Genealogy Chat

Can anyone give me an idiots guide to downloading things from Windows Vista to a USB Flash Drive.

I mean a real idiots guide because I have never done this before at all, I need step by step instructions if you can please.

Betty

Hi Michael,

Thanks for the information on saving to Flash Drive. Yes it does look simple enough to follow, thank you!!
I have never used a Flash Drive before I usually use discs but now I am on Vista I didn't have a clue as it new to me.
I am going to copy and paste you information and try it tomorrow, I have so many pictures on my computer I would really like to save them also info on my family tree as well.
Thanks again for your help!! Much appreciated!!

Betty

Hi Jill,

Sorry I just saw your message, yes I will remember that too because they are so small it would be easy to loss them, thanks for the tip I will make sure I do as you suggested, thanks!!

Betty

This might sound silly, but what is a flash drive?

Duncan

Hi Duncan,

How can I tell you what it looks like, not sure but if you google flash drives it will show you.
Anyway you can store lots on info, pictures etc from your computer onto them in much the same way as you save things to a disc.
Flash Drives are only about 2 inches long by 1 inch wide so easy to carry around in your pocket, better than a disc.

Betty

Hi Duncan,

If you copy and paste this link into you browser you will see what Flash Drives look like and what you can do with them!!

www.MemoryBits.co.uk/FlashDrive

Betty

Thanks Betty,

I've had a look, now I want one!

Duncan

Hi Duncan,

I got mine out of ASDA phographic department, they had a sale and I paid just £4 for mine so I bought two of them as they were cheap.

Betty

That is a very good deal.

Flash drives are excellent not just for storing data but for transfering data between computers. For that latter reason there is great concern by the computer security community as to how to prevent their use for nefarious purposes.

However, I would strongly recommend that you back up your data to CD, DVD disk or external hard disk. Flash drives, because of their small size, are easy to break and lose.

Some points:
Each time, after you've plugged your flash drive into someone else's PC run a virus check on it before you pull files off of it.

I use Windows File Explorer to access my files and do transfers. (It's under Start - All Programs - Accessories, and its icon is a folder with a magnifying glass on top of that. I find it so useful, I've got a shortcut to it on my desktop.) Anyway, in Explorer, if I drag and drop from one drive to another, the thing vanishes from the original location, which is typically not what I want. I don't know if things work differently in Vista, as I'm using XP. To do a copy and paste (rather than a cut and paste), highlight the file(s), then right click on the highlighted group and select Copy, then highlight the destination drive/folder and right click and select paste. (After you've highlight stuff, you also get these options via the Edit menu in Explorer.) You can also have two copies of Explorer open and transfer from one to the other.

Two high-lighting tricks - I normally use the details view, which gives a list of files and folders. If you highlight the first item of interest, then hold the shift key down and highlight the last item of interest, all the intermediate items get highlighted too. If you only want every other file to be highlight, then hold the ctrl key down as you highlight your selected files; they'll all get highlighted and you can do just one copy and paste. This use of the shift and control key when selecting works as above in other places too.

Thanks mgny,
.
Sorry I don't know your name but thanks for all the usefull information you have given me. I'm not sure if Windows Vista is the same as you have but will try it and find out, just hope I can do it anyway, Appreciate all you help and advice!!

Betty