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Post by Just Plain Curt on Feb 16, 2007 21:40:42 GMT -5
Just sitting here trying to figure out a problem I'm sure someone knows the answer to but as I've said many a time, I aren't too smart with computers. I know a backup disk or two would be a sensible thing but...I'm debating upgrading to a newer better rocket of a computer. I currently run Windows 98 SE so you might have some idea I'm a bit behind the times. Anyhooo, just trying to figure out a way (short of writing them all out manually, don't laugh I have books filled with sites and addresses I've found useful or interesting) to print out my list of favourites with their addresses. I have over 1085 (yes, I counted them) sites in favourites so far with approx. 950 being camera sites or photography tip sites and they've proven invaluable so I'd sure hate to start over again. Would any of our computer mages have any idea how I might go about this? And yes, I know, too much time on my hands, LOL. One man's interest is another's obsession.
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Post by byuphoto on Feb 16, 2007 21:54:48 GMT -5
If you can't make a full backup DVD could you network the two computers and transfer the files?
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Post by nikonbob on Feb 17, 2007 0:09:27 GMT -5
Curt
Where have I heard that question before? This could be interesting. What is networking? How about an external HD and backing it up onto there?
Bob
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Post by paulatukcamera on Feb 17, 2007 3:54:39 GMT -5
Two answers: 1. If you wish to access your bookmarks on any computer at any location: a. Type in "Google Bookmarks" into Google. From UK it is: www.google.com/accounts/ServiceLogin?hl=en&continue=http://www.google.com/bookmarks/&nui=1&service=bookmarksb. Sign up to this easy (honest!) to use service By this method I can find any web site I want - even if I am sitting at a strange computer. I often go to a customer's premises and I find it easier (and less off putting to them) to demonstrate different web sites on their own computer OR, more to the point of your original question 2. Save your favourites folder to either a CD or a floppy (if you still have one). To find this folder: a. Click on explorer (not Internet explorer) - usually found under the "My computer" logo on your desktop. b. When that opens - on the top navigation bar - far right normally - little picture - choose "Details" option on dropdown menu. (it's a lot easier to navigate than having large brown folders in front of you!) c. Find - C:\Windows\Favorites Everything you saved as your internet favourites, including all the sub folders will be there. (Hint for the future - I create new sub-folders or organise my favourite urls by moving them around here, rather than the much slower Internet Explorer's small "organise" window) d. Copy to CD or floppy or - easiest of all - buy one of those small USB storage devices if your computer has a USB port. (around $15 - $30) & plug in. The following applies to Windows XP when you get it up & running: Find Drive C:>Documents and settings>Your user name>Favourites Copy and paste your favourites back into this location. Internet Explorer will find them when you use it. I hope that helps Paul
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PeterW
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Post by PeterW on Feb 17, 2007 12:35:30 GMT -5
Hi Curt,
I’d like to add just a little to Paul’s excellent posting. When you open My Computer on your desktop you may or may not find ‘explorer’. I think it may depend on which version of Windows you have.
If it isn’t there, there will certainly a folder with your hard drive on it often, but not always, labelled Drive C.
Open this folder and you will find a folder labelled ‘Documents and Settings’. Open this and you will find another lot of folders one of which will be labelled with your user name.
Open this and up will come a page full of yet more folders one of which will be labelled ‘Favorites’, sometimes with a large star as its icon.
As Paul says, to take your favourites to your new computer, copy this on to a CD or USB memory stick, and take it over.
If you open the Favorites folder you will get a load of icons with ‘e’ (for internet explorer) each with the name of the favourite. You can rename them if you want (right click -> rename). Double clicking on any of the ‘e’ icons will open IE and take you to the website.
If you want to print a text list, you can select all (control + A), copy (control +C), open a Word or other word processing document and paste them (control + V). With the number you’ve got it may take the computer a little time to do this and you may prefer to highlight a few and copy them in batches rather than sit waiting.
Now in Word you’ll have a printable list of all your favourites for reference, but you won’t be able to open any of them from there as the web address won’t be included, so it’s reference only. Or, if you like spreadsheets, you can copy them to Excel, or whatever you’ve got, and play about arranging them in types, alphabetically or whatever in that.
I’ve done something very similar to Paul’s organising. I copied the Favorites folder on to my desktop, opened it and rearranged them into separate folders labelled either with a camera maker’s name or a subject such as Repairs, Photoshop and so on, and also added any notes of my own I’ve made on a subject, including snippets copied from this and other forums. Whenever I add anything to my favourites I update the desktop copy. I've also made a CD copy - just in case.
Finding a particular website or my notes is much easier now as I have only to open the relevant folder and double click on an icon to open Internet Explorer and the website instead of searching all over the computer.
When I first fire up the computer each day I open this Favourites folder and minimise it to a small box at the bottom of the screen (one of the two little boxes next to the close box at the top right of the screen). Then if I’m working in Photoshop, or fixing a camera, and need some information I can just click on the box at the bottom to open the folder instead of having to move things about on the desktop to get to it.
I’ve also put a shortcut on the desktop to my second hard drive, labelled Drive D where I keep folders of stuff not related to actually running the computer. I did this because I was fed up with searching around through dozens of folders trying to find stuff I wanted. I also open this and minimise it.
I’ve obviously duplicated some of what Paul posted, and I hope he doesn’t mind my adding my two pennyworth.
PeterW
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Post by paulatukcamera on Feb 17, 2007 13:39:03 GMT -5
I think that you may in danger of confusing him over one point. As he has Windows 98, there will not be, to the best of my belief, a "documents & settings" folder.
That's why I gave him a that location on his new computer (presumably with XP) to add his old favourites to.
Paul
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PeterW
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Post by PeterW on Feb 17, 2007 14:15:20 GMT -5
Thanks for the correction, Paul. It's a long time since I've had Windows 98 on a computer.
PeterW
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Post by Just Plain Curt on Feb 17, 2007 14:27:55 GMT -5
Thanks Paul, Rick, Peter, and of course Bob. Sounds like Paul's method might be simplest. I'll be looking into both a USB storage device and to burning a backup CD of my favourites. No DVD drive yet, see I are backward aren't I? Hopefully by the end of the week or so I'll know how this works out, then it's time to research a new computer, possibly with Vista. Thanks again everyone.
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Post by kiev4a on Feb 17, 2007 14:58:42 GMT -5
The favorites folder on Win 98 probably would copy onto a floppy disk so it coul then be transferred to a new computer. I have a win98 laptop around somewhere and I might be able to track down where the favorites file is located.
I think you would find a whole new world in computing by movint to a winXP machine or even the new Vista operating system (although I personally plan to stay with XP for as long as I can). Win98 was never designed to handle all the digital material available today.
If you don't have a lot of photos stored on your computer I suspect most of the files you have could be copied onto a few floppy disks and transferred to a new machine--or better yet to a cd if you machine has a cd burner.
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SidW
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Post by SidW on Feb 18, 2007 18:57:32 GMT -5
Is it certain Curt is using Internet Explorer? NetScape and Firefox are also popular. It makes no difference. Open Internet Explorer (or whatever), look in the FILE menu for Import and Export (or something similar, and choose to export your favorites (or bookmarks) to a location you can stipulate yourself (a floppy, or a folder where you keep stuff you want to find again, etc). That way you don't need to know the secret hiding place where Windows keeps them, they'll just appear in the location you designated yourself. They'll be saved as an HTML file (a file for the web). Exporting like this is the standard procedure for backing up your favorites so you can keep them in a safe place). Word, or whatever program you use for writing and editing text, will hopefully be able to open it, without your having to copy and paste anything. The same import/export function can be used to import that backup into Internet Explorer on a different computer (or into the same one to restore everything if you have a disaster).
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Post by Just Plain Curt on Feb 19, 2007 12:00:08 GMT -5
Thanks Sid and Wayne, After the fracture clinic tomorrow I'm going to buy a few disks to try a backup CD first, then buying a USB storage device. I'll try Sid's method too. You can never have too many backups when you've been saving sites for almost 5 years now. Oh yes, using Internet Explorer.
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Post by kiev4a on Feb 19, 2007 15:28:02 GMT -5
The same with digitized photos as there is some question as to the life expectancy of CDs and DVDs. I have all photos on a hard disk on the computer and every couple of months copy all the photos off onto DVDs. I'm about to get an external hard drive that will be used exclusively for photos.
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Post by aceroadholder on Feb 19, 2007 16:17:17 GMT -5
Wayne, given the uncertain life spans of CD-RW's, etc. what is really needed is some sort of long term storage device. Maybe there might be a way to store images on a glass plate or some sort of stable plastic. Perhaps a laser could be used... or maybe some emerging nano-technology chemical process might prove adequate. Just a thought... Orlin in SC/USA
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Post by John Parry on Feb 19, 2007 16:39:28 GMT -5
OK Orlin !!
Regards - John
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Post by paulatukcamera on Feb 19, 2007 17:03:52 GMT -5
Over the past year with my digital, I've gone a bit (OK, OK, a lot) over the top - well just about 8000 "snaps" to sort & store.
Tried the CD route - got very bored and endeed up with countless CDs. (No DVD writer)
I then had a flash of inspiration - a cheap external case with a Firewire Connection (I've got a Toshiba notebook) and secondhand hard drives bought on eBay.
40 gig =£13 80 gig=£22 are what I paid for the last two. Just copy the drive and let it get on with it. So far I've bought used four hard discs for less than the price of one new one. Nobody seems to want perfectly useable hard discs - I find I am usually the only bidder. Surely four different discs are less risky than countless CDs?
Anybody agree or disagree?
Mind you, I still only take important family pictures on film (showing that I really have some doubts about my convictions about Hard Discs!)
Paul
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