there is this awesome little device called the tornado which makes doing that job very easy, you plug into each pc usb port and a split screen comes up for you to just move stuff from which ever one you want to move from or to. I did read it works with 98 with the install of it's driver, it works with out special drivers on all other windows systems. The Tornado Look around for better prices and reviews etc. I know I just saw one this week on a hot prices list for cheaper it may have been at ecost.com. The Tornado File Transfer Micro-Computer W/ FREE PC Eraser - 094922753861 that is it for $15 it looks like. it does say there it is 98 se compatible so you might check their website for info.

Bob - Good Grief is right. But it's probably not as bad as it sounds. One of the problems is that before I found this forum a year ago (and had some sense of saving files to the appropriate place), not only did my husband and I just save files (with no regard to where they were being placed) - we also had 2 different computer guys help at various times - and I've discovered that one of them took it upon himself to set up some folders and put items there (he set up a Lynn's documents) when he transferred data from one computer to another. Now I can see why he set up my own folder (since my husband and I shared a computer in those days) - but he never told me he was doing that- so lo and behold - I have an entire Lynn's documents folder that I never use but contains some of my older files. yeah - I guess it's a lot to sort. Personally, your method makes sense to me - just set up folders in the C drive for the categories I'm interested in. I'm now the only one on my computer - so I don't think I need a "my documents" folder (and certainly not a separate "Lynn's documents" folder). I am so glad to have found this forum and decided to get mastery and comprehension of my computer. Having professionals set things up - but not bother telling you what and why they did things - just complicates everything. And the pictures are also a mess bc. this helpful computer guy put picasa on my pc - which grabbed every picture - so that many pictures appear in picasa and elsewhere. It's the picture finding and organizing that seems the most daunting. Videos and music I've done myself in the past year - no one else has touched it but me. Word files are manageable too. BP - my question about the Tivo files is that I want to sit in my living room, have Tivo search my computer to see what's on it. That's what I'm thinking has to be in the Tivo desktop program. When I'm at my computer, I think I can find the videos anywhere - I'm just thinking that no matter where they came from (Tivo desktop, hulu, my camcorder, edited in Videoredo), that I might somehow have to move them all to My Tivo Recordings folder in order to access it using the Tivo and watching tv. Do I have that right? Jemdandy - that's one interesting way to approach the 2 drives - one for programs and one for data files. But then I'd be backing up data files to yet another place. I have a 500GB hard drive and am thinking of adding a second 1TB hard drive. So both drives have lots of room. Except for video files, I would think my c drive could easily handle my programs and data files (music, documents and pictures) - and the software and those files could be on the c drive and backed up to the second internal drive. Is there a reason - in terms of improved performance, etc - to use the c drive only for software? Does that add an extra step if I want to use one of my software programs (say photo editing) and have to go to the other drive to get the actual photos to work on? Or is it just as quick to run a program on one drive and get the data from the other? [Okay - good grief, it is]. Thanks everyone. Lynn.

If you've purchased any music or movies that are protected, make sure you deauthorize your computer (under Store in the menu). I think Itunes now sells music unprotected (not sure about movies). In the past, the files were protected and you could copy them to a certain number of ipods and a certain number of computers. If you change computers too many times without deauthorizing, you won't be able to play them on the new computer.

Thanks Owbist. That is probably the way to go. Da, I don't consider these machines junk as they run like the first day I got them. They didn't get heavy use, were office computers which were used mainly for patient information and some medical software. They ran 4 days a week for only a few hours. No real heavy use. They also have the largest drives I could get 7 years ago and were top of the line Dell business machines. Two desktops and one laptop. All XP. In Florida, there are so many requests for old, working computers which are used in various places for Seniors, homeless, shelters. Florida is not great about building homeless shelters. Places like Goodwill and Salvation Army provide space for people to use their address to receive and apply for help through computers offered. Sad part that many live in their cars or sleep in parks and can't apply for benefits or help without an address. You can't send out resumes without an address. I know people who volunteer at these day shelters and there is such a need for computers. They also use them for training and will take non-working computers. But the large need is for working computers which can get online and provide people with connections. I think its a good cause. The Salvation Army silently provides so many services for the destitute and I think anyone considering donating should consider the Salvation Army. Jane