That is definitely a dirty dirty trick, and I would be feeling exactly the same way. We are supposed to get hit with it too, but it won't do us any real harm, since our gardens are still under snow. We will still complain about it though. Sorry, Annie. TM

Some ideas at link Jeff. Here is a link that might be useful: merge-itunes-libraries-rsync

I'm coming in late, but since I just received estimates for moving, this may help. To get a sense of what it will cost to move, per pound, ask an agent for a major moving company to give you a complete estimate. It will state the estimated total weight and the estimated total charge. Just divide the price by the weight and you will be close enough. Keep in mind that the time when you want to move will make a difference. I'm moving from Los Angeles to Boston, more than 3,000 miles. There is some seasonal variation in rates; the time I'll be moving is neither the most nor the least expensive season. The destination is one that does not have any special charges. (There are sometimes surcharges for destinations that do not have about an equal amount of stuff being moved out.) The estimates I've been given all work out to slightly less than 90 cents per pound. So this means that if something weighs 100 pounds, it is worth paying to move it unless I could replace it for $90 or less, provided that I would replace it. This means that I will be keeping some heavy furniture that is in good condition and that I like. I am not keeping anything that is broken or nearly worn out, or that is no longer to my taste. For example, I will replace a sofa that is structurally sound and in fairly good appearance, but that's because I want a different style in the new place. I'm simplifying some things, e.g., I'll move only one computer printer, the newer and lighter one, even though I currently use both. I have more than 1,000 pounds of books. I'm going to pack them all myself and send them as Media Mail, which costs about 41 cents a pound regardless of the distance. If the mover's per-pound rate were 50 cents rather than 90, as it could be for a shorter distance, I probably wouldn't do this.

So how's the packing going??? :D Dottie, I know you have dialup so an online backup is not going to be real workable. For the cords, here's another little trick. Do you have some different colored markers? Besides the tape, a different colored marker on the connector where it goes in makes it color identifiable. Some machines do this already but it's easy to do if yours aren't marked. The picture is another good suggestion but sometimes you can't see up close. Most are marked as to what goes where. You can also use some transparent tape and colored paper scraps (anything with some color on it). Back to the backup: The big question is this: If you were to lose your computer today, is there anything on there whose loss would cause you stress, or hardship, emotionally, financially or otherwise? If the answer is no, then you have nothing to worry about backing up. If you have or instance, tax records, important pictures or this is where your prized recipes are stored and you don't have them anywhere else, then you need to back up sometime. I don't work for the private investigators and attorneys anymore so I don't have a lot of critical data on my machines. When I did, I backed up weekly or more often and alternated backups. Now, it's mostly personal stuff that frankly wouldn't be earthshakingly important if I lost it but would be an inconvenience. I use my computer to keep all addresses & phone numbers. I have a notebook program that I use for notetaking, writing, ideas, recipes and the like. I wouldn't die without it but it'd be inconvenient. So, about twice a year I back up my whole system on a large external drive. Then about monthly I backup documents and forms that I use regularly since they get changed often. I back them up onto a USB drive, sometimes called a "flash" drive, "jump" drive, "key" drive, "pen" drive or a bunch of other names. I also back up the address book, the notebook program and my reminders program data. All of this easily fits onto a flash drive. I have several flash drives and I alternate them so even if one goes bad, I'll have a backup that is a little older so there won't be as big of a loss. It takes me probably 10-15 minutes to sort and find the files to back up and actually do it. I usually transfer this to my other computers since I want the data on there anyway and that's yet another backup. If you have important emails and have a webmail account, you're backed up already. I stress backups at moving because I've seen data loss happen at moves so often. I've done so many data recoveries for people whose lives seem to be on their computer and they've never backed up a thing. The drives do fail for various reasons and age has a little to do with it but new drives fail too. And this time of year, static electricity can be a computer's enemy. There's a lot of things that can happen besides dropping it. Now in reality the odds are maybe 1 in 1000 or less that something will happen. But, there's a lot of computers out there so it's a matter of are ya feeling lucky, punk? :) Couple other tips on moving the computer: - Assuming you have a standard monitor, you can only plug it into one spot, and it'll only plug in one way. Put a marker dot on the top of the plug to know "this end up". The little pins on there can be damaged easily. Be careful plugging it in. There's probably two thumb screws, one on either side of the plug. Unscrew them first, then gently wiggle the plug side to side, just a little bit, and pull it out. When you plug it back in, you'll notice the plug is a trapezoid, parallel top and bottom, but the sides are not parallel on the little metal frame. sort of looks like this: \ / Be sure the angles match up. I'm making it sound more complicated than it is. When you look at it, you'll see what's going on. -The keyboard might be a rectangular (USB) plug, a plug about 1/2" round or a round plug about 3/4" or so. Sometimes the mouse plug and the keyboard plug are the same. If they're the same and round, then it does make a difference which jack it gets plugged into. If it's the rectangular (USB) type, it doesn't matter. If the keyboard is the larger round while the mouse is something else, you won't confuse them. This is where the masking tape and a marker are valuable. -Printer. These days they're probably all going to be USB so it won't matter where you plug it in. If it's the wide 25 pin parallel port connection, about 2" wide, then you have to plug it into that spot, but likely will only fit in one spot. What you can do... -Unplug the monitor -Unplug the printer Move them separately -Set the keyboard on top of the unit with the mouse and not unplug them. Tie up the cords so nobody trips. Tape down the keyboard and mouse and they can be moved as one piece. It should go without saying but, carry the computer and monitor down the steps. DO NOT bounce it down the steps on a 2-wheeler! A 2-wheeler is a mover's best friend but it can be an enemy of a computer. I've seen too many computers and monitors bounce down staircases... One other little trick if you have important documents and no way to back them up. Try emailing the information or the files to yourself. Then they're on the server waiting for you if you need them. If the move goes well, you can delete the email or leave it there as a backup (if it's webmail).