Yesterday we received much needed rain, so I took a day off from my gardening. It was a perfect day to go shopping for a new computer.
My old computer was around six years old. Not only was I running low on storage space for my huge amount of picture and video files, but the computer was acting strangely. For some time it has been running very noisily most of the time, and has been running slowly. Also the internet would stop working with annoying frequency, and occasionally everything would freeze up. I would have to unplug the computer, then plug it in and turn it on again. Yes, it was definitely time to buy a new one.
A friend, who knows more about computers than I, accompanied me to the store. With his help, and the assistance of the salesperson, I picked one out for purchase. We took it home, and my friend got it all hooked up, and set up. He connected my printer and scanner and put in the security system that I had purchased. Apparently, between the time that the computer had been manufactured and now there had been a lot of updates to Windows 10. It took forever to upload all of them. My friend had to go home, and I was on my own.
I managed to upload my video program that I use to make slide shows of my travel pictures. I also hooked up my camera and downloaded the photos that were on my memory card. OK! Two important things taken care of. However, I am stymied on one extremely important item. When my old computer started acting funny, I had purchased an external backup gizmo, so that if the computer crashed, I would not lose all my pictures and documents. I know that it was working... I would get message boxes saying that the backup had been successfully completed, and that it was 37% full. Yet, when I hook it up to the new computer, I don't see how to download all of the stored material. The window that appears doesn't look anything like what is shown in the manual, and there is nothing to click on for "restore". Hopefully my friend (he's stopping by next week) will be able to figure it out, or if I call the computer store they will be able to guide me through the process. If worse comes to worse, all those files are not lost... they are still on the old computer. There has to be a way transfer them.
Frankly, I liked Windows 7 better than Windows 10. Granted, it is largely a matter of just getting used to the new system. However, my Windows 7 included a documents program, but there is nothing on Windows 10. So I will have upload a program, and hope that when I finally manage to download the files from the old computer, that I will be able to open the old documents.
Oh, well, the sun is shining, and it is time for me to go out and work in the garden.
A new computer is always exciting. I think so, anyway. I have eyes on a new model to replace my Dell laptop, which will turn 4 in September.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you'll grow to like Windows 10. Sure, there's a learning curve, but it all soon becomes second nature. I've been using it since launch and wouldn't go back to Windows 7.
And I view a new computer with trepidation... but that's the difference between a tech savvy guy like you, and an old dinosaur like me. I hate the fact that Windows 10 does not include a document program (at least one you don't have to pay for). I don't need some fancy business program... just something simple with which I can type up and print things like my trip itineraries. I was also having fits because there appeared to be no way that I could rip music CDs to the computer. I always put background music on the DVD slide shows of my trips that I create. It was only through doing some research (outside of Microsoft) that I discovered that the old Windows Media Player is still included. However, it is so hidden away, that I would have never found it on my own! I am still trying to figure out how to transfer my picture and document files from my old computer using the external storage device where everything is saved. When I get that figured out I will be happier.
DeleteSaludos,
Bill
Hola Bill!
ReplyDeleteI'd be happy to help you with your computer. But you'll have to download and install "TeamViewer" first. Then I could (with your permission) fix it from here. By the way, for a word processor and spreadsheet, you can download OpenOffice or LibreOffice for free. Just google them.
Saludos,
Kim G
CDMX, México
Where I've been fixing my mother's computer remotely for some time now.
Thanks Kim.
DeleteWe'll see what happens this week. My friend is coming back tomorrow, and we'll see if he can figure out how to transfer the files from the old computer to the new one. If he can't, we are going to call the "help line" of the manufacturer of the external backup.
My friend also mentioned "Open Office", and he's going to download that for me.
Saludos,
Bill