There should be no problem removing a hard drive. To be safe, after opening the case, touch something metal to ground yourself in case you picked up some static electricity walking across the floor. The danger isn't that you'll get a shock from the drive but that the drive will get a shock from you. The only part that can hurt you is the inside of the power supply and the back of the tube in a monitor.

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!

Thanks everyone. Lots of useful methods. Mikie - it's good to know about moving entire folders (I don't have my video's in folders - yet - but am just discovering how useful that would be for shows I've recorded for a few seasons - having them altogether). I'd like to double check and ask what "a cmd window" is - and how I'd get there. Again - I have Windows XP (SP3). Sorry to say, Mikie, but I also need more explanation for what "make a shortcut to the destination , within the folder the files are in... then select a bunch of what I want to move, cut&paste onto the shortcut" means. I know someday I'll understand all of this, but I don't know how to make a shortcut to the destination. And once I cut and paste onto the shortcut, what do I do with it? Absolutely there are some big files - so I'm glad to told me to break it up into smaller chunks. I have so far. Thank you. Lynn.

I found out the email is legit. I called checkfree from the # on their website and was told if anyone was on the site during the specific hours mentioned in OP then they could be sujected to a hacker. I think I was that day, but can't remember the time. Anyway, checkfee only plans to provide people with a free one year McAfee virus program (big deal). I was told many people are not aware that if they pay their bills on line, the on line places may even use checkfree to pay the bills, unbeknown to you, which is why you "think" you don't have an account with checkfree, but you do. I found this out when I ask why people who don't have an account with them are getting the email. It doesn't quite make sense why someone's bill would be paid through checkfree if they didn't ask it to be via signing up. Interesting!!!! The woman I spoke with wasn't too terribly helpful, was aware of the issue, and frankly, didn't seem to care much. I've run my anti virus programs and luckily nothing came up. I've checked and will continue to check my accounts to ensure there's no fowl play. I have, through my credit card company, a faud package, so if anything happens to my accounts, I'm covered. Besides, this and changing PWs, there's not much else anyone can do.