Portable data storage

[lynbrown]

I want to copy all my photos and documents on my PC. How can I work out what size of storage i need?

[vehelpfulguy]

You you mean external hard disk storage, or to copy them to CD or DVD?

To find out how big all the files in a folder are do as follows.

Open "My Docments" and find the folder or folders that contain your pictures, music etc.

With the yellow folder icon still displayed (not the contents) RIGHT click on the Folder icon and from the menu choose Properties.

On the Properties windows that is displayed it will show you "Size" and "Size on Disk" (the numbers are usually similar).

So the Size might say 386Mb (405,414,433).

So that is saying the folder contains 386 megabytes of data (getting on for half a gigabyte).

Note this is the size of the MAIN folder AND all the folders under it.

So you need to do that with each folder of data you have and then add them all up.

[vehelpfulguy]

If you want the size of a number of folders you can hold down the Ctrl key and select multiple folders THEN right click and chose Properties.

With the Ctrl key held down, as you select each folder the previous one stays selected.

[lynbrown]

Thanks helpful guy - you are well named. I am going to buy a portable storage data piece of equipment. My son says I should get 8GB. On your advice, I read in Properties - Size - 1.47GB (1,600,049,152) bytes. Is 8 enough?
Also, once its inserted, should i just leave it in my PC to constantly update whenever i make a new doc or add in some photos? Or should I remove it and insert at regular intervals?

[vehelpfulguy]

I assume you mean you are going to get one of these devices, called a USB Key or USB memory stick.

http://opensource.bureau-cornavin.com/belkin/u sb-key.jpg

Here is an 8Gb USB key for around �17 so you could buy more than one.

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/126211

However another option is to go for an external hard drive that plugs into the USB port. Here is a 250Gb hard drive for �45, just over twice what you are paying for an 8Gb memory stick.

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/138915

[vehelpfulguy]

> should i just leave it in my PC to constantly update whenever i make a new doc or add in some photos?

This is difficult to answer without me knowing WHY you are copying the files from your PC to this memory stick.

It may be to to save some space on your PC hard drive.

It may be for you to be able to use them in more than one computer.

It may be that you want to back them up onto this memory stick.

If you can let me know how you plan to use this memory stick I can advice how best to use it.

[lynbrown]

I am scared something happens to my PC and I lose all my photos.

[vehelpfulguy]

>I am scared something happens to my PC and I lose all my photos.

Then the only REAL solution is to copy them to CD or DVD (an "R" CD or DVD rather than a "R/W" CD or DVD. Files can be deleted off a R/W disk).

If they are copied to a memory stick it can easily get lost or stolen or the pictures accidently deleted off it.

If they are copied to another hard disk (which has moving parts) that can crash or get stolen, or again fles can be deleted off it.

I back up all my important files (pictures etc) to CDs and DVDs, and I make 2 copies of each, just in case.

Backup may seem a pain, but the day your laptop is stolen, or crashes, wlll be the day you are glad you did those backups.

[vehelpfulguy]

And in case you think "it wont happen to me", a few years ago I was eating a bowl of cornflakes while working on my laptop (silly I know).

I accidently hit the edge of the bowl and is tipped upside down and covered my laptop in soggy corn flakes and milk.

Luckily the hard disk was OK and I was able to get the files of it, but the laptop was ruined as all the keys became sticky and unusable, and the inside of the laptop started to corrode.

Luckily it was a company laptop and I got another one, but it can so easily happen.