I'm so overwhelmed, it's hard to know how to organize this post. I'm finally getting a new desktop (Dell XPS 8910 - Windows 10) to replace my 8 yo Dell Inspiron 5330 (running XP). This desktop has been central for all our digital life and records. I'm a little concerned about getting all the documents,pictures,videos,music copied over - but that's probably minor. I've had backups on external hard drives and a Synology NAS. So today I'm going copying over any recent files that might not have been backed up already.

My main concern is setting up some programs on the new desktop that I use on my current desktop. There are two groups that worry me. One is the paid programs which might not be available any more - or I wonder which ones I have to buy again. The second group are programs that were set up by a computer professional who is no longer here. I have struggled to understand the instructions offered on the programs help forums when I've run into problems.

The paid software includes:

- turbo tax (at least 2014 and 2015) - in case I have to access these returns and/or make amendments, I might need the software on my new computer. I have the installation disks but imagine they were a one-pc usage. In general,what's the rule of thumb about software you've purchased for a computer - and whether you can install that software on a new computer without buying it again?

- quicken 2014 - last time I used it - but in case I want to access that data

- tivo desktop plus (the plus is a paid addition to the free software that enhances functionality of managing tivo recordings that have been transferred to the computer - or NAS). I think tivo desktop no longer offers the plus features - but I use them. Anyway to copy the program from my old pc to the new one?

- acronis (from 2010) - not that I ever really understood how to use this properly. So either install on new desktop, buy an upgrade for the new pc, or find another backup software to use. Or do I need one? I think my Synology diskstation can be set up to automatically back up the computers (I had it scheduled for once a week - but that functionality broke a while ago - something I had not set up and didn't know how to restore?

The ones that I hired somebody to set up include setting up my synology diskstation, pytivo, python, etc). The original computer tech guy that set these up now lives in California. I've been unable to find anybody local (in DC) who is competent and comfortable installing open source software that might be new to them. (Side note - any recommendations for computer help in the DC region?)

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Miscellaneous:

- I have a second internal drive I might want to install in the new pc. But something isn't working right on it. I had this problem once with another drive. In explorer, it shows the 2 TB disk as 75% full - but when I click to see the files, it only displays file names starting with A and going through about G. There are clearly more files there (mostly video files) - but I can't retrieve them or get them to show in explorer. When I had this happen to another drive many years ago, I bought spinrite - never got to actually use it - because I had to run it by connecting the failing drive to my desktop's motherboard. In that process, it automatically ran check disk or fix disk -and it fixed it. Before I change computers, I'd like to try to fix this disk drive. I also don't want to start a process now that will tie up the computer for hours. Does anyone know how long it takes to run these? If it's more than hour, I'll wait until the end of the night in case it needs t run overnight. Also, which do I run? check disk, defrag, error check, disk cleanup? I see these options when I right-click on the drive in explorer. I don't see an option to fix disk. Which of these operations needs to be done with everything else closed?

- no computer technicians were able to get my canon pixma MX850 to run off usb drive on the router (it supposedly has that capability) - so it's now running off my desktop. All the home computers-laptops access the printer through my desktop. Maybe Windows 10 will make this set up easier. It's been easy to set up new laptops to find the printer.

- it might be easier to copy the video files directly from the old pc to the new one - rather than copying from the old pc to a backup drive. Can I do this - connect the old pc to the new one - have the new one read it like another drive - and copy the information over? I think windows 7 had an easy transfer program, but I don't think is is available in Windows 10. How should I best transfer over my data?

- can I transfer software programs - either free ones or paid - like turbo tax, tivo desktop?

Anything else I should do to prepare for this migration to the new desktop? It is coming tomorrow, although I'm may not get to set up the new one for another day or two after that.

What is prep to do before the new one is set up?

What should I do - in what order - once the new one is here?

I've set up new laptops easily - but I don't keep data on those - or have quirky, difficult software.

Thank you.

Lynn.