I guess no one is interested in helping me

Original title of thread: "New user to WD with an older model, never used, Passport Essential (2yrs.)

Hello everyone,

My son gave me a WD Passport Essential for Xmas 08 but being very, VERY new to computers I never really understood how to use it.  I think I might have installed it in my computer shortly after I received it, but I don’t remember what I did nor how I did it.

I would really like to be able to store my pictures in my Passport, but I have NO idea how to do it.

I have a Compaq Presario laptop, with Windows Vista Home Premium.

Could somebody please, help me figure this all out?

Thank you!  Your assistance is very much appreciated.

(Original title of this thread "New user to WD with an older model, never used, Passport Essential (2yrs.))

So, my new questions are:

1 - Do I use Import Pictures to import my pictures from my laptop to WD?

2 - Or, do I use Transfer Pictures (using Media Import) to tranfer my pictures from my laptop to WD?

3 - Can I just copy some of my pics or are they all automatically copied to WD?

Well, I posted this question on Wednesday, and today is Saturday.  There have been close to 100 people viewing this thread and NOT ONE SINGLE, SOLITARY ANSWER!

Not a “Hey”…  not a “here’s how you do it…” NOTHING!

That is really interesting.  I thought this would be the perfect place to ask my questions, and get knowledgeable answers…  but, I guess no one is interested in helping me.

:angry:

There’s an article on Microsoft’s support site for how to work with files and folders (link below).  I don’t mean to sound harsh, but as a newbie, it’s up to you to learn how to use your computer.   That’s the most fundamental requirement to computing.  Nobody will be able to help you if you run into a real issue if you can’t navigate your computer and perform the basics of creating, deleting, copying, software installation, computer configurations and network configurations (that one is more advanced, but nonetheless).  You will need to learn what everything is called and where it’s located.  I put another link below to get you started with learning Vista.

Working with Files and Folders

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Working-with-files-and-folders

Using Windows Vista

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/help/using

Well, finally, a reply!  This must be my lucky day!  :dizzy_face:

Hi Wayne,

Thanks for your message and for the links, both sites were already in my Favorites.  No you don’t sound harsh… I know that you’re trying to help sort out the genuine questions from the loony ones.

The magic words in my first post are:    "My son gave me a WD Passport Essential for Xmas 08 but being very, VERY new to computers I never really understood how to use it."  

I was NEW to computers in 2008, being 50 years old I had never had a computer before.   However, I have  learned a lot about computer in the last 2 years.  I own 2 books on Vista and refer to them often.  I belong to the Microsoft forum, plus a magazine/computer forum where I have learned about community, helping people and forum etiquette.

I came to this community because I think that it is better to ask the real experts about their programs and products.  All I was asking is for help on how to copy pictures from my computer to my WD drive.

I guess I should have phrased my question in a different way, something like… “My son gave me a WD Passport Essential for Xmas 2008 but I don’t know how to use it.”  Period.  There.  Is that clearer now?  Do you think I’d be have a better response from this community now?

… As a matter of fact, I have to tell you that because I didn’t have an answer from this community last week when I needed it , I had someone try to help me to copy my pictures to WD and he ended up deleting my entire pictures folder - all 9,000+ pictures I had in my computer!!!  Yep, he sure did!  I was completely devastated.  I’m still immensely sad and depressed about it.

 

So now I’m in the process of trying to undo the damage he did and trying to recover my pictures… not a small task, indeed. 

Please, understand, I’m NOT placing any blame on you nor this community, but truthfully if I had had them copied to my WD when I asked for the help, we would not be having this conversation.

 

So, maybe next time when a little ol’ lady shows up in your community asking a “silly” question, there might a real, pressing need there and perhaps there would be a quicker, more compassionate response to her concerns.

Thanks again, Wayne, but I still need to know how to copy my new / future pictures to the WD drive. 

Temari

That’s why I gave you the links.  They explain in detail how to copy files and folders, whether from drive to drive, or folder to folder, because the proceedure is the same.   Here, now I’ll give you another link.  This one will help you recover your pictures, hopefully.

http://www.piriform.com/recuva

Have fun learning.

Right click on your Computer icon on your destop. 

If you start looking for comething on top of your desk which you have your keyboard lying then STOP.  You are really very NEW to computer and it  just can’t teach algebra to first grade student. 

Next, left click (select) on Manage.

Left click on Disk Management.

See if you can see the drive listed.

See if it get assigned a disk letter.

If not, right click on it and select Change Drive Letter and Path …

Next format the drive.

To copy pictures over, you have to understand  Drive, Folders and Files.

Drag whatever pictures or folers onto the external drive.

I hope you can follow all of the above. 

Regards,

Hi again, Wayne,

Thanks for your msg.  I actually looked it up in my book “Windows Vista, Plain & Simple” and found the info I needed on Page 209,  Using a Removable Memory Device, and following that info I was successful in copying a few pictures to my WD. 

I guess I had the information all along.   I should’ve looked there for the answer first, instead of here.

re your Recuva link.  Thanks, but I had already downloaded it on Monday and it recovered over 10,000 pics! 

BUT a lot of them are avvie size (75 x 75)  others 100 x 75, others a little bigger and yet others cannot be opened by Win Photo Gallery at all.   Recuva did find a few good pictures in the right size, so I’ve been able to copy them to my WD already.

Thanks for your help.

Temari

jychan28,

You said (I include the mispelled words)

“If you start looking for comething on top of your desk which you have your keybord lying then STOP.  You are really very NEW to computer and it just can’t teach algebra to first grade student.”

I find your supposition that I’m a first grade student totally INSULTING!

It’s easy to do.  I do it.  Open two instances of windows explorer (found in “accessories” under programs.)  find the external drive on one and the pictures file on you computer’s hard drive.  Then right click on your picture file and choose copy.  Then move the cursor to the other instance of window explorer open to you external drive and right click, then choose paste.  In the future, always saver your picture to the external drive.

Hi Lincoln,

Thanks for your msg.  If you read my 2 previous posts ago you’ll see that I figured it out all by myself (with the help of my Windows book) and that I am ALREADY copying my new pictures to my WD drive.

Regards,

Temari