Joys and annoyances of a new computer
Over the past few months, I've been migrating data from older PCs to newer ones. I don't even want to think about how disorganized my photo filing system is.
Moving data from one system to another is boring but if you go on auto pilot or fall asleep with your eyes open, you end up deleting something or create oh, five versions of a bunch of files.
My previous episode with data migration was a slash and burn job because my first nice laptop, was the victim of an ice tea spill. Since the operating system was Vista, some might say it was no great loss. (I was bummed to lose the laptop, not to upgrade from Vista.)
I think I have a permanent list to the right from sporting the Micron on my shoulder. It also doubles as a weapon in case of a mugging or zombie attack. And it's demonstrates how strong you are when friends offer to carry your bag and almost collapse under its weight.
Unfortunately the nice computer, a Dell, did not have much survival instinct. Fried mother board, though it is possible to access the harddrive.
Fortunately, I am totally, freakishly religious about backing up to a flashdrive as I work. (No one wants a data apocalypse.)
So data migration consisted of clicking and dragging everything from my flashdrive to my then-new HP laptop. I also have the joy of reinstalling a crapton of software, Norton, Office, etc. Since my flashdrive had names like "grad school backups" and "freelance backups," my filing system got a little weird and I would find duplicate files with different levels of programs. (Love, love, love, the compare function in Microsoft office functions.)
This time around, I'm more methodical. I'm looking at file names and locations and asking myself if this is the best way to be organized. I'm doing things in chunks, then taking a few days to a few weeks between moving the chunks.
Today I spent some time sorting out URLs from as far back as a Windows '98 desktop and the Dell that died. I found some fun sites including a way to create a Wordle.