I took a slightly different approach when I bought a larger drive. I got a drive imaging program, created an image and a boot CD with the image software on it and then just restored the image to the new drive (but told the image program to expand the partition size). I used a program from Terabyte Unlimited called Drive image, but Acronis True image and Norton Ghost are probably better known. Depending on where you buy the drive, sometimes they'll include a limited use version of a drive imaging program to simplify it for you.

Maybe this will help. If you delete a picture/video outside of EasyShare software, the path to the picture is brokenÂthe original picture cannot be found. To find missing pictures and reconnect broken links: 1. Right-click the picture and select Reconnect to Missing Picture. 2. In Missing pictures, select the picture, then click Browse. Navigate to the folder containing the missing picture, then click Open. 3. Click Reconnect Picture. If you cannot find the missing picture, click Remove Picture from Collection 4. Click Close. NOTE: To avoid broken links, use EasyShare software to manage pictures. HTH Terry

Many thanks, everybody, for your advice! That does help a lot. Yes, my photo files do seem to be saved, as they are still there when I turn the drive off and back on. Actually, once I turn the drive off the little "safely remove hardware" icon disappears from my computer screen. So I suspect it's only available when the computer can detect extra hardware plugged in. So is it okay to remove the drive from the computer, as long as the drive is turned off, without going through that "safely remove" thing first? To answer some of your questions, no, there was no pamphlet included with the drive so I didn't get the key code. It is a 500 GB drive and I think it was about 99 dollars that I paid for it. Though, as there was actually only 465 GB free on it, I knew there must be something else on there somewhere--even if it wasn't showing up! I had looked at the Seagate web site before, and I think I saw something on there which said they would send you the software if you gave them the serial number of the drive and a little other information. Though, at the time, I thought they met the installation software and I didn't think I needed that, as it had installed okay. So maybe I'll look into that--or demand a pamphlet from the seller!

I would at least delete the files you have put on it and be sure to empty the recycle bin. They may take offense if you totally wiped out the hard drive, but if you have the recovery discs you can wipe the drive them reinstall from those discs to return it to the way it was when you got it. I have known of people who bought a refurb pc that still had a lot of files from previous owners. So you never know.