A couple weeks ago, I wrote a post encouraging everyone to make backing up their data their New Years’ resolution. As I was reviewing the different ways to create data backups, it struck me how many devices we use on a daily basis now create and store digital files.
Sure, you want to hang onto those work-related spreadsheets you created on your home laptop, but you probably also want to back up the podcasts you loaded onto our phone, those games you downloaded to our gaming console, some of the books on your e-reader, and the video of that lecture you took on our tablet. (Then, of course, there are the pics of little Johnny’s birthday party on your camera.)
Yeah, I still use a camera — and I know I’m not the only one. In fact, recovering lost photos is an extremely common request we get at Geek Squad Precincts. For those of you who take pictures with something besides a phone, we have a couple of Tech Tips to help you transfer your photos onto your computer:
Connecting Your Digital Camera to Your PC
With all those digital files floating around, it’s likely that you will want to transfer them between devices at some point. In my post about backing up data, I mentioned a best practice of putting all your files in one place, and then pointing your backup software at that location. Whether you are using a local backup location or storing data in the cloud, it’s one of the most efficient means of getting the most current copies of your files backed up in one place. This lets your software check the dates of the files you want to back up and copy over only the ones that have been changed since the previous back up, cutting down on unneeded processsing.
Another reason you might want to transfer files is because you are lucky enough to have gotten a brand new computer, and would like to move everything from your old machine to your new one. It is usually tough enough to get your software installed on your new machine – having a roadmap to help you transfer files between the machines will have you up and computing sooner.
How to Transfer Files from PC to PC
How to Migrate Your Data From an Old Computer to a New One
How to Transfer Data From Your Old Computer to Windows 8
Once you get your all your files onto your new machine, it’s a good idea to wipe the old computer’s hard drive. Here’s a “2 Minute Miracle” video to help you through that process:
Of course, if this seems a bit much or your run into trouble moving data between devices, we can help. It is what we do, after all.
Agent Tanya B. has been a woman of technology since 2009. When she steps away from her role maintaining the Geeksquad.com website, Tanya is either at the gym, walking her dog, or gaming with the other Agent B. Having moved to corporate from Florida last spring, she’s trying really hard to not complain about the cold too much.
