A newsletter reader wrote recently to ask advice on a problem that many people face. She wrote:
As a result of your comments and others, I am considering an upgrade to my system. I have two choices.
- A new Windows Vista system. I am using Windows 98 on my old system.
- A new Macintosh system.
Whichever choice I make, I have to get my Master Genealogist data out of my old system into my new system. My question is how do I do that??? My present system will only output to 3.5 disks, and they are not used anymore by the newer systems. Any help would be appreciated.
There are several answers to these questions. Of course, this person could purchase an external floppy drive and plug it into the new computer. However, such a solution is not all that practical for today's multi-megabyte files. Copying via floppy disks is so "1990s." You could spend hours swapping floppy disks in and out of computers to copy the needed files.
Another method is to use a CD-reader/writer or, even better, a DVD-reader/writer. Almost all new computers have CD or DVD read/write devices built in. If your older computer does not have the capability to write to CD or DVD disks, external drives that plug in via the USB port are available at very reasonable prices.
You then copy the files from the old computer onto CD or DVD and move them to the new system. However, this also can be a bit tedious, and who wants to spend money on the old computer anyway?
In fact, there is another answer that is cheaper. If all you want to do is copy files from one computer to another, you need less than $10 worth of hardware. Should you wish to get a bit fancier, prices will vary from $30 to perhaps $50.
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