RootsChat.Com
General => Technical Help => Topic started by: Barbara348 on Wednesday 07 September 11 13:37 BST (UK)
-
Hi, I've recently been on the board looking for and receiving help re my new PC.
I'm now after some advice re transferring info from an External Hard Drive to my new PC, which is Packard Bell(PB) Windows 7 64 bit.
The information I want to transfer from the External Hard drive is the backup of all My Documents which was copied from my old PC,
a Packard Bell Windows XP 32 bit.
Because I've only had my new PC 4 days and already had to do a System Restore after a programme installation went all pearshaped, I want to ensure that I do this next stage correctly.
I have printed off the PB User Guide but I wondered if anyone out there had had a similar task and could give me a lead please.
It seems to be much easier to follow advice from someone who has already done it than reading from a Manual.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thank you
Barbara.
-
If the external drive connects via a USB cable, then all you need to do is to plug the drive in, then wait a while for the Windows 7 computer to load the drivers for the external drive. When this is complete, you should be presented with a box giving choices of what you want to do next. You should probably choose 'Open Folders to review contents', or something similar. Then all you need to do is copy and paste the contents from one place to the other.
The only difficulty you may come across is that Windows 7 may not be able to find a 64-bit driver for your external hard drive, in which case you will have to contact the manufacturer or the supplier.
-
Hi Nick, thanks for that.
The External Hard Drive is a 320 Seagate Expansion Portable Drive, USB 2.0 Plug & Play and System requirements are Windows XP,Vista & Windows 7.
Hopefully that means that there won't be a problem finding a 64 bit driver.
Nick, when you say I can Copy & Paste, do I just Highlight the folders on the Ex Drive, hit 'Copy' then open the Documents folder in Windows 7 and then hit 'Paste'.
Sorry if that sounds daft but I'm not that clever at this sort of stuff and completely unfamiliar with the Documents etc layout in Windows 7.
I appreciate any advice.
Thanks
Barbara.
-
Since it's a while since you had a reply, on Windows 7 main screen left click "start" then "documents" then on the top bar click "new folder" and call it what you wish, "old documents" or whatever. Minimise the screen page with the " - " at the top right corner. Click "start", then "computer", then click on your "external drive", click on "open" to open the drive main files to what you wish to copy, highlight the old "documents " file and click "copy", then go back and maximise the first "documents" page that you minimised, click on the new file name which you created, this should open and show "no files", then click "paste", and the files should transfer to the new file on your hard drive.
Hope that helps
Regards
Malky
-
Hi Malky. good of you to respond.
My problem is on what is the best way to transfer all the stuff I've got on the external drive.
When I copied everything to the portable drive, I just copied all the Folders listed under 'My Documents', the list included 'my Pictures' & 'My Music' etc - each folder is packed with stuff.
Do I just Copy & Paste a Folder at a time or can I select all the Folders and Copy & Paste all at the same time?and do I just paste them into 'my Documents' on Windows 7?
Excuse what must seem to be daft questions please.
Thanks
Barbara.
-
Not wanting to disrupt you conversations Barbara, could you not copy all the contents to a CD/DVD prior to reinstalling onto your new computer?
Doing it that way you have a permanent record on disc if anything goes wrong?
Brian
-
"When I copied everything to the portable drive, I just copied all the Folders listed under 'My Documents', the list included 'my Pictures' & 'My Music' etc - each folder is packed with stuff.
Do I just Copy & Paste a Folder at a time or can I select all the Folders and Copy & Paste all at the same time?and do I just paste them into 'my Documents' on Windows 7?"
Barbara, its not a daft question. It is a personal choice. I tend to regiment all of my folders for ease of tracability and access and therefore copying. The reason for this is due to the possibility of some of the actual files being based on a program that is not compatible with the new system. ie some Microsoft programs, graphic programs etc etc which work in XP, do not work in Windows 7. It really is up to yourself. When you look at my wife's computer, you cannot see the background screen for shortcuts. I personally cannot work like that. I have all my shortcuts under group-type headers. Whack them all accross directly into the Windows 7 documents if you wish. There should be no problem.
Regards
Malky.
-
Hi Malky, someone else who is an early riser.
Thanks for the advice, I've got to pull myself together and give this transfer business a shot.
I really envy people who take this sort of thing in their stride, wish I had been brought up in the Computer Generation !!
I'm grateful for your help.
Cheers
Barbara.
-
Hi Barbara
As an early riser you've probably copied it all by now :) but we recently backed up everything to an external hard drive prior to getting new computer, I havent copied it all, just plug in the ext drive via USB port when I want to access anything, then if I want to change a document I can, then save it on new laptop under a slightly different name.
There are so many pictures & stuff on the drive which I won't want to use very often so no point in clogging up current computer.
Good luck - keep asking the questions, I've been learning a lot from it ;D
Pat
-
Hi Pat,
glad that you, like me, are learning from my dithering about with this transfer business. :-\
I have got all my Documents and photos etc on an external hard drive.
Wonder of wonders, I've actually managed to transfer them over into my new PC this afternoon. Yippee.
I'm thinking that I should leave the External drive plugged in and set a up a regular weekly backup through my Nero backup facility.
Oh Boy, wait until I try & work that one out !!!
Barbara.
-
I'm thinking that I should leave the External drive plugged in and set a up a regular weekly backup through my Nero backup facility.
You should definitely do that :D
Although it costs money, your data is priceless...
There are a number of automatic backup programs around, I use Second Copy and it backs up all my data to an external hard drive every time that I log off. This can also be set to timed backups if needed and also will do incremental backups so that if you need to got back in time you can.
http://www.centered.com/
John
-
I highly recommend this clone software. It can one-click to clone partition and disk. Besides cloning, it can do schedule backup set, incremental backup, differential backup. This guide may help you.
Good luck!
http://www.todo-backup.com/products/features/disk-clone-guide.htm
-
I tend to use Acronis True Image (http://www.acronis.co.uk). With this software you can take an image of your drive and recreate it, so you do not have to reinstall any programs, and the drive that you create with the image is identical to the one you created (at the time you created it).
-
A question Nick: Will a cloned drive include any erros on the original?
-
Probably. It's a clone of the original. You can 'mount' an image and use it like a virtual drive.
-
Thanks Nick, That's what I thought, so the moral is don't use a Drive clone after you diagnose a problem.
-
Hi ,
First chance I've had to say thank you jamaine, lapwlover,Nick29 & Redroger for your tips and web links on this subject.
I've yet to decide which method/programme to choose for a backup plan.
So far, I've just copied all my Documents (including Pictures, music etc)from the PC to the External Hard Drive every Friday evening and it seems to work o.k.
I know it must seem to be a bit of an old plodding way of backing up my Data but it does seem to be o.k and I thought I'd carry on plodding until I've got a better grip of my new PC and Windows 7. ::)
Thanks all again for the advice and help.
Barbara.
-
However you choose to do it Barbara, make sure at least one of your backups is at a remote location for safety reasons.
-
Hi there Redroger,
Yes, good thinking. I normally do a copy to my External Hard Drive and a copy to my 8 GB flash drive - that's the ideal one for storing elsewhere.
I've just got to think of a 'remote' location that isn't too remote, as I need to access it for updating on a weekend.
Thanks for that.
Cheers
Barbara.
-
I meant out of the house on a remote backup somewhere in a "cloud" for instance.
-
Yep, gotcha - Garden Shed maybe? ;D
Barbara.
-
No! Problems with my wife's garden shed she uses to store her gardening gear at present. Rodents have penetrated. Cost £50 so far attempting to seal it! Imagine if a mouse or squirrel etc. ate your memory stick thinking it was a stick of celery! :D
-
Hi redroger,
The way my life has been going lately - anything is possible.
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Barbara.
-
My time on here is limited at present due to vision problems caused by insect bite while clearing out the shed. Near my left eye. Left me with brow ridges like a Neanderthal man!
-
Hi Redroger,
Sorry for the belated reply, haven't had much chance to get on Rootschat the last few weeks or so.
Anyway, just thought I'd let you know that your description of your facial features after colliding with that insect really made me laugh.
Are you quite sure that the insect wasn't your wife hitting you in the eye, following your comments about her choice of storage for her gardening gear?
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
barbara.
-
Quite sure Barbara ;) After a course of industrial strength anti histamines and strictly no alcohol :( I have recovered, but the thing was quite sensational while it lasted, I looked like a Neanderthaler at night, well more like one than usual, and a pricked balloopn in the mornings as soon as the swelling drained, but all normal now.
-
I had something like that in early summer this year. I was sitting watching the TV when my forehead felt a bit strange, and when I looked in the mirror I had a large bulge in my forehead. By the next morning I too had the appearence of a neandathal, so I went to the local clinic where they diagnosed it as a bad allergic reaction to an insect bite. They gave me some cream to apply (and tablets too, I think), and sent me on my way, but it continued to swell and affected my eyes and the bridge of my nose too, before it finally abated. The whole thing lasted nearly a week - nasty ! :-\
-
Hi Barbara (and others)
Something to keep an eye on when backing up to an external hard drive; Is your back up just your most recent work or is it the whole file?
I have two external hard drives, the older one isn't huge and I noticed ti was almost full, so I checked what was on it. Two of my programs, Legacy was the worst offender, were backing up the whole file every time I did a back up. When I looked, I had about a hundred copies backed up. Some days I might have only added a couple of names or a few new dates, but every time Legacy backs up it does the whole family file. Another huge file was my FH photos, taking up heaps of space.
I now make sure I delete the last copy before I do a back up of my day's work.
Leonie.
-
Lots of backup software allows the use of 'incremental backups' where files are backed up only once, and after that only new or changed files are backed up.
-
Well, I'm going to have to get a new external hard drive soon, so I'll keep an eye out for that type. Anything to make life simpler. :D
By the way, I also keep one of them in my handbag when I leave the house. Just in case of fire or theft. I'm not paranoid, honest I'm not. ::) ;D
-
Not too bad an idea really. Most of us have insurance, but some photos are irreplaceable, aren't they.
A good way of providing 'off site' backups is to use Dropbox, or maybe even the free web space provided by ISPs :)
-
I have recently installed a WD 1tb disk which backs up continually and automatically, this additional to my files which I have synced to a cloud site, and other periodic backups I take.
-
I have recently installed a WD 1tb disk which backs up continually and automatically
Surely it would be easier to have a RAID system?
Are you running some kind of mission critical operation in your garden shed? :)
-
All I run in my shed is a model railway. :) The shed which became involved in this thread is my wife's gardening shed, which had 4 legged visitors, who I have eliminated.