I have had many problems with my computer system lately, and I solved some of them by installing 2GB extra memory chips. I still am left with very little hard drive space, so I went out and bought a package of 100 blank CD's, thinking I would move all my photos from my computer onto CD's. I even bought the jewel cases to hold them, and have given a great deal of thought to the organization of these photos and CD's.
To my chagrin I realized I had no RW drive, only CD-ROM. To make this really dumb error right, I will need to buy a CD-RW drive. Do I get an internal drive or an external? Where would be the best place to buy one? Would I be able to install it myself, a problem that would be lessened if I go for an external burner. What if I just buy an external hard drive with plenty of space for photos and divy up the CD's to my kids? Or maybe I should keep 100 CD's around where I can see them daily to remind me to think twice before acting. (I've learned the hard way to measure twice, cut once, and there is a similarity here.) My detested laptop has a RW drive, but nearly all my pictures are on the desktop and I can see no way to easily transfer them. There is no doubt a way to do this that is so simple I will never be able to show my face in public again!
I found an optometrist in Chico (about 18 miles from here) who is a preferred provider for my vision insurance. There is also a Wal-Mart Vision Center there, and I may just take the prescription to them to get the glasses - I will see what I think of the optometrist and the crew there. My appointment is next Friday, which means I probably won't have new reading glasses for at least two weeks. This could prove to be a costly couple of trips to Chico as there is a Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Office Depot, and Costco (and much, much more) all in the vicinity of the eye doctor's office, plus a large organic food co-op on the way back. I could probable find a CD-RW drive at most of those, though my choice would probably be Office Depot as their employees would be more knowledgeable than Wal-Mart's. Forget Best Buy - their employees would be more interested in selling me an extended warranty on a CD-RW drive, than in selling the drive itself!
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Why not get a backup external hard drive, and copy the pictures to it. Then you can plug it into the detested laptop, and copy the disks on it. I bought one at Wal Mart for under a hundred.
ReplyDeleteRod
Oh, Gypsy! Another "learning experience"!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Rod. Take the CD's and jewel cases back on one of your visits to Sacramento. Go to Costco or WalMart and get an external hard drive - they are quite cost effective these days, and much faster and easier for copying than CD's - all you need is a USB port. It will work with both your computers, and make moving or copying anything between the two so easy.
Also, Costcos have both an optometrist and an optical department these days. Check out their frame selection - I have found them economical and easy/fast to work with.
Safe travels,
Laurie
I'm with everybody else go with the external hard drive for backup, I run two so I don't have any photos on my laptop and still have a backup. Carry one in the MH and one in the toad. In case of fire or something. And I have another at home with all the photos I had till I left there last fall. Will update next week when we are home.
ReplyDeleteDitto the hard drive..Mine is a Apricorn...160GB $90.00
ReplyDeleteI just put all my photos on Picasa 3, edit them and move them to Picasa Web Albums. Then I can access them from both computers, without them taking up space in the computers. I can get them back into My Pictures any time I need to.
ReplyDeleteThey are also in another album storage place, for back up.
I have an external hard drive, but I didn't know how to work it. But then I am computer illiterate.
Happy Trails, Penny, TX
We bought an external hard drive last summer & are totally happy with it. Gives you great flexibility because you can take it with you plug into any computer you want. I have all my photos & stuff backed up on it. The Picasa Web Album idea is a good one too. All our photos are there as well. Awwwww, & one more thing Gypsy.....you know that when you go to plug in your external hard drive you know you are going to have to do it twice because us guys never get it right the first time do we.................:))
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