“I tried Windows 'easy-transfer' or whatever it was called. -It comes with Vista, and promises great things.”
“you can't use any conventional cable to do the transfer (only a bespoke 'cable' made by Belkin, which -while they call it a "cable", seems to incorporate some 'black-box' in the middle”Hi Keith!Thanks for your kind words.I have one of the Belkin cables, and although I haven’t used it myself which I’ll explain in a minute, I did lend it my son to use on a new computer he built, and to use on a new computer belonging to my sister in law. It’s just a guess, but I think it probably has a little timing chip in it to keep both computers properly synchronised as the data passes from one to the other.
Vista has the transfer software built into it, but the XP computer you transfer from doesn’t, and so the cable comes with an additional program called ‘file mover’ that you install on the XP computer, and then they sync up with the cable, and it does work very well indeed.
If you are a person for moving files and settings from computer to computer! I don’t normally because I prefer to do everything ‘from new’ and most especially, don’t wish to carry any problems or incompatibilities over from the older computer.
I have a policy of clearing out everything periodically. This has many advantages.No- one could ever come from behind, take up the traces, and use readily available resources to explore, find, gain and extract deeply personal knowledge and experience. They would be lost, and quickly out of their depth in an unsustainable position. But there are many advantages.
For instance, if you have a workroom or office, and there are things in your cupboards, or drawers you haven’t used for a couple of years, you really don’t need them close by, if you need them at all. The extra space created made might facilitate a reorganisation, an improved environment, reduced clutter and an improved work flow.
If you work in a building that has several rooms or adjacent departments, you may find equipment, furniture, fixtures and fittings are thrown up which could be placed in a pool. It can be the case that another room or department actually wants the precise equipment you are throwing out.
At least, they can take a look before they place a costly order. Inside the computers, the hard drives are absolutely no exception to this, regular ‘clear out’ but there are of course, many files that might be required, for reference purposes, in the future.
So I print out onto paper, anything I want for reading reference. Copy the same information onto DVD Data Disks, and also copy them onto external hard drives that simply plug in by Firewire or USB.
Each form of media, is kept in an entirely separate location.
Normally, I would use an external hard drive to copy files I wanted to transfer, much in the same way you chose, and thus all my drives are formatted utilising the same file system. NTFS. USB 1 is painfully slow in comparison to USB 2, in fact, its worth having a PCI card to give you the extra speed in an old machine to compensate for this.
When I install The O/S I usually partition the hard drives so that there is 200Gbs for the C Drive. This is because Windows works on a ‘swap file system’ where the data ‘swirls about the drive’ as it’s being used.
This is why we defrag regularly. The O/S also assigns virtual memory to the hard drive in some instances, so all this extra space aids and can speed up the operation of the computer.
All the files go onto separate partitions which keeps them safe if I ever reinstall all the software.
One partition is utilised for a backup. This is a clone of the entire original installation of Programs.
The C drive is usually about 65Gb. Using Ghost in Windows, this entire original installation about 85Gbs which includes programs on separate C and D drives (and takes about 9 -10 hours to load) can be reinstalled completely, as new, in less than 90 Minutes.
With a 1,000 Gbs in one machine and 8 Partitions typically, plus the external copying drives, I am afforded a great deal of flexibility, and can certainly load both drives up in a partition of about 90 Gbs utilising standard file compression.
I would recommend Tune Up Utilities 2009 over any other maintenance program.http://www.tune-up.com/products/tuneup-utilities/Do try Driver Max 4 http://www.drivermax.com/download.htmIt is a free program that will enable you to back up every driver on your computer to a folder which you can then burn to disc.
It will even look for new drivers if you want it to. But I would simply allow it to save and burn all your existing drivers to a safe place.
http://www.vistaknowledge.com/vista-wallpapers/bring-me-the- horizon-wallpaper/
Try this; it’s the wallpaper I am currently using.
Save file to the desktop.
R/Click.
Set as desktop background.
Here are some more resources.
http://www.vistaknowledge.com/category/vista-how-to/http://www.vistaknowledge.com/category/vista-themes/I read your feature in the Austin Rover site some time ago.
Congratulations. It’s always nice to have your thoughts richly appreciated.I expect that if I explored the site thoroughly, I would encounter some characters I have known over the years. It seemed a nice site, and it’s great that people are building it with so many historical features and articles.
In regard to the MINI.
The only way to decide if you want one is to drive it. Preferably, on roads with lot’s of winding bends for excitement!
The sensation of acceleration and speed as you drive by the seat of your pants is an exhilarating experience, coupled as it is with pointy steering, and real go kart handling.
We all have to get from A to B but the MINI is a driver’s car that makes the experience so much fun, that people genuinely look forward to the journey, and often take the long way round to extend the pleasure.
Around Oxford, there are a great many fine marques on the roads, and it is the case that some extremely prestigious ‘racer’ models, that undoubtedly leave the MINI in dust and pebbles on the straight, are caught up and then passed on bendy winding country roads.How many people can say the production car they drive was designed by the same man that has designed the latest generations of Ferrari’s and Masserati’s? But a Mini owner CAN!
It is a totally pure design in a world dominated by committee designed vehicles that subtly steal design clues directly cloned from BMW.
Since the millennium a great deal of energy has been directed towards securing the successful launch and building of the MINI Brand worldwide, throughout the 88 Countries in which it is today sold. It has been more than twice as successful as BMW ever envisaged. And that, at a time when for many reasons, large bodied vehicles are under duress; It has provided them with a timely and effective foil in a market sector, in which they were previously unrepresented.
No Brand is entirely immune to such damage as the economies of the world are currently sustaining, and inevitably there are continual challenges to be decisively addressed, but for BMW Group.
MINI is regarded as the Jewel in the Crown.
Products such as MINI enjoy global widespread acceptance and ride a tidal wave of approval, thus it is true to say, that in many respects they sell themselves. When you drive past the Factory, sometimes they have enthusiasts cars from all over the world visiting for events and every one seems to have a different flag on it roof. It's quite a sight!
A unique factor is that it is an internationally loved cultural Icon, and many people own them that you would think might own a much more expensive vehicle. Madge has a Black one with heavily tinted windows.
I would strongly suspect that the most difficult part of the sale peoples task, is guiding customers through the quite breathtaking number of variants and options including the (John Cooper Works Variants) that are available direct from the factory, that make each customised vehicle highly personalised indeed, with lots of individuality and appeal.
I saw the Austin Powers vehicle while at the Plant, with the Union Jack all over it. They use it to take to schools, to encourage quite young children to learn about apprenticeships and so on that they might be interested in, later on in their development. They clamber excitedly in the back and all over it really.
The successful product placement and deeply woven integration of the MINI product launch with The Italian Job and The Austin Powers Movies, along with powerful performances by a number of the most acclaimed international recording artists on the planet, in those films was a tremendous boost in profile for the model.
The immense scale of production and logistical demands, powerfully hinges on tremendously active inter-cooperation between a huge numbers of departments, with a coordinated multi disciplinary approach. It involves a quite enormous amount of creative input, and practical know how, to realise the various competing, artist demands, desires, needs and wishes.
You may be interested to know, some months back a production milestone was reached, and as a customer in Miami Florida ordered a MINI he found himself treated especially well. As the umpteenth customer that had purchased a MINI, he and his wife were flown to the U.K. to enjoy a holiday here, with some respectable spending money thrown in, a visit the factory to see the MINI being manufactured, and they picked up their new car from the vehicle handover centre.
They used it to drive around the U.K. whilst here, prior to it being shipped back to America for them.
This is a commemorative year for the Mini as it was first launched 50 years ago, and so there will be a great many exciting events for MINI enthusiast from around the world. http://www.miniunited.com/web/guest/miniunited2009?refType=t easerStandard&refPage=/com/en/general/homepage/content.j sp
No doubt a huge number will tour the factory and attend additional events yet to be organised.
“my new car also has iPod integration, including control from the steering wheel, so that made the drive into work this morning a bit of a novelty!”Like This?
Click the buttons, change tracks
And adjust the volume to your taste!http://www.mini.com/com/en/ipod_special/index.jspI don’t know what you mean when you say there is not enough space. Just precisely what do you have in mind? http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=chHpV2Hlt-k&feature=relate d
If you want to carry a Decca Tree in the rear of your vehicle, I suggest you explore the benefits of one of the new, extruded aluminium ‘Telescopic Trees’ that fold out, snap and lock, to the required height and width. Or another alternative, would be the highly flexible ‘Rigi-Flex Rig’ with light, but strong, alloy ball joints, pivoting the extensions that can be spread rigidly for use, but with the supporting plate removed and the turn of a few wing nuts, quickly folded down for transportation.
Last but not least, there is the new kid on the block, the highly acclaimed, inflatable ‘Flying Tree’ utilising helium for lift and easy positioning anywhere within the auditorium, which has a light folding aluminium frame or chassis, slung beneath it for the mic’s.
Although you have to carry a small canister of helium in the car, the benefits afforded by sucking a little, prior to speaking to a petrol attendant, and the cashier, more than makes up for any perceivable inconvenience.
Remember! You have to have fun in a MINI.
And the pleasures...
All Mine!P
