are likely to lose them at some point!

 

[penhead]

Like alphageek said, backup your data somewhere...but if you are buying a new computer, why would you want an old harddrive that may be subject to failure, not to mention you may not understand the difference between SATA and PATA...
...another way other than copy to external media and then to new computer might be to use a 'hub' (very inexpensive device found at any computer store that you connect both computers to and copy data at a very fast speed)...it's really not as complicated as it seems...

 

[ROOKIETURNER]

Like alphageek said, backup your data somewhere...but if you are buying a new computer, why would you want an old harddrive that may be subject to failure, not to mention you may not understand the difference between SATA and PATA...
...another way other than copy to external media and then to new computer might be to use a 'hub' (very inexpensive device found at any computer store that you connect both computers to and copy data at a very fast speed)...it's really not as complicated as it seems...

You don't put the old drive in the computer. Who said that? You use it as an external backup or file server.

Putting it in an external USB drive case and plugging it in is a whole lot more simple than networking with a "hub". It is NOT as easy as it may seem. You have to buy a "Network SWTICH", make sure that your router or modem is configured to handle the DHCP, and then setup a network (usually called HOME) through Windows. You then have to go in an set the permissions to the folders or drives that you want share.

Besides all of the setup fuss, you are going to have to power up, boot up and run two computers at once, when an external case solves everything.

You also don't have to understand anything, no SATA PATA IDE, nothing. Just a scrare tactic. Take the drive into the computer store and they will steer you in the right direction. And it is super easy to install the drive in the case as well as to setup.

It is plug and play. You can transfer data at your liesure, and you aren't sucking up a bunch of power and processing just to see the contents of a drive.

And there is nothing wrong with "old" harddrives. This is a typical. Why do people think that just because a drive is a few years old it will fail? 5 years is my cut off.

I currently have 3 external drives, all pulled from old computers. The smallest is 20G, and serves as my company backup. I use a 64g flash drive as my company file drive. This way if my computer goes south, both the files and backup are external and instantly plug into a new computer. The other two drives, a 300g and a terabyte drive are videos and pics (family).

Remember: K.I.S.S.

Networking is not simple. This is why guys go to school to get an IT job. External plug in play is SIMPLE, AFFORDABLE and FAST!

 

[TurnaPen]

Most of you are talking COMPUTERESE!! I own a computer repair business and understand what you are talking about, but computer illiterate people would freak out at the things you are saying.
1. You cannot transfer WORD, it is a program, as such you will need to load OFFICE which is a program that has WORD and a few other programs in it. That means you need a genuine OFFICE disk.
2. the USB stick method is the easiest, but external hard drive is also a very good way-BUT-if you a frightened off by either, you will need a friend beside you to hold your hand so to speak, until you get the hang of it; or as one other said-you may need to go to a computer shop--if you have no one to guide you personally.
Amos

 

[jocat54]

Maybe not the best way--but when you live in the sticks as I do--CD's and usb flash drives would be the easiest for me, the closet computor store is over an hour away. Already have the CD's and flash drives. So time and gas would be worth it for me to use them.

As for word I think your best bet would be an install--not sure you could transfer word.

Just an old guy's opinion.

 

[GaryMGg]

Roy,
As a full-time IT person, the easiest way for you to do this is to find someone from the IAP who lives near you
and who is computer literate to show you how to do what you want done.
In exchange, you could show 'em how to make magnificent pens. :biggrin:

I'd help you but it's too far from here. :wink:

IF you'll no longer be using the old machine, I like the suggestion of placing the old HD in an external case with a USB connection and using it
for a spare.
If you've ever used a thumb-drive, using an external HD
with a USB connection is just as easy.

Holler if you want to talk through any details.
Cheers,
Gary

 

[Rfturner]

I would suggest using a thumbdrive or external harddirve they work the same. you have to reload windows but your documents can be saved.

1. find/borrow/or purchase a thumbdrive(also callsed a usb driver) plug it into the usb plug it will either be on the front or the back of your computer.
2. Click the start Menu,
3. click on My computer, you should see a section that says removable storage device, click on that, it should bring up the Thumbdrive.

4. Now click on the start menu again
5. Click on My Pictures, this will bring up all you pictures.
6. Right Click and go down to Copy, You may select the entire picture folder or just individual photos.
7. Paste them onto the thumbdrive, that menu should still be open.
8. repeat with any other files such as documents that you wish to save
PM me if you have any questions

 

[penhead]

A scare tactic..??

Yes, I suppose you "could" be correct.
Guess i would need to know the difference between a 'hub' and a 'switch'.

But you say "Networking is not simple. "...now _that_ sounds like a scare tactic. Do you have any idea how many people have set up home networks, actually using a switch, and most use wireless networks now..??..It's not rocket science...

And i didn't say that i disagree that the easiest way may be to buy a thumb drive, but now you have to copy all of the data (Gigabytes..??) to the thumbdrive, and then you have to copy it from the thumb drive to the new computer....and that takes _time_.

You don't put the old drive in the computer. Who said that? You use it as an external backup or file server.

Putting it in an external USB drive case and plugging it in is a whole lot more simple than networking with a "hub". It is NOT as easy as it may seem. You have to buy a "Network SWTICH", make sure that your router or modem is configured to handle the DHCP, and then setup a network (usually called HOME) through Windows. You then have to go in an set the permissions to the folders or drives that you want share.

Besides all of the setup fuss, you are going to have to power up, boot up and run two computers at once, when an external case solves everything.

You also don't have to understand anything, no SATA PATA IDE, nothing. Just a scrare tactic. Take the drive into the computer store and they will steer you in the right direction. And it is super easy to install the drive in the case as well as to setup.

It is plug and play. You can transfer data at your liesure, and you aren't sucking up a bunch of power and processing just to see the contents of a drive.

And there is nothing wrong with "old" harddrives. This is a typical. Why do people think that just because a drive is a few years old it will fail? 5 years is my cut off.

I currently have 3 external drives, all pulled from old computers. The smallest is 20G, and serves as my company backup. I use a 64g flash drive as my company file drive. This way if my computer goes south, both the files and backup are external and instantly plug into a new computer. The other two drives, a 300g and a terabyte drive are videos and pics (family).

Remember: K.I.S.S.

Networking is not simple. This is why guys go to school to get an IT job. External plug in play is SIMPLE, AFFORDABLE and FAST!

 

[jskeen]

Roy; I'll start out by asking you for a little info, to try to get the best answer for you. First off, How many pictures are we talking about transferring, roughly? A couple hundred? Several thousand? makes a difference. Second, do you want to use the old computer for anything? Is it working, or is it salvage? Is there anything else on the old computer you need to transfer (other than word,more on that later) IE documents, faxes, email addresses, internet favorites, programs you have purchased, Music files, home movies, old emails you want to save, ect?

As for word, it is part of a hideously overpriced package of software called microsoft office. The license to use it on your old computer probably can not be transfered to your new one, you would need to buy it again. Unless you purchased it on disk before, and still have the disk, and it's a version that is compatible with the new version of windows on your new computer, and then there is the bit about sacrificing a hamster to the glory of Bill Gates while dancing widdershins around a fire under a full moon. Did I mention it's ridiculously expensive? Wonder why? Just go to www.openoffice.org and click on the "download open office" and you will be able to work with all your word files, just like with the microsoft version and also with spreadsheets, presentations and whatever else, for FREE! amazing.

My personal favorite solution is the Get an enclosure and put your old hd in it, then plug it into the new computer routine. That is easy, reversible, works for LOTS of pictures and if the old computer is salvage, you can at some point format the drive in the enclosure and use it as a permanent backup for data you don't want to lose if the new computer eats the big one. Here is a link to a nice multi flavor enclosure on amazon if you don't happen to have a computer store nearby:
http://www.amazon.com/3-5IN-sata-Ha...?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1272376973&sr=1-11

However, if you only have a few pictures, and nothing else, or want to use the old computer somewhere else, you can try one of the other methods.

 

[OKLAHOMAN]

A big thank you to all who offered help, even received 4 members phone #'s to call for help if needed. Just to update I was able to transfer all my photos and not miis a beat, Lou it worked just as you said it would. Now all I have to do is get used to Windows 7....Man is this thing fast.