Moving to a new computer?

So you just got a new computer and now you're ready to start setting it up. Taking a few quick and simple steps now will make your next computer move much, much easier.

First, on your desktop create a new folder called downloads. Set your browser to download everything into this folder. Open the programs like you normally would, but leave the downloaded and compacted files in the download folder. It makes things MUCH easier to find after you download them, and it's a simple matter, when you do switch computers again, to copy this entire folder to some kind of removable memory device (a cd or an external hard drive are examples) and move it over to your new computer.

Second, create another folder on your desktop called Sys Tools. This is for your security programs. There are two reasons for this folder being on your desktop. One, it's easy to get to, which makes running your system cleaners simple. Two, once you have found security programs that you love, you really don't want to be in a situation where you've sent your computer in for repairs and are trying to set up a new one while it's gone, only to realize that you can't remember all of the programs that you loved. Since nearly all of the programs in this folder will just be shortcuts, it also is very simple to copy to a removable device to move to a new computer. Even if you somehow didn't have the downloaded programs saved in your download folder, at least you have the name of the programs so that you know what you're wanting to add to your computer.

The last folders I add to the desktop on a new computer are folders to help organize all of the shortcuts that I keep ending up with. I usually title one "Unused" and put all of the stuff that came with the computer and is already on the desktop, but that I will either use very infrequently or most likely won't ever use but I'm not sure enough to delete it entirely. The next one, for me, is games. I like finding new games and having a games folder on my desktop makes it easy to pick one out to play when I'm in the mood. I also make sure to copy this folder whenever I'm switching computers, so that I'll at least have the names of the games I want to reload on my computer (and can remember exactly which ones I don't want to reload also). Remember, any folders that you load onto a removable device don't have to be transferred to the new computer in their entirety. In fact, except for the downloads folder, you don't have to transfer them at all, just have them available so that you can find the information that you're looking for.

The next step requires an internet e-mail address. I strongly suggest g-mail (I've tried and gotten rid of most of the others, but really like how g-mail works). If you don't have g-mail already, e-mail me and I'll send you an invite. Now, for any programs that you've downloaded and purchased the registration codes, write down the codes and save them in your gmail account as a draft. Create a new label for the codes and store them under "Registrations". If you don't have the codes for any of them, write to the vendors, and make sure to ask them to e-mail the codes to your g-mail account. This way, no matter how many times you change computers, you will have all of your codes waiting on-line and don't have to worry about whether you remembered to get all of your information off of your old computer. For those who are computer minded, I would also suggest creating a list of the registration numbers for all of the disks you plan to load onto your computer, and maybe make a note of your computer's name for if you ever need to reinstall windows and recreate all of your information.

Now you've got everything set up to enjoy your new computer and to help you enjoy any other new computer you get as quickly and easily as possible.