Any tips for moving to a new computer?

Since I had most things on multiple EHDs, I just copied from those to the new computer. Slow going but really only way I could do it since the old computer was dead. Overall it took me almost a year to find everything because I had stuff scattered several places. EHD backup had stopped working 6 weeks before my computer died and I didn't know it. Backblaze backup had neglected to run for 4 days before the computer died and I didn't know it. I also had several EHD's that had been copies of the digiscrapping directory but had not been updated for several months.

I did find this last May that I had lost some layouts from 2011-2012 (had been printed though) that evidently were on an EHD that just quit working and had never been copied to a newer EHD. I now make sure more than one EHD has everything on a monthly basis. My job tomorrow.

 

Oh geez, I just went through this Justine. It's just a process - I started transferring stuff to one of my EHD's - then to the new laptop. I wish there was a way to just "suck" all the stuff from one and put it on the new one. LOL

I'm fairly organized, so it was just a matter of doing it - I (and probably all of us) have a LOT of files!

 

I too have a Mac w/Time Machine but did a lot of moving of things on my iMac HD manually when I got this current iMac.I think we all get to the point of realizing we should have done more housekeeping before we were switching computers!

Now I keep very little on the HD but have 3 EHDs attached - one being my 5T Time Machine. I do like organization so the main 4T is backed up to Time Machine The other 4T has videos of classes and odd bits that I will delete when no longer wanted but I may get another 5T to have another 'hard copy' EHD of the photos and digi stash. I have moved things around periodically big clump by big clump. e.g 3 or 4 designers or years at a time. It's boring but I did it in times when I wasn't doing anything else and made sure to turn off the 'auto sleep' mode so nothing was interrupted - ask me how I now know to do this!

Fortunately I have 4 Slots and one extra 500GB old travel one is just downloads of stash zips (and yes, I have used that more than I'd like to find something I know I'd bought but...) I do clean that out every few months to get rid of old years' stuff.

I resort to chocolate when it gets frustrating but then I have to clean the keyboard from sticky fingers.

 

Good luck @bellbird

 

Good luck!! I don't know of any quick ways. I've just always moved anything important in to folders my EHD and then from there on to the new machine. I lost a USB port on my newest computer, too, so I got a USB hub for when I have several things I need to plug in.

This is not a bad idea

 

My biggest headache was always finding copies of software and the password or licenses that go with them. This is easier with the cloud but it still needs to be done. Some of the old software was on CDs and the new machines don't usually have them. All of my actual files are on EHDs.

 

Jan @IntenseMagic Would you tell me which USB hub you got? I have one but dear god is it slow!

 

I can't find the exact one that I have, but THIS ONE is similar. The card reader in my computer quit working, and I needed one of those as well, so this was perfect. But, it's not the fastest and I could probably really use an upgrade.

 

One of the issues with mine is the very short cord so it's in an awkward position hanging from the back of my iMac. I think many of these are designed for laptops. Maybe we have to go wild and spend $20 or so?????

 

Don't forget to transfer fonts. This is an easy one to forget. Spoken from experience...

 

Yeah, fonts are important.

As for older software, I keep the download file for any software in my downloads folder and copy it to my EHD's along with everything else. And, years ago when Google discontinued the Picasa program, I downloaded the program file and made sure I had it in at least 3 different places. Still have it and can load it on any new computer.

My backups for the month are done. Everything digi related is in 4 places.

 

One thing I always do is export all of my installed styles as one big group, so I don't have to remember which ones I like to have installed and which order they go in. I export them all as Karen's Styles 8-1-2020 or something like that. Then I can reinstall them all in one fell swoop. I also copy all of my fonts into a folder on my EHD so they can easily be re-added... but sometimes a new computer is a great time to delete some fonts too, so I don't always automatically add them all back in.

Finally I just wanted to share that I don't store ANY photos or digi supplies on my computer. They all live on my EHD so that when I move to a different computer or get a new computer, I don't have to transfer anything. I do religiously back that EHD up at least once a week though (to another offsite EHD that lives at work) so I don't accidentally lose everything to a EHD fall or something tragic like that. Maybe since you're getting a new computer you could do something like that? Of course, this only really works for me because I use desktop computers and not a laptop. I can't remember if you do desktop or laptop Justine? @bellbird

 

Thank you Cheryl @gonewiththewind I almost bought that one! and then looked at the one I have now and realized I had to check what was in my USB 3. port. And the one I complained about is using that port. I often expect too much from my toys. I should remember I started on computers back in the dial up days...and you could go make a pot of tea while waiting and be patient. and health to you!