Computer help?

Thank you, that was quite helpful. I don't know why I couldn't figure out about gigabytes. I even looked it up but the information wouldn't take. I couldn't figure that the 1024 RAM was MB and that means 1 GB, which is what Ohnai was saying to be sure to get. I think I need it the way I keep programs open all the time.Thanks for the info about the best way to use the thumb drive. I'd pretty much decided I had to have that. I hope my computer lasts long enough to pull all this off. It's been doing amazingly well today considering how bad it's been lately.You are right about the panel screen. I don't even like them.Edited by Faith, : No reason given.

You mean virus attack I suppose. I've been making do with AVG and Ad-Aware freebies I downloaded from the web. What about SP2 that comes with a new computer with Windows XP already on it? Then if I load my old CDs (I probably wouldn't have to install the Windows program on a new machine, but most likely the Office XP program) the protection will already be there. No?

What if I like the sound of a computer that has a SATA hard drive? What is the problem again for my purposes?

I get it, thanks. Yes, I think the best solution is to get a new system, and SATA is everywhere. I still don't get what it is, I just want to be sure it's OK to get.

Thank you. Lots to munch on there.One more question.If I can't get this right away and have to nurse this old machine along for a while (or if it crashes I can borrow a functional computer a friend is willing to lend me for a while), I should probably get that thumb drive thing NOW and start backing up my stuff to that instead of these Zip disks before the system completely goes. Right?In that case I need to find out if I have the right port in this computer for the thumb drive. I'm not sure what it looks like. And although I could probably find out online I'm avoiding going anywhere on the web except Google and EvC because it pretty predictably causes a freezeup.Would you -- or somebody -- please describe it or put up a picture?Thanks.Edited by Faith, : No reason given.

OK, I guess it's that dark rectangular space right next to the mouse plug in, about those dimensions. Thanks.

No, I don't need much space at all on the thumb. I've only saved 300MB of the stuff I really need. I don't care if I lose the rest.I'm not worried about a new system, just the possibility of having to install stuff in the CPU or otherwise figure out how to get this old computer working. A new system should be a piece o cake by comparison.If I can just plug in this thumb drive and have it show up in my list of places to send files to, I can do that sort of thing fine. I've played with a lot of computers over the years, I even used to fiddle with DOS commands. I can hardly believe it, don't remember a thing about it any more. Now I just don't have the patience to learn the multiple menus and functions. Never learned much about how the parts work and got more and more wearied by all the new features that are so interesting to others, just too much information, too many menus, too much to have to think about for me. I learn a new feature about once a year or so.

All I have for backup in case this system crashes, which seems imminent, is Zip disks, and I've been backing up to them for a week or so now, but just the most important stuff because I only have three 100MB disks. No problem, I can lose the rest, though if I don't have to I won't.But I only have the Zip disks; I don't have a CD burner or anything else. Computers that friends have don't have Zip drives. New computers don't have Zip drives.I need something to get the files from this old computer into a new computer, which I can't get yet, but may in the nearish future. The easiest way to do it seems to be to get a thumb drive NOW before this system crashes and save things to it instead of to the Zip disks, so when I get the new system I'll have it in the right form to plug into it. Even if I have to borrow a computer it will be necessary, to get my files into it.Maybe a cheap CD drive would do as well.Edited by Faith, : No reason given.Edited by Faith, : No reason given.

Ooo, great picture, THAT takes care of my doubts about what it is. Yes I have that, one side-by-side set. Thank you very much. And Dr. Jones too.I LOVE this thread.Such a relief from beating each other up about evolution.Not that it will last long.Edited by Faith, : No reason given.

I just talked to someone this morning who has a collection of thumb drives as a library for genealogical research. Sounds like a useful little item. I don't want to spend that much. Hoping to get a thumb drive or something else VERY cheap at this point. This month I'm very much on the edge. I'm going to be getting help with a new computer otherwise I couldn't do it at all. But I have a new option. Got asked to babysit for a few days for my niece with the geek husband, who said to bring along the computer and he'll clean it up for me. But this won't be until next week. He has all the paraphernalia. Even if the thing crashes he will probably be able to resurrect it.

Sounds like a must-have. What's the problem with removing them?Also, everything that you store data on eventually corrupts one way or another. CD's get scratches, disks just get bad over time, and so on. What's the wear factor on the thumb drive?

Sorry, "wear factor" was a bad choice of words. Mean corruption factor. Life of the thing. Disks corrupt, etc.

Well two have said avoid magnets, one says not a problem.I use a cassette tape eraser all the time so it's always near my computer -- it has its own corner away from everything else but it's still possible to make a mistake with it and put smoething else near it. I've printed loud messages on it to keep it away from "watches, recorded tapes, computer hardware and software" (which the packaging says in tiny print) and that would include the XP program disks I said a friend set it down on when helping me move. So the disks could be damaged after all.It's enclosed in a box but if I put it near paper clips it picks them up through the box so it's pretty strong.Edited by Faith, : No reason given.Edited by Faith, : No reason given.

The monitor has been getting dim I think, but the white tone is even on the Word doc, far as I can tell. That's not the problem, though, or the hard disk. The eraser doesn't get that close to either of them.But it got put down right on top of the XP program disks which I'm going to need when I get a new computer in the nearish future, at least the Office Suite disk which has the Publisher program on it -- that won't come with the new computer and I can't do without it. I wonder if Microsoft would replace the disks if they're damaged? I have the codes for them.

OK, now I'm convinced. And relieved. Much obliged.