There’s nothing worse than buying a new computer. Your old computer may be slow and annoying, but it’s like your home: You know where everything is. The files may be messy, incorrectly named, and scattered all over the place, but you know where they are.
Buying a new computer entails the transfer of all your new data. You know -at least you think you know – where everything is. It should not be a problem to bundle all of this up and neatly transfer everything to your new hard drive. That organizational part of the equation, however, is where your problem is found. All of your files are not organized and neatly arranged in one primary folder with tons and tons of sub-folders underneath. Everyone stores documents in the “My Documents” area, but that’s only one storage area. Most PC users have files on the desktop and all types of other places.
Scattered data can send PC users into a panic if this data has to be transferred, but it does not have to be this way. There is a rather unbelievably simple way to retain your data and most of your system settings. This is accomplished through the documents and settings.
Everything in documents and settings is setup through user profiles. When you log on to a PC your profile is cached and are given a folder. Even the things that you save on your desktop are contained in this area. The documents and settings folders are actually extensive profiles that also contain your internet user settings and favorite links from the default web browser. This is great because it serves as a virtual travel bag that allows you to unpack anywhere and build a profile instantly. You should consider backing up this folder on a regular basis before getting another computer. That is just how valuable it is. You will be covered in the event that your hard drive crashes and your data is loss. Protecting and backing up this folder is one of the best preventive maintenance measures that you can take.
When you get your new computer you can copy files to an external source and use the external drive to transfer the data to your new computer. If you would like to cut out the middleman hard drive, however, you can remove the hard drive from your old computer. If you have a new computer there is a great chance that you will have an eSata port. This is great technology that allows you to connect directly to an internal hard drive if it is removed from a computer. With this you can copy your profile folder directly from your old computer’s hard drive without the use of an external hard drive. This may be the best solution if your profile folder on your old hard drive has more data than you can store on any eternal hard drive that you possess. The transfer of data from one source to another has never been easier.
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