Computer Help

[Susan1]

Another thought. Be careful with the version of Office 365 that you get. The ones with Publisher are subscription services - you pay monthly or annually for access. You can still buy Office 365 outright but it has less in it.

If you want to buy it outright, you need the Home and Student version. That doesn't come with Publisher. But you can get the Personal version if you want Publisher and are okay with paying a monthly/yearly subscription fee.

Thanks! I don't need Publisher anymore. We were going to use it for our skating dress business, but didn't really need it. I got a desktop publishing disk with it and a greeting card thing that I played around with for awhile 20 years ago. I used to make pretty stationery to write letters to relatives in Tucson, but it used up too much ink. I did our brochure completely in word and sent it to a printer. What's that word ..................o.k. - on a zip file that we had at work. I've still got all the real pictures (taken by a real camera). ha ha

I don't need Powerpoint either. I never got it for home use. I had enough of that at work. ha ha Just word and excel. I saw Outlook email in a package. Does that come with the home version? I don't really need that either. I've put up with yahoo mail for years now.

@Susan1 , does your town have a public library with computers, or a senior center with same? Your best bet for “take me shopping” help is the library or senior center technology assistant who runs the computer training.

Thanks. I'll be checking with the library computer people next week. I can look up "shopping" online. I just want to see it in person or have someone show me what they have at home.

The senior center doesn't have any "experts" at anything farther than looking it up, or computers to use. A few years ago, I couldn't find any Schedule B's for taxes, so I went there (they supposedly help people with their taxes) and I had to find it on the computer to show them what it was. When he printed one out, it had someone else's name and social security number already on it, which I didn't notice till I got home!!! I used white out tape and took it to the library and made copies.

Keep the ideas coming everybody. I really appreciate it!!

 

[Japanfan]

Thank you. I'm SO confused.

Please come to my house and take me to the computer store and tell me what to do and what to buy and how to get things right! I get so stressed out when technical people try to tell me how to do something that they could do in their sleep.

The senior center doesn't have any "experts" at anything farther than looking it up, or computers to use.

Susan, if you are shelling out major $$ for a new computer, staff at the store you buy it from should answer all your questions. You won't be the first confused 'older' person they have made a sale to, and SFAIK they probably make a commission.

Also, I don't know what your financial situation is, but I have a friend in her 70s on a limited income who has a person help her with computer issues. He doesn't charge her much, probably about $15.00 per hour.

Lots of people who know about computers want to make some spare money.

 

[El Rey]

If you buy a laptop, you should get a docking station for it. Then you can plug your monitor, keyboard, and mouse to it. The docking station will essentially make your laptop like a tower computer, except you can just take the laptop off the docking station as needed.

I’m not sure if it’s possible with Windows XP, but with Windows 7 there’s a program already built in called Windows Easy Transfer. You just have to type in Easy Transfer in the Run pane and it opens up the program and ask you to choose if it’s your old computer or new computer. This can be done via USB cable or wireless. It basically copies everything over on to your new computer. We use this all the time at work when we have to upgrade to a new laptop. Although, i heard from a coworker recently that this exact program didn’t exist on Windows 10 that are now loaded on to our new laptops, but he was able to transfer via whatever transfer program is included with it now. So it may help to ask if this is possible with your old computer to new computer. Or you can put everything on a hard drive (most important things should be backed up anyway) like others have suggested and then transfer manually.

 

[misskarne]

Thanks! I don't need Publisher anymore. We were going to use it for our skating dress business, but didn't really need it. I got a desktop publishing disk with it and a greeting card thing that I played around with for awhile 20 years ago. I used to make pretty stationery to write letters to relatives in Tucson, but it used up too much ink. I did our brochure completely in word and sent it to a printer. What's that word ..................o.k. - on a zip file that we had at work. I've still got all the real pictures (taken by a real camera). ha ha

I don't need Powerpoint either. I never got it for home use. I had enough of that at work. ha ha Just word and excel. I saw Outlook email in a package. Does that come with the home version? I don't really need that either. I've put up with yahoo mail for years now.

Looks like it comes with the Home and Personal subscription services, but not with any Office version bought outright. Another thing to think about.

 

[Susan1]

Susan, if you are shelling out major $$ for a new computer, staff at the store you buy it from should answer all your questions. You won't be the first confused 'older' person they have made a sale to, and SFAIK they probably make a commission.

Also, I don't know what your financial situation is, but I have a friend in her 70s on a limited income who has a person help her with computer issues. He doesn't charge her much, probably about $15.00 per hour.

Lots of people who know about computers want to make some spare money.

p.s. I have always been confused about computer technology. Age has nothing to do with it. To me it is like fixing the plumbing or rewiring the house or fixing the car. If I don't understand what I am doing, something will be toast. I know how to do the dishes (and use a coat hanger for a clog) and how to drive and how to put gas in the car (and windshield washer fluid - ta da).

Yeah, younger people grew up with doing this stuff. But I wouldn't trust my cousin's 20 something son to know how to transfer documents. He's a security guard at the mall. I'm sure he knows how to do all kinds of things on his smartphone; you think he spends a lot of time in MS Office or even on a laptop? My dad didn't want a computer to be able to go on the internet and read about golf or cars or pianos or building furniture or anything because he didn't want to have to ask me how to do anything.

I never had any trouble programming my vcr or setting the clock. I even took it apart and got a stuck tape out once! It's not like I could rewire a lamp or something. (I know someone who did that and got shocked when she plugged it in!)

As I have said before, I can learn any kind of software and teach myself new things as I need them. When I was home with a back problem my boss called me three times when he had to do the weekly refresh report - with my constantly updated detailed instruction sheet - because I developed it over the couple years as needs changed since he walked me through it on my first day there. I had a formatting macro that I set up that I had to walk him through how to run that was amazing for me to watch even! It moved columns and resized them and made the fonts consistent and stuff all in 5 seconds.

Funny memory.........way back when I took half a day off to take one of the Certified Professional Secretary tests, one of the engineers typed up his own site report. Nightmare! Fortunately, he left it on my desk to fix. On the table of contents page, he used regular extremely uneven dots instead of leader dots. Easy fix.

Anyway, I'm afraid they will want a bigger commission by trying to get me to buy things I don't need. "This is only another $50." No matter my "financial situation", if I knew anyone I could pay $15/hr to, I would call them. I wouldn't be on here asking all these questions. What does the Geek Squad charge - $100?

Or you can put everything on a hard drive (most important things should be backed up anyway) like others have suggested and then transfer manually.

So my old and melted brain is asking - do you transfer everything at once from one old "word" and one old "excel" to the new. I don't remember how he did it, but when I got this computer, we went from Office 98 to XP and Office 2000 was compatible.

If you buy a laptop, you should get a docking station for it. Then you can plug your monitor, keyboard, and mouse to it.

Some people had those at Nat City. They were supposed to "undock" them at night and lock them up. My boss didn't. He also used to get in trouble for not emptying his confidential box at night.

So I need a docking station and an external hard drive just to use my personal computer 3-4 hours a day because of Windows? Sheesh. Everybody wants the latest more expensive technological thing. I don't. I'm not going to be taking my laptop into another room to type on it. I have my old keyboard with the back propped up on little local phone books and a padded wrist wrest and my arms still get sore after half an hour.

I have to have a computer and internet. It doesn't have to be fastest or have the most bells and whistles. I don't have a cell phone. My cousin put me on his friends and family plan after my dad died - partly so that I could call relatives in Columbus long distance for free (ha - 2007). I got a dusty rose flip phone. After he had to add his kids to the plan and took me off, I bought $100 worth of minutes two years in a row. I only used $14 altogether. Then I got the free Safelink service for emergencies, but the phone was too small for my arthritic fingers to use once a month to keep it active. Twice, they said they would send me a bigger one, and they sent the exact same thing. So I cancelled.

Anyway, I'm just rambling. I'll go check into things next week. I'm not "doing" anything about anything this week. Just compiling ideas and questions to ask. Thanks!!!

 

[Lizziebeth]

I have not bought that many computers but what I do before a purchase is read a few articles that define the terms and features so I understand what they are talking about! I consider what I will be doing with the computer. I am not into gaming - if you are into video games buy a computer for that. If you are doing photos, word processing and other basics, buy a computer with that in mind. Most new computers have plenty of storage and will be fast enough to suit you.

I read a Consumer Reports article on how to buy a computer and checked out their ratings for a place to start. I am sure that there are other places to do this - maybe someone else can suggest some? This is very helpful to me since I don't buy a new computer very often.

I then looked on line to check prices. I ended up at Best Buy (Price match!) and convenient for me. My old computer had a hardware problem but the hard drive was recoverable, so I brought the old computer in and had the Geek squad move all my files. If you pay an annual fee, you can call them or bring the computer in for a diagnosis if there is a problem. I confess I have done this once or twice.

Back up your stuff on a flash drive. I was not up to date doing this and when my previous computer died, I lost some of my photos.

I updated my software package on the new computer because the old versions I had were really ancient. There are several versions. I got the one with Word, Excel and Power Point because I use them all. You pay for this, but eventually you will need to upgrade your software.

 

[Aceon6]

@Susan1 Transferring stuff is easy. All of your stuff lives in the digital equivalent of filing cabinets. To get your old files on the new computer, all someone has to do is copy the relevant folders. And yes, it can be done in one step.

And no, you don’t NEED a docking station or external drive. A dock is very useful for folks who use their machines in several locations (not you) and an external drive is very useful for someone who needs to synchronize files more than once (not you).

 

[Simone411]

So my old and melted brain is asking - do you transfer everything at once from one old "word" and one old "excel" to the new. I don't remember how he did it, but when I got this computer, we went from Office 98 to XP and Office 2000 was compatible.

Susan, your Word and Excel documents should still be in your documents folder even if you upgrade to a new version of Microsoft Office. I still had all my documents including my book/manuscript I composed using Microsoft Word 2002.

I transferred all my office and word documents using an external hard drive when I purchased my new laptop which had Windows 7 at the time, and I also had Microsoft Student Home and Office 2010. I still have it, and it's still working pretty well.

If you decide to get a new laptop, you can transfer all your documents to an external hard drive. Look for one that's on sale or either get a flash drive to do it with. You can hook up your external hard drive to one of your USB ports. Once you've done that, you can go to "My Computer" in your Windows XP PC, and you'll see the extra hard drive listed as the E drive or something similar.

After you see that, get out of My Computer and go to My Documents to your documents folder. Open up that folder and right-click on the word document you wish to transfer. After you right-click on the Word document, select "send to". Then select the E drive (or however it's listed) to transfer it to. Keep right-clicking on each document until you've transferred all your documents to the E drive which is your external hard drive.

When you're finished, right click on the little external hard drive icon on your task bar, and click on "eject hard drive". You'll see a small pop-up that says "you may now safely remove the hard drive" and unplug it.

After that, you can plug in the external hard drive through the USB port to your new laptop. Go to "my computer" and double click on the E drive. It will open up, and you'll see all the documents you transferred. Right-click on each document and then select "Send to". Select your documents folder, and the document will be transferred to your documents folder. Do that for each document until you're finished. Exit out of the E drive, and click on the external hard drive icon down on the task bar, click "Eject hard drive". You'll see the pop-up again that says it's safe to remove it.

In regards to using a wireless mouse with the laptop, that is all I use with my laptop. I found it way easier than to use the touch pad on the laptop.

I hope this helps some. I'm not sure which route you'll take, but I found this the easiest way for me. I'm like you in a way. I learned most of this through trial and error, but once you get the hang of it, it's a piece of cake.

You can also transfer all your photos and videos using the external hard drive or either just transfer them to save them on the external hard drive.

 

[Susan1]

You won't be the first confused 'older' person

Still thinking about this. Older person? Is that because I said I played Trizzle on the AARP website? I've been doing that since I was in my 30's when I was looking for a cute mah jongg (toy chest). You don't have to be an AARP member. You can sign up just on the website if you want to keep your score though. I'm not even 60. I started getting invitations to AARP when I turned 50. Nothing there I would use - magazine, travel discounts, nope. I read an article in my parents' AARP magazine about Paul McCartney once. (My mom would never use her Golden Buckeye - 65 and older - discount card anywhere because she didn't want people to know how old she was. My dad did though.)

THANK YOU Lizziebeth, Aceon6, and Simone 411. If I had a printer, I'd print all that out. Don't start!! ha ha Maybe I'll send your notes/instructions to the library and print it there! My hands are so stiff, I can't even read my own handwriting/printing half the time anymore.

You can hook up your external hard drive to one of your USB ports.

Uh, that would be somewhere on the back of the computer under the desk in the dark? AARRGGHH. So external drive vs. flash drive?

I don't know if they made ports for flash drives in 2008. It's got a CD drive and the old 3-1/2 disk drive because I still had stuff on them. My cousin Tim mailed me two family pictures on a DVD that I couldn't use. They were on his digital camera, and I had asked him repeatedly just to email them to me or put them on his FB page and I could save them to My Pictures. So, what does he do - he snail mails the wrong thing. Even old dumb me wouldn't do that.

I read a Consumer Reports article

My dad lived by Consumer Reports. The last time I tried to look online for something, you had to be a paid member. oh-oh!!! If I find out the latest issue on computers, they might have THAT at the library. That's still going to be a bunch of geek speak and won't tell me what I personally need to buy. I just want to go as cheap as I can and have things work.

It looks like the latest Office is 2016, which is Office 365. Before that was 2013, which they say is quite similar to 2010. I have used 2010? I don't need all the "working in an office " features on that either for stuff at home. Just your basic copy/paste, bold, underline, undo tables, etc. ha ha And I don't make bar charts in Excel (anymore)! Just basic calcs and sorting. If I got an older compatible Office, would that be cheaper than the latest thing? And how soon would I be having to update all this crap again?

In regards to using a wireless mouse with the laptop

Wireless? Really? I wouldn't have to tape the cord to the desk so I wouldn't kick it out of the plug anymore? hee hee Do they make those long and skinny? This is only the second mouse I've had since 1999. It's beige. The ones I've used at the library were too thick for my deformed wrist to hold comfortably. Gosh, I wish there was a special rheumatoid arthritis computer store with their own geeks! Covered by Medicaid, of course.

I'm done rambling. I did the dishes at 6:30 this morning. And ran two books down to the library book drop a couple hours later. The heat index was 98*!! Nothing else to do but go from computer to book to computer all day. Oh, why does the left side of this monitor get hot?

 

[Lizziebeth]

If I remember correctly I think that Office 365 is more than you need and I think you will pay for it annually. Office 2016 is a one time purchase. If you keep your Office 2000 you will need to locate the installation CD and install it and then have updates added if there were any.

I don't think you will find Consumer reports to be difficult to understand. I am no computer whiz and I found it very useful. Their articles are designed to help consumers evaluate what they need. They seem to understand that their audience does not already know everything! You can check on line to find out the latest issue where they reviewed computers - they do it quite frequently. After you have some idea of what you want/need you can look at their computer ratings.

I could not stand the wireless mouse that came with my desktop computer - it was too jumpy for the other person who used the computer. So we plug in a mouse . Printer is wireless. Still have wires, not so many.

 

[Simone411]

If I remember correctly I think that Office 365 is more than you need and I think you will pay for it annually. Office 2016 is a one time purchase. If you keep your Office 2000 you will need to locate the installation CD and install it and then have updates added if there were any.

I don't think you will find Consumer reports to be difficult to understand. I am no computer whiz and I found it very useful. Their articles are designed to help consumers evaluate what they need. They seem to understand that their audience does not already know everything! You can check on line to find out the latest issue where they reviewed computers - they do it quite frequently. After you have some idea of what you want/need you can look at their computer ratings.

I could not stand the wireless mouse that came with my desktop computer - it was too jumpy for the other person who used the computer. So we plug in a mouse . Printer is wireless. Still have wires, not so many.

Up until last year, I used a mini mouse with my Dell laptop. I decided to try out the wireless mouse, and Dell had a special sale on them. I got one for the old Dell and my newer Dell. They have worked really well with the laptops so far, and it's never been jumpy like. I'm keeping my fingers crossed about that, too! LOL!

 

[Japanfan]

Still thinking about this. Older person? Is that because I said I played Trizzle on the AARP website?

I haven't got a clue what Trizzle is. I think it was your comment about 20 years old in the computer store, but it could have been something else.

But in saying that, I did not intend to judge you or your computer skills harshly, Susan 1.

I am 60 and pretty useless when it comes to computers, always have been. I know how to use Word really well, as I need to for my living. And I know how to navigate the internet.

But when it comes to computer problems of any kind, I'm rather hopeless. I wouldn't have a clue how to 'defrag' and I I have no knowledge of programming. I'm wholly dependent on my husband for computer maintenance.

Anyway, I'm afraid they will want a bigger commission by trying to get me to buy things I don't need. "This is only another $50." No matter my "financial situation", if I knew anyone I could pay $15/hr to, I would call them. I wouldn't be on here asking all these questions. What does the Geek Squad charge - $100?

In my experience computer salespeople do not try to get people to buy things they don't need. Oh I'm sure there are some who do, but those who work for the chains are accustomed to customers with a huge variety of budgets and needs. The guy we dealt with at Staples was great! And I think Staples staff are on an hourly wage or salary.

Go in there knowing what you want and do or do not need. Have some trust. Don't make an impulse purchase if you need time to think. If you find a salesperson pushy, ask to deal with someone else.

 

[doubleturn]

https://grayingwithgrace.com/what-is-the-best-computer-mouse-for-arthritic-hands/

Here is an article I found about computer mouse and arthritis. It has recommendations that you may find useful.

 

[Susan1]

I haven't got a clue what Trizzle is. I think it was your comment about 20 years old in the computer store, but it could have been something else.

But in saying that, I did not intend to judge you or your computer skills harshly, Susan 1.

I am 60 and pretty useless when it comes to computers, always have been. I know how to use Word really well, as I need to for my living. And I know how to navigate the internet.

But when it comes to computer problems of any kind, I'm rather hopeless. I wouldn't have a clue how to 'defrag' and I I have no knowledge of programming. I'm wholly dependent on my husband for computer maintenance.



In my experience computer salespeople do not try to get people to buy things they don't need. Oh I'm sure there are some who do, but those who work for the chains are accustomed to customers with a huge variety of budgets and needs. The guy we dealt with at Staples was great! And I think Staples staff are on an hourly wage or salary.

Go in there knowing what you want and do or do not need. Have some trust. Don't make an impulse purchase if you need time to think. If you find a salesperson pushy, ask to deal with someone else.

o.k.! Thanks. I meant the AARP part might have made you think I was elderly. Trizzle is Russian nesting dolls. You combine three small ones to make a bigger one, then three of those to make a really big one, then three really big ones and they go away. They are pretty colors. The AARP one crashes a lot so I have it bookmarked on other game sites. Ancient Jewels is pretty too. It's a site by itself. I had a mah jongg "stained glass" from (rats - what's the basic black screen where you had to type in a string of things - before the internet - DOS - I figured if I kept typing, it would pop into my head) a million years ago. Back when I was married, I used to call my husband and tell him I had to work overtime, but we were all in our offices playing it separately.

I used to put the defrag on and go to lunch. It was kind of fun to watch though - colors again - little colored squares would change into other colored squares while it was doing its thing. I used to be able to do a lot more in Windows and stuff at NCR. When I got to NCM, you weren't allowed to touch any of that stuff. Now it's way too technical. And scary at home. I hate to download anything that might mess up the computer. And I don't like to run virus scans because I won't know what to do if it finds one.

We don't have Staples anywhere close anymore. Office Depot/Office Max people try to talk you into the latest more expensive thing (when I was looking at printer/scanners awhile back). They are like car salesmen. Fortunately, back in 2005 I had a female car salesperson! I went to one place and the guy called me before I had even gotten home from going to the Honda place. When I called a week later, she said she knew I didn't want to give up my car and that I would call her when I was ready.

And they prey on people (me) who don't know better. They are not computer experts any more than the guy in the lumber aisle at Menard's is a plumbing expert. I'm too dumb to explain what I need in geek speak. They will try to sell me what they think I need because high level technology is all they know. Like a t.v. - get the 56" high def one, you'll love it, when I have a 40 inch wall. I don't know. I don't have anybody I trust. Except you guys, and you can't go with me and tell them what I DON'T need.

 

[Susan1]

And they prey on people (me) who don't know better. They are not computer experts any more than the guy in the lumber aisle at Menard's is a plumbing expert. I'm too dumb to explain what I need in geek speak. They will try to sell me what they think I need because high level technology is all they know. Like a t.v. - get the 56" high def one, you'll love it, when I have a 40 inch wall. I don't know. I don't have anybody I trust. Except you guys, and you can't go with me and tell them what I DON'T need.

And "you guys" are telling me different things - docking station/not, flash drive, external hard drive. I saw an article that windows 2010 with Office 2010 has problems. Would a computer salesperson know that if they did not experience it themselves? How many of these "20 something guys" even use Office. "Buy this, it should work. Oops, I just lost 19 years of your documents."

 

[Lizziebeth]

I am no expert either but reading an article that explains the terms on hardware is really helpful. I made a note of what I wanted (amount of storage, etc) and started there. I did not know much but I certainly did not feel that someone was taking advantage of me when I went to Best Buy. I had narrowed the search to a few different models. Made it easier. I did not want to walk in and just wander around looking at stuff on the shelves - that would drive me nuts. I also had a price point I wanted to be at (I am the frugal type). The sales person checked the computer I chose and I knew it was cheaper on Amazon. He matched the price. I do not think BB employee are paid on commission, they are salaried.

I ended up having the Geek Squad remove the hard drive from my old computer (I had a bad switch that would cost too much to fix and the hard drive was fine) and transfer all my files, for a fee. Setting up the computer at home was easy.

Are you taking a laptop out and about - then you need a laptop. (A docking station, external keyboard and mouse are entirely optional.) If you are not planning to do that, then a desktop will suffice. My new desktop came with a wireless mouse and keyboard ( which the other person in the house hold did not like so I hooked up the old mouse and keyboard). I do a lot of writing and I must have a regular keyboard that I am used to. I do a lot of genealogy research and I must have the big monitor with my desktop and not the little one on a laptop.

You will end up with Windows 10 if you buy a new computer. All of your photos and documents will be readable. All the sales people would be familiar with the Office programs and their compatibility with Windows 10. If you have saved your stuff to a flash drive you would always have it. When I got a new computer I went from Windows 7 (skipped Windows 8) to 10 and there were no problems at all.

 

[Aceon6]

@Susan1 Believe it or not, any computer tech of any age knows what to do when you say “I need all my files transferred”. Set a budget and go to Office Depot and just talk to the folks. Say “I need a basic system with Office Home and Student, my files transferred, and 1-2 hours of personal coaching.” Walk out if they try to sell you one of the the more expensive ones.

 

[Susan1]

Thanks - so I don't have to keep quoting whole posts I'll pick out quotes from yours -

(amount of storage, etc)

I don't know. And they will ask me what all I have on my computer, which is not what I will have on a new one..........
Properties says 74.5 GB, with 24.7 used. Doesn't the actual "office" take up a lot of room? And My Documents, which includes word, excel, publisher and My Pictures, (lots of graves!) says used 743 mb / 2,673 files. I can get rid of a lot of Excel stuff that I have updated and changed to the current date and kept the old (I know - dumb).

Best Buy. I had narrowed the search to a few different models. Made it easier. I did not want to walk in and just wander around looking at stuff on the shelves

Nobody has ever asked to help me in Best Buy. When Chris took me to get my t.v., they hopped right over. I was there a week before to pick one out by myself. Dumb old lady isn't going to buy anything?

Are you taking a laptop out and about - then you need a laptop. (A docking station, external keyboard and mouse are entirely optional.) If you are not planning to do that, then a desktop will suffice. My new desktop came with a wireless mouse and keyboard ( which the other person in the house hold did not like so I hooked up the old mouse and keyboard).

A laptop is cheaper than even a mini-tower (just general flipping around computer websites), but I need my old long mouse (Microsoft) and full size keyboard (Gateway - 1999, the n's almost worn off, that's all); not one of those little flimsy black things with the short space bar. And the monitor that is only about 5 years old. You know how they have those Jitterbug phones with big buttons and big screens that don't do much - for older people (ha ha). That's the kind of computer I need, from a "disabled person computer store", classified as medical equipment!

You will end up with Windows 10 if you buy a new computer. All of your photos and documents will be readable. All the sales people would be familiar with the Office programs and their compatibility with Windows 10.

I saw an article that windows 2010 with Office 2010

Thank you all for not mentioning that I wrote Windows 2010! I thought of it right after I sent it and turned the computer off this morning.

So, when does Windows 11 come out that is not compatible with anything anybody has?

 

[Aceon6]

@Susan1 It’s looking more and more like you would get the best help from a senior center or occupational therapist. Look for an ADA certified keyboard and mouse and order them online. Get just the computer and monitor at a retailer.

 

[misskarne]

How many of these "20 something guys" even use Office. "Buy this, it should work. Oops, I just lost 19 years of your documents."

Oh, only every fcuking day.

If you go into a store with this sort of condescending "only I know what I'm doing!/kids these days know nothing!" attitude then damn straight you're going to have trouble finding someone to help you.

Let me make this clear for you. Most of the 20-somethings actually used XP on their school computers. The 20-somethings will have been taught to do all of their assignments and homework in Microsoft Office. Some schools even offer advanced classes where the 20-somethings would have learned how to do more advanced things with Excel. The 20-somethings likely used Word to make a resume, or to write fanfic in their spare time, or to plan things. They might use OneNote to keep lists.

And guess what? A lot of these 20-somethings have probably also helped out their parents, or grandparents, when they had computer difficulties. Like I showed my grandmother how to use her tablet. We are not ignorant brainless fools, just young people trying to make our way in the world that your generation has done its best to ruin, and we can help you, if you'll only listen.

 

[emason]

@misskarne, I was with you the whole way until you pulled the ‘your generation has ruined the world’ card. Shame on you.

 

[misskarne]

@misskarne, I was with you the whole way until you pulled the ‘your generation has ruined the world’ card. Shame on you.

Righto, forgot that it was perfectly acceptable for older generations to call Millennials lazy and stupid but not okay for us to call out the older generations for the screwed up economy, political state, environmental issues, etc, etc...

 

[mysticchic]

You don't need a docking system. You can hook up a laptop to keyboards and a monitor. You need something like a splitter. It's an adapter that cost about 25.00 and you plug it into a USB port. It's like an extension cord for computers. I had one when I was with Amazon and I had a headset, monitor, and a mouse pluged in. I could also plug in my cell phone.

 

[Prancer]

Aside from saving your old files, what do you want to do with a computer?

It sounds to me like you could get by with a relatively inexpensive computer that will do everything you want without costing a whole lot. If you don't need a portable computer, I would go with another desktop--you will get more bang for your buck that way and won't need to fool with setting up a laptop as a hard drive with a desktop setup.

Do you qualify for a Golden Buckeye card? If so, here's a really cheapie suggestion--enroll in a class at Sinclair. If you have a Golden Buckeye card, you can take the class for free--you can only audit courses and registering is annoying, but still--the class will be free. Once you are a student, you will be able to download Office 365 for students for free AND you will be able to take advantage of SCOPE The Repair Lair, which is the free computer repair service there. I think (I am not sure of this) that they will transfer your programs from your old computer to your new one for you, although I believe you will have to leave your computers there for a few days to get that done. Don't quote me on this because all I know about this is what I have heard. You can call and ask, but you will have to be a student.

Office 365 will only work for you as long as you are enrolled, but it will give you a chance to try out the Office software. If you like it, you will be able to buy Office for students, which is considerably cheaper than the full Office package and should be more than enough for your needs.

 

[floridaice]

You will probably not be able to use your old keyboard and mouse with a new Windows 10 machine. I got a new laptop a few months ago, also going from Windows 7 to Windows 10. The mouse sort of worked for a few days then died. Had to get a new one, it was just too old for the new machine. But mice and keyboards are cheap, and if you get a new desktop, it will probably come with both.

If the files you have are just word and excel files, along with photos, you are probably not using much storage. Take a look at the Dell options on these links, you may find something here that will work -- pretty inexpensive too. My husband and I are both on our 2nd Dell at home, but have used Dells at work for 15 years, they are very good and reliable. Dell Small Desktop Dell Regular Desktop

Make a list of the software you need -- sounds like a word processor & a spreadsheet -- either Open Office or the basic options for Microsoft Office will work. Always get the best processor and as much RAM as you can afford.

Sometimes Costco & Sam's Club will have good deals on computers. My new Dell laptop actually came from Costco, they had a special deal with Dell and it's just what I wanted.

 

[Susan1]

It’s looking more and more like you would get the best help from a senior center or occupational therapist. Look for an ADA certified keyboard and mouse and order them online. Get just the computer and monitor at a retailer.

I absolutely don't want a new keyboard and mouse.

You need something like a splitter. It's an adapter that cost about 25.00 and you plug it into a USB port.

I had one of those when the internet was over an external modem and it was plugged into the phone line!

Do you qualify for a Golden Buckeye card? If so, here's a really cheapie suggestion--enroll in a class at Sinclair.

No, I do not. And I can't drive to Sinclair.

Sometimes Costco & Sam's Club

I don't belong to those either. Way back when I worked at Qsource, we had a company card for Sam's and I used to go there and buy the coffee packets, sugar and creamer! Thanks for the memory. When I was dating my ex, he had a card there through GM and he bought me a pink 10 speed. I left it in the shed when we got divorced. I wish I would have taken it and had my parents store it. I wonder what happened to it. He had two sons who wouldn't have ridden a pink bike.

Take a look at the Dell options on these links, you may find something here that will work -- pretty inexpensive too. My husband and I are both on our 2nd Dell at home, but have used Dells at work for 15 years, they are very good and reliable. Dell Small Desktop Dell Regular Desktop

Thanks. I'll check. Whatever I get is going to have to last me the rest of my life, however long that is, or however long I can actually sit up and type. Funny, remember the "Dude, I got a Dell" commercial. When we got back from Christmas, I had an email at work from my friend Peggy and the first line was "Dudette, I got a Dell for Christmas".

 

[emason]

Righto, forgot that it was perfectly acceptable for older generations to call Millennials lazy and stupid but not okay for us to call out the older generations for the screwed up economy, political state, environmental issues, etc, etc...

Don’t put words in my mouth. Nowhere have I said Millennials are lazy or stupid nor have I said it’s acceptable to say that.

 

[Susan1]

Oh, only every fcuking day.

If you go into a store with this sort of condescending "only I know what I'm doing!/kids these days know nothing!" attitude then damn straight you're going to have trouble finding someone to help you.

Let me make this clear for you. Most of the 20-somethings actually used XP on their school computers. The 20-somethings will have been taught to do all of their assignments and homework in Microsoft Office. Some schools even offer advanced classes where the 20-somethings would have learned how to do more advanced things with Excel. The 20-somethings likely used Word to make a resume, or to write fanfic in their spare time, or to plan things. They might use OneNote to keep lists.

And guess what? A lot of these 20-somethings have probably also helped out their parents, or grandparents, when they had computer difficulties. Like I showed my grandmother how to use her tablet. We are not ignorant brainless fools, just young people trying to make our way in the world that your generation has done its best to ruin, and we can help you, if you'll only listen.

The modern day hippie, huh? Never trust anybody over 30?

You kind of proved my point. I hope you aren't in customer service. Maybe I should get a gray wig and some padding and hunch over and limp (that one is entirely possible some days) to look all grandmotherly to be treated with respect and compassion.

 

[Server Guy]

Scanning through this thread has been quite the roller-coaster. It's quite ridiculous and a bit amusing to assume 20-somethings have never seen Office or Windows XP so I'd really recommend letting that go. Hell, I'm a 20-something and I grew up with these (and Windows 98!) and had to use them thoroughly through my studies, my career and even in my personal life.

On to the topic... Focus on the basics before investing in docking stations, keyboards, spaceships, etc.

You need a new computer as sitting on Windows XP is just compromising your security at this point, especially if you're actually using the machine for things like internet banking, etc. You wouldn't leave your house without locking it so why leave your PC compromised where arguably you've got a lot of personal information you'd not like in the wrong hands.

Get a reasonably specced laptop / PC with Windows 10. Rule of thumb, something with 4GB+ of RAM / memory is a good start. The more of this you have, the more tasks it'll be able to handle at a time without choking. You seem like a light user so 4GB should be enough but if you get a better deal for something with more, go with that. Additionally, you'll want something with enough storage to bring your documents across and whatever else you've got stored. Anything upward of 500GB would be sufficient here but it depends on how much you've got already. I'm not familiar with where Americans buy their tech from but having a quick look at Best Buy, I can see some decent laptops for decent prices.

You'll also want Office 2016 Home and Student edition. That'll net you Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Your documents will work fine on this. Office can open documents with the file format that was used from 1998 so you've not got a problem there. There's a subscription service called Office 365 which nets you more programs but I'd stay away, seems wasteful for your needs.

You'll probably need a flash drive or something similar to move your data across from your old machine to your new one. Any size is fine, honestly but the bigger you get, the quicker the job will be (i.e. move more files to the flash drive and then to the new machine in bigger batches). Alternatively, you can pay someone to do it for you but I've no experience with this. I'd rather move my data myself.

Finally, once you've got all your stuff bought over, recycle the old one and job done. Easy peasy.

 

[mysticchic]

Scanning through this thread has been quite the roller-coaster. It's quite ridiculous and a bit amusing to assume 20-somethings have never seen Office or Windows XP so I'd really recommend letting that go. Hell, I'm a 20-something and I grew up with these (and Windows 98!) and had to use them thoroughly through my studies, my career and even in my personal life.

On to the topic... Focus on the basics before investing in docking stations, keyboards, spaceships, etc.

You need a new computer as sitting on Windows XP is just compromising your security at this point, especially if you're actually using the machine for things like internet banking, etc. You wouldn't leave your house without locking it so why leave your PC compromised where arguably you've got a lot of personal information you'd not like in the wrong hands.

Get a reasonably specced laptop / PC with Windows 10. Rule of thumb, something with 4GB+ of RAM / memory is a good start. The more of this you have, the more tasks it'll be able to handle at a time without choking. You seem like a light user so 4GB should be enough but if you get a better deal for something with more, go with that. Additionally, you'll want something with enough storage to bring your documents across and whatever else you've got stored. Anything upward of 500GB would be sufficient here but it depends on how much you've got already. I'm not familiar with where Americans buy their tech from but having a quick look at Best Buy, I can see some decent laptops for decent prices.

You'll also want Office 2016 Home and Student edition. That'll net you Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Your documents will work fine on this. Office can open documents with the file format that was used from 1998 so you've not got a problem there. There's a subscription service called Office 365 which nets you more programs but I'd stay away, seems wasteful for your needs.

You'll probably need a flash drive or something similar to move your data across from your old machine to your new one. Any size is fine, honestly but the bigger you get, the quicker the job will be (i.e. move more files to the flash drive and then to the new machine in bigger batches). Alternatively, you can pay someone to do it for you but I've no experience with this. I'd rather move my data myself.

Finally, once you've got all your stuff bought over, recycle the old one and job done. Easy peasy.

The internet God has spoken!! I would go with whatever he said!!

In the US you can buy from Best Buy, Office Max, Amazon, Dell (expensive), Walmart (good deals and good return policy), Target, Sams, Costco, and many more.

Couldn't she update to Windows 7 or 10?