How much of your hard drives are filled with quilting related information???
Patterns, pictures, any and all saved information????
My brother swears that if I don't slow down, I will need to purchase an additional hard drive for just my quilting stuff :oops: :roll:
Is it sooo wrong to want to have everything I find interesting at my finger tips??? Yes, I do bookmark...but it is just not the same...and then trying to sort through my bookmarks is a chore in itself :roll: Same thing with transferring info to discs....I want it and I want to look at the info NOW :lol: :lol: :lol: not later after sorting through 20 discs for that elusive pattern or picture :x :lol:
I have asked him to take a closer look....help me delete some unused programs....free up some more space....and help big sis be able to feed her addiction a little longer on this ol' computer :wink: 8) 8)

I pdf everything (especially patterns and "how-to's") and save them on my computer. Then I back everything up to an external hard drive, just in case!

I have tons saved in my computer, not to mention all that I print off! I go through quite a bit of paper and ink! lol!!!! :lol: :lol:

I don't have many quilt related things on my computer. I keep pics of the quilts I have made on photobucket and a external hard drive. My patterns are in binders that I keep on a shelf. I have EQ5 loaded but I don't use it that much. I use graph paper and colored pencils more than EQ5.

I have a lot of embroidery designs stored on my computer but they don't take up that much space.

Just get an external hard drive and keep it near your computer and just plug it up when you want see your quilt related things.

Sybil

My brother told me it would be cheaper for me to subscribe to this online service that automatically backs everything up for $50 a year....seems to think it would be cheaper in the long run for me....I think he was being sarcastic :? ....or...maybe not :lol: :lol: :lol:
I do worry about crashes and losing my stuff....I have all the pictures on discs and important business stuff.... :wink:

Amma, I'm right there with you. My husband ( a true computer geek) is looking at adding an additional hard drive because of my quilting programs, pictures, patterns, etc. I, for one, don't think it's a bad thing.

Hey!!! ya want to go in on some stock with these companies with me??? I have lots printed out too :roll: :oops: :lol: :lol:

Thank you!!! I will be showing my brother this thread....He MUST be shown/taught that this is not a mere hobby or luxury....It is a NECESSITY :wink: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: I can only hope that when he remarries it will be to a quilter...I will gain a quilting friend and I will have him already broke in for her on the "ways" of a quilter :wink: 8) 8) 8)

Ought to, shouldn't we? lol!!!!! :D

I go through lots of paper and ink too. Have a big pile I need to put in 3 ring binders. My son who is into computers would probably cringe with all the quilting stuff I have saved. Not too computer literate here - guess I should put some on CD. Maybe my daughter will help me when she comes this summer.

I bought a 4 gig flash drive for saving my ME downloads It was only $14.00 ans I don't have to worry about losing them.

You mean there is a limit on how much quilting stuff I can save?
Oh my!!!
I guess I had better have a talk with my son! :wink:

My biggest thing is pictures! I have too manly pictures of quilts that I want to make!

I have stuff saved on my computer, too, and lots of printouts so I can flip through them easily. Unfortunately I haven't got them in binders like I planned, but they are lined up on a shelf with quilt patterns and books.

My friend says she saves all her embroidery designs and so forth on an external hard drive. When there is a hurricane and we have to evacuate like we have the last couple of years, she just takes that with her. I think she also has pictures saved on the hard drive. My husband uses an online backup since he needs to be sure he doesn't lose anything for business. He is happy with it and talked about adding it for my computer, but so far we haven't done that. :D

Download Cute pdf and that will let you save any any webpage as a pdf file. I save all the files at box.net until I get ready to print something out or send to a flash drive. This way it's not clogging up my computer. Also I use Google bookmarks. It sorts my bookmarks and has a description of what is on each. I dont' have to save quilt, fun, or blog bookmarks on my computer. I only save personal bookmarks or sensitive sites like insurance/bank/bills/ on my computer. http://www.cutepdf.com/Products/CutePDF/writer.asp

http://www.box.net



http://www.google.com/bookmarks/

I save all digital and scanned pictures at photobucket website.

For everyfile on my computer I have carbonite. If my computer crashes everything that was on it will be downloaded to any computer anytime. If you have a lot of files, it's worth having carbonite protection.

Oh, with box.net you can share any file or send it by email to anyone. It sure saves me a lot of time attaching a file to email.

first of all, unless it's his computer or you asked for his opinion, tell dear brother to mind his own business.

second, your computer will let you know when you have too much.

third, backing up to CDs or DVDs is a pain. backup to external hard drive - as suggested by some of the others - is the way to go. it's in two places. it'll load faster from your internal drive so it's convenient. should anything go wrong with either drive, you have the second copy to restore the duplication.

fourth, there is no such thing as too much unless you have a bazillion copies of the same things cluttering up and causing you confusion.

fifth ... and this is just my preference ... i only print what i need when i want to use it. when i'm done with the paper, i shred and recycle. i am a total slob and already have waaaaaaaay too much clutter without adding notebooks to the load. in fact, as i look around, i see i've lost my whole kitchen and dining area again. and the bulldozer is in the shop. :roll: :shock: :lol:

I wish I knew how to save all this stuff to my hard drive. I bookmark as you all say, but also mentioned, it takes forever to find what you are looking for, so I have binders of pictures I want to save. I have tried transfering them to CD's but they don't show up, I have tried to put them in microsoft program but can't figure out how to do it. So ink printer and ink and ink and ink for me. But I would love to find a way to put them on the hard drive. I have plenty on both of my computers, so no fear there. And if they crashed, well I could back them up if I got them on hard drive. I am not a computer geek, lucky to find the on button, and its easy to book mark from our service. So everything is there and we never lose it because it is with our service. So if anyone could tell me, I sure would appreciate it. Thanks

Rita

And thanks for listening to me pratter on. :oops:

Thanks, what an awesome idea!! I just went to amazon.com and purchased an 8 GB Sandisk for only $25.40!! That should take care of me for the rest of forever!! LOL

Dear brother is my resident computer helper!!! :D His advice is totally solicited!!! He periodically helps me with keeping it up and running smoothly!! 8) My computer started running slower and it's his opinion much to my dismay that I am using to much ram/memory something or other (all i hear is gobbly words when he starts talking computer lingo) so I know that I need to do something different.

I go into performance and maintenance
and under there it says free up hard disk space and I use that, this is all that I know how to do for it.



Patricia, how does it let you know?

I am so glad that there are others here with the same questions and the same thirst for anything quilting....and then I too am a ME junkie....maybe a separate storage device just for them....no way can I ever embroider them all out....but you just never know when one of them is going to be "the" perfect design!!!
I guess I will have to go shopping for an external hard drive or look harder into the online services. I'm leaning more towards online, incase of fire or theft, I can have a copy that is safe in cyberspace....or maybe both....I am thinking better safe than sorry :roll: :wink: :lol:
I started out only printing out "THE ONE"S" and now that pile is so big that I will never get around to doing all of them either!!! :roll: :lol:
Am I just hopeless???Naw... I say, that as long as my mind keeps twirling around patterns, the math, planning, plotting....I am doing my best to keep my mind exercised and staving off dementia...just what the experts are recommending :wink: 8) 8) 8)

Loretta keeping my hard drive clean like that would be the same as trying to keep my kitchen floor clean with 50 kids tracking in and out all day, LMBO I swept things up several times a day and only mopped once in the evening....my computer gets a good cleanup a few times a year....I guess I am just not a real tidy person!!! :roll: :lol:

I'm with you, Amma, I just can't stick to a system that well. I like your theory about keeping our brains working! :D I am actually the most knowledgeable about computers in my house, but there is a lot to know. It helps to have someone to rely on when the computer decides to get really slow. :roll: I'm thinking in terms of the external hard drive, too. :D :D

My brother retired, 20 years Navy, computer specialist....should have mentioned that before as I am very proud of him!!! :D 8) :mrgreen: :D

Sooo you can see why I lean on him heavily with my computer woes... :lol: :lol: :lol:

But maybe when he gets here in a couple of weeks I should video the look on his face when he sits down and turns on my computer.
First off the look of sheer horror and disbelief at the amount of "clutter" (his words not mine) on my desktop. Hey!!! It's all good stuff!!! :roll: :roll: :roll:

Then he starts peeking at the stuff that is still totally foreign to me...ram/memory/gigamathings and such :oops: :oops:

Next are my folders and by now I am ROTFLMBO at the look on his face, total shock that I can jumble everything to this extent in such a short time...short time??? It took me 3-4 months to do this!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Now I am offering to cook or go for take out....WHATEVER he wants while he sits there and performs his magic using all of the skills taught to him in the 20 years he was in the military..........anything to get out of his space and not have to face him...as I am still going to be on the floor laughing like a hyena if I stay in the room :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

And yet, he keeps coming back each time to bail me out. What a great guy, my brother 8) 8) 8)

I bought an external hard drive with my last computer, we almost lost everything at one time and decided it was worth the investment, I would have hated losing all the pictures I take.
And when we got the new computer, everything is still there without having to transfer. Get the hard drive anyway, you will be glad you did.

My husband says if I live to be 300 and made a different block every single day until I die, I would still have blocks on the computer and also printed out.LOL

Ahhhh Yesssss......just as it should be!!!!! Passing them on down to become......someone else's problem :lol: :lol: :twisted: :lol: :lol:

oh, this is me, too :roll: :lol:

your story is almost, exactly, like mine, Amma.
My brother was in air force, for 21 years as: ta da! computer specialist! he is a total computer genius. I have seen him....well, he can do some amazing things...hacker-genius type things, but he only does that, for good reason.
Like, when my daughter was getting married and had a picture of her wedding dress on her desktop pictures, or something...anyway he had to put in a password to get there...he did it in a flash!
He does have a bit of a habit of programming my computer, his way.
I am too pc-dumb to know, at the time. He's not mean, esp. since he doesn't have to help me at all...for hours, sometimes...but, he too, does not like clutter.
I am good about the house,
but computer....packrat - me? :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops:

about your other comment:
Am I just hopeless???Naw... I say, that as long as my mind keeps twirling around patterns, the math, planning, plotting....I am doing my best to keep my mind exercised and staving off dementia...just what the experts are recommending
...that's my story, too...and i'm sticking to it! :lol:

Mine has lots of quilting stuff on it, but I figure it's mine and I can put what I want on it.

Mine is too, littlehud!!!
I guess after I get a system in place to save all of this too, I will have to work on a system to keep it that way!!! I can procastinate housework and laundry....but not losing all my quilting stuff that I have been collecting for years, now!!!!
Now to start researching online storage systems....and a external hard drive :wink:

The more the quilting information, the better it is!!
:D :D :D :D :D

there's a difference between "memory (RAM)" and "storage (drives)". memory is separate from the hard drive. it functions as part of the computer's brain. the computer will also set aside some space on the hard drive ("virtual memory") to supplement the regular memory. if you ask it to perform a task that the regular memory alone can't handle, it swaps information back and forth between RAM and that space on the hard drive. (think of the difference between doing a math problem all "in your head" and needing to also get out pencil and paper to work it out.)

the only time the amount of data you have stored on your hard drive becomes an issue is if you have nearly filled the drive. then the computer can't find enough space to use as virtual memory. that can slow things down because the computer can't do as much "in its head" and also can't find enough paper to work it out.

a computer can get sloggy if the hard drive is simply too cluttered. but that does not necessarily mean there are too many files stored on it. it usually just means they need to be reorganized.

when we put our files into folders and cabinets, we store the whole file altogether in one piece. a computer doesn't do that. it finds the first available chunk of free space on the drive and starts writing the file. if that chunk isn't big enough for the whole file, the computer writes what will fit then looks for the next chunk of free space to write more. one file can be stored in bits and pieces all over the place. the computer keeps track of where all those bits and pieces are so it appears to be all together whenever you open it.

suppose you had 57 pairs of shoes. well, any woman can tell you ... that is nowhere near too many pairs of shoes. puleeze! if they're all nicely organized and paired, you can find just the right shoes in a flash. BUT if they're all in piles all over the house, it can take quite a bit longer to fish through all of it to find both shoes.

so, every so often, users should perform a utility function called "defragmentation". (in windows, you'll find it under accessories/system tools) when you "defrag" the hard drive, the computer sifts through everything and reorganizes it. it finds all the bits and pieces and then reorganizes them into whole files stored "contiguously". (it matches the pairs of shoes and lines them up again.)

you can also run "disk cleanup" to get rid of all the junk files ... temporary files, files that haven't been used in ages and ages ... etc. the cleanup program will prevent you with a list of suggestions about what it could/should delete.

the defrag process first runs cleanup and then reorganizes.

there are also other reasons a computer might slow down. trying to run the newest programs on an old computer; trying to run programs that need more RAM than you have; the list goes on. if you never install or use the most up-to-date versions of your programs, it will usually serve you well for many years. but, if you want to install the gee-wizzy stuff, a computer more than three years old is more or less an electric paperweight.

Y'all are talking about me, aren't you? I do try to back up stuff on thumb drives or cds, but gosh there's so much to see, do, and save! Let's build our own Quilting Save Board!!! I don't have time to look through all the CDs, thumb drives, or books (although I've filled quite a few notebooks with printed patterns and how-tos) I WANT TO QUILT, not organize. Now how bad is this???
:lol: :shock: :roll: :? :wink:

Thanks, Patricia, going to check all this out, know I've done both before, I have several on read later and on Bookmark.
My computer just turned 3 years old, but have only used it a lot since January. I do get updates though , so will have to check that out also. Never did download Vista, still on the other and use Fire fox,
Mly son is a wizard at this stuff, has a degree, but I have always wanted to know how to do things myself, while I'm still young enough to learn1 LOL
I tend to bookmark things more than download them< or print them out. My concern is that It will crash and I will loose everything. But, have over 60o/o left I think!

mimisharon, you captured my creative essesence, with your last statement. I feel like I am a busy person, and most of it, is with cleaning and organizing, my organizations! eee-yah!
I try to be a little choosy, what I keep, but, no sense in trying to fight something that your wired to love. I am one of those ppl, that actually does go back to something saved, and I DO use it, and am glad I did.

Hubby bought me a HUGE GB external hardrive for my bday last year, so I keep everything on that. ALSO I have them all on cds.

i have everything on a flash drive... all you do is plug it into the computer. it's even good if you want to take it with you to on use on a lap top...it's smaller than a lipstick

My computer is old enough that it still has Windows 98. At least a year ago we purchased an external hard drive at Walmart. I am sure it was less than $50. A lot cheaper than a new computer. It holds at least 100 times what my computer does. I store all kinds of things on it and there is still 90% of it's memory space left. Besides quilt related stuff I have scads of pictures and music that my husband has downloaded or copied from CDs from the library etc.

I have a simple backup that comes on once a week to see if I want a backup which I always do. But I still don't know what it is backing up except pictures. Mine is called Bounceback.

I forgot to add that I keep all pertinent info like addresses of sites and all email in a small notebook. When our computer crashed it really came in handy to find my info. The tech we had was able to save the pics, address book and favorites which I was grateful for. I have called Microsoft before and the tech there told me to be sure to use Windows Updates and it will protect your computer. FYI
Darlene