Transferring files to new computer

Tom, the easiest option for you is to connect your external hard drive to your new computer. All its data will then be available to any program on your new computer.

Assuming you still have the media containing Photoshop Album, simply install it onto your newcomputer.
When you open Photoshop, point it to your external drive letter which will appear in the 'open' dialog box, and hey-ho , off you go. All your data files will be shown to you for you to pick which one to open.

Transferring files to new computer
The problem here is that the Photoshop lbum software in only on the internal hard drive. The pix have been copied to a folder on the portable external hd, but not the Album software, and the damn computer has quit recognizing that drive.

I had hoped I could install the software on the external hd, but no go.

An idea has just occurred to me, though: could I hitch the external hd to another computer and download the software onto it? Sound reasonable?

The program software pretty much oughtta be on the same drive as your operating system. As I recall, Photoshop Album saves images as a proprietary file type. Seems to me I recall that IrfanView can open them and can convert them to regular JPGs - might wanna look into that - IrfanView does have a batch conversion function, so converting a buncha files should be easy enough, if you can get that far. I think I've got Photoshop Album on one of my machines - I'll look forit and try to figure out if IrfanView might be of help to you.

A few other questions here -
You say the external drive no longer is recognized by your machine - what error message do you get, and how is the drive listeded - if at all - in Device Manager?

What brand/model drive is it, and how is it connected to your machine?

Does the drive's vendor offer diagnostic software for that drive, and have you tried it?

What happens when the drive is connected to another machine?

If you can access the drive when connected to another machine, how big is the PhotoShop Album file? Would it be practical to copy that file to removeable media - a CD or a thumbdrive, for instance, and move the copy to the problem machine so the software resident there can handle it?

Transferring files to new computer
I'll answer the last question first. I have a 1GB flash memory with nothing yet on it. The Photoshop Album is quite small, perhaps 75- 100 pix at this point. What I would like to be able to do is transfer the album and all its neatly organized contents in toto to the new machine. But will the software transfer? If not, I can, of course, copy the individual pix, but then they'll have to be organized all over again.

The Photoshop Album isn't on the external hd, just the pix.

As to the external hard drive: it's a Maxtor 3000LE, and Device Manager says it's working properly. I get various messages, the latest being (when I tried saving a document to it) that I do not have access to E:\ & must see my administrator. I AM the administrator, and the computer acknowledges the fact.

Sometimes, as right now, it doesn't even show up on My Computer; sometimes it does, but still isn't recognized. The same problem arises with my scanner - it turns on, but only briefly, and it too is reported to be working properly.

Sometimes when I try to access the E drive it does indeed register, but only as empty, which I know isn't true. I'm working like mad on a speech right now, so the hard drive/scanner problems are taking a bit of a back seat. However, in a couple of days I plan to take the drive downstairs to the computer room where I can hitch it up to a nice shiny new, FUNCTIONING machine and see what happens.

Transferring files to new computerBTW - I would be getting a
BTW - I would be getting a new computer even without these connectivity problems. So much new stuff is out there, computers are more powerful but physically smaller, I want to try new things - all these points add up to time for a new machine.

I hope I'm not tempting fate here, incidentally, but so far I've had no problem with my nice new Canon printer. The computer doesn't seem to object to that piece of equipment, at least. Anyway, if something had to give trouble, thank God it's not the printer.

Transferring files to new computer
Well, I took the drive downstairs to the computer room, but there's no place to plug it in except for the Administrator's machine.

GRRRR

Tom ,
I haven't tried this software, nor am I posting to advertise it!

Quote from software author:-

Quickly and easily deploy a new HDD on your PC - migrating all data and keeping all operating systems and applications fully functional in minutes automatically! Why waste time reinstalling all your programs and data when you can simply move everything from an existing or archived drive. No more headaches and hours of work with Acronis Migrate Easy!

You only need Google for the download website!

Admins - please delete unwanted words when Tom has responded.

Acronis is a reputable, major vendor, and in my experience, their software installs and runs pretty well, and pretty much reliably does what it says it will do.

Transferring files to new computer
This sounds good, but I worry that my computer won't accept this software. However, I have still a couple of weeks in which to think about it. I certainly will look at the Acronis info.

I hope the new machine comes quickly, because I'm not sure how long this one is going to last.

Thank you both very much, and I'll let you know.

Transferring files to new computer
OK, I looked at Acronis, but am not clear which product is the one you're referring to. The closest seems to be Acronis True Image.

I assume that if Acronis can copy the complete contents of my hard drive to an external or a larger capacity hd, it can be used to transfer data to the new computer - after all, a hard drive is a hard drive wherever it may be located. (This may not sound like a very bright remark, but for all that I use my computer heavily, I'm not always quite clear about why it does what it does.)

Transferring files to new computer
The Acronis products seem to transfer the OS as well as the miscellaneous software, but with a new computer I have a new OS so how would that affect things?

You pretty much can choose to transfer as much or as little as you choose to with most migration software, from essentially the entire drive, OS and all, to selected folders, files, settings, and apps. Your call.

Personally, when setting up a new 'puter, even, perhaps particularly, one with a vendor-installed OS and apps, my preference is first make sure it works as it should outta the box, then gather all necessary drivers and other desired apps and other necessary/desired software, all in their latest, most current versions, make sure the machine's BIOS is the latest available for its make and model, wipe the drive, format it, partition it to my liking, and then reinstall the OS, drivers, and any desired apps clean, free of all vendor-proprietary software. However, if your machine comes with only a "Restore" disk, with drivers and vendor-proprietary software incorporated into its "AutoRun" routine, not an actual stand-alone licensed Operating System Install Disk, thats prolly not a viable route to take, and actually, I realize, understand, and accept that for most home users, its overkill, but its my preference - bit of extra effort up front, but a big back-end payoff, IMO.

Tom,

The webpage is here

You can download 'migrate easy' by selecting 'download', but read the bumf on useage and be sure you understand it.

I also do as Timberlandko does, and have not used this method!

what OS are you using and?

Transferring files to new computer
Windows XP Home to Windows XP Media etc.

I don't particularly mind the reinstalling of various programs, but I hate the thought of reorganizing all my photos.

Part of my problem is that since my current computer doesn't recognize my external hard drive any more, I can't access stuff that's only on that, and must reconstruct. Much worse than simply reinstalling a game from a disk.