windows 7 ultimate upgrade

[Johnboy63]

Hi

 

About a month ago I upgraded from XP to Windows 7 Ultimate. I had to buy an external drive to allow me to use the windows easy transfer system to retain my information. However I'm not sure if all my photographs came across. When I boot up I have got the option of load the earlier version of windows, or I can use my extrenal drive to access previous records. Upon boot start up isn't picking up my keyboard so wont let me tab up to select previous version of windows xp.

 

So my query is how to I make sure all photos and docs came across, and how do I get boot up/start up to recognise logitech wireless keyboard?

 

Many many thanks for your help

 

Johnboy63

[KenB]

Hi John

 

Upon boot start up isn't picking up my keyboard so wont let me tab up to select previous version of windows xp.

The simplest solution here would be to attach a USB keyboard.

Do you have one ?

[Johnboy63]

Hi Ken

 

I do have a keyboard I could use, but I think I can access the previous info from Windows XP on a USB I have, I'm just wanting to know how I make sure all photographs have come across during Easy Transfer.

 

regards

 

Johnboy63

[KenB]

windows easy transfer system

I am sorry John - I have no knowledge of this ....................hopefully somebody else here will be able to offer more useful advice :)

[Johnboy63]

Hi Ken

 

Okay maybe I should re arrange my question. Just before I did the change from XP to Windows 7 Ultimate I had to have a new hard drive fitted as the pc repair shop said I had a virus. I still have drive, and I have a feeling a lot of my pictures were on that drive and I'm not sure if they were transfered correctly on to new drive although he said he did. So, basically I have a new drive and a new operating system and what I'm wanting to do is find every photograph on my PC and organise them better, ie getting rid of duplicates in a quick way rather than one by one.

 

Hope you can help or advise which forum I should go to

 

cheers

 

Johnboy63

[Plastic Nev]

Hi John, if the original drive does have a virus, the first thing to do is to check it out in a safe way, and possibly remove the virus.

 

Our security and malware guys are the best to advise on how best to do that, so I would post on the malware removal section and ask about how best to safely access the drive without having the virus infect anything else, or if possible remove the virus or malware that is on it.

 

To do this and also to check the drive contents once it is safe to do so, you will need some way of connecting the drive to your computer, ideally an enclosure to USB. Do you have one or other means of connection?

 

Nev.

[KenB]

I had to have a new hard drive fitted as the pc repair shop said I had a virus

This is getting away from your original question but ....it is very rare that a virus would kill a hard drive.

The PC repair shop should have been able to get rid of the virus for you and still keep the XP system. ( difficult to say ....and unless we had some logs etc our Security experts would not be able to advise further on this one ..I don't think )

 

So - what you are asking is ....... did the PC repair shop actually transfer all of your photos as they said they have done. ?

 

Did you keep the photos in one location on the old hard drive ?

In other words ...."My Photos" or were they all over the drive in different files and locations ?

 

What you can do on the new Win7 drive is ....

 

Start > type in .jpg ( that is dot jpg - no space ) in the search box and hit enter.

 

This will locate all pictures with a .jpg file extension.

At the bottom of the search there will be an option to search in other locations ( Computer / Homegroup etc etc )

 

It may be labour intensive but you should be able to find the location of your images using this method.

[Johnboy63]

Hi All

 

Two good answers, I have done a quick search doing a "start .jpg" and it does seem to have found some pics I thought I had lost, so my question is what is the best way to find and ORGANISE all the photos (including those of other formats) on my PC? Regarding the old drive, I wasn't convinced it had totally gone and couldn't be repaired but I could not use my main PC so acted a bit too quickly. Could I reconnect my old drive and search for pics or is this a risk of bringing the virus (if any across).

 

Very grateful for all help given, I have already donated.

 

kind regards

 

Johnboy63

[Starbuck]

Just to give a little information here as to checking the old hard drive for malware.

 

I had to have a new hard drive fitted as the pc repair shop said I had a virus. I still have drive, and I have a feeling a lot of my pictures were on that drive and I'm not sure if they were transfered correctly on to new drive although he said he did

So obviously you want to check the old hard drive but may be a little apprehensive in case the malware is still active.

Simple enough to check.

 

you will need some way of connecting the drive to your computer, ideally an enclosure to USB.

Yes, by far the easiest and most cost effective way of doing this.

Let's assume (worse case scenario) that it's the type of malware that will try to run automatically when connected.

Once you have the hard drive in the enclosure, Hold down the Shift key when inserting the USB connection in to the computer until Windows detects it ..... this will keep autorun.inf from executing if it is present.

Once the drive is detected.....

Click Start >> Computer >> then right click on the drive you have just inserted and select 'Scan With whatever Anti Virus or Anti Malware program you have installed'

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v708/starbuck50/drivecheck_zpsdbb899d6.png

 

This will give you a good idea of any malware on the drive.

If any is found, just let your AV or AM program remove it.

Once scanned, you can use the drive like any other drive, usb stick etc by searching or transferring files.

 

pc repair shop said I had a virus.

I doubt it was a virus.

Virus's only account for about 0.5% of malware found on systems.

The word virus is very over used.

and as KenB stated:

it is very rare that a virus would kill a hard drive.

[Johnboy63]

so how do i go about connecting the hard drive? do i need to remove side panel ? I think it is a ide connection of which I dont have any spare( not sure!) will the pc just pick it up as another drive as if it were a USB drive? its a Dell tower about eight to ten years old.

 

cheers

 

Johnboy63

[Starbuck]

will the pc just pick it up as another drive as if it were a USB drive?

Exactly.

 

I think it is a ide connection

Something like this will do the trick:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3-5-IDE-Hard-Disk-Drive-HDD-Data-Caddy-to-USB-2-0-External-Enclosure-Case-UK-/140961220284?pt=UK_Collectables_HardDriveEnclosures_RL&hash=item20d1f186bc

 

When you have finished searching the hard drive, you could always reformat it and then use it as extra storage space. :)

[KenB]

I think it is a ide connection

IDE uses a broad grey cable.

 

Just to be sure - take a look here:

click here

 

Desktop drives are 3.5 inch ...........Laptop drives are 2.5 inch

 

You would need to make sure that you have the correct size and type ( IDE / SATA ) when selecting an enclosure.

[Johnboy63]

Hi Ken

Thanks for your quick answer .. It's a Samsung 160gb sata hard drive model HD 160JJ/P

 

I'm assuming that means it's 3.5 " would be great if I could get running as a spare drive...

 

Cheers

 

John

[Plastic Nev]

Hi, just to add, there are various means of connecting a hard drive as an external drive which is always best if it connects to a USB port.

There are three main types, a straight forward IDE or SATA adapter plug to fit the hard drive and a USB plug at the other end to connect to the computer.

The second method is what is called a docking station, which is a unit the hard drive just plugs into and can easily be removed, and the third is an enclosure which the hard drive fits into. all types have a lead with a USB plug to connect to the computer. Also they all require a power supply unit as well for the larger 3.5 inch desktop sizes.

Having looked round recently I found that for some strange reason the enclosure type is actually cheaper than a straight forward adapter, with obviously the docking station being quite expensive as well.

The enclosure type is actually the most useful as once the hard drive is fitted, which is quite easy and usually only means two screws to undo and then replace once the drive is in it, the complete enclosure can be used with the drive as a useful external storage device. You can put a back up of all your data on it, use it to contain data when the computer drive is getting full and so on.

 

Nev.

[Johnboy63]

Hi guys

just can't thank you enough !! What a superb forum this ! Well went out today and bought a Sata caddy, all connected via USB working no problem... And indeed the PC shop did NOT transfer all my photos!! So annoying as I gave them a fair bit of money !! Ok, so at moment scanning old drive with Norton and Malawarebytes.. No virus found. What a surprise ... So how shall get all the photos on the drive across to new hard disk or my other spare external drive, how do I search the old drive? In the meantime I'm going to insert a blunt instrument up the man who took my cash!!

 

many thanks guys

 

johnboy63

[Plastic Nev]

Hi, a lot depends now on where and in what folders you put the original photo's on that old drive.

However once you have found them on the old drive, Windows 7 is good for drag and drop, so it is just a matter of opening the list on the left hand side of the explorer window to find the folder you want, (Don't actually click on it or it will shove the external drive off the page) Just click on the photo or even the full folder that is on the external old drive, hold the mouse button down then drag it to the folder on the new drive where you want it to go to. It should give you a pop up notice saying "Copy to ***" then let go of the mouse button and it will copy the picture or folder to that destination.

 

I have also found a tutorial showing how to copy files and folders, in your case photo's.

Although this is shown for a flash drive, the same applies for an external hard drive as well.

 

 

Your main problem may be finding the photo's you want which are still on the old, now external drive if they are scattered in various places. If they are in a scattered form you may have to search for them as previously.

 

Once the external old drive is plugged in and you wish to try the .jpg search, to make the computer search the external drive, first make note of what letter it has been assigned, for example you see it is (K: )

Ignore the brackets, and type in the search bar

 

K: .jpg

 

try also

 

K: .png

 

K: .bmp

 

If you know that some pictures are of a different format to those, use that format as well.

 

Nev.

[Johnboy63]

Hi Nev

 

Many thanks for that advice, will follow your suggestion and search all formats. With regards to formatting my external drive, would you recommend that I do this once I have found all possible photo's, if so what is the benefit of cleaning the drive? Does it just put everything back in a tidy order and does it help reduce further virus attack?

 

cheers

 

Johnboy63

[Plastic Nev]

Hi John formatting or reformatting the external drive wipes it clean of all data, there will be nothing on it at all.

Obviously any malware on the disk will also be wiped off, however a format or reformat of an external drive is no protection against future malware attacks, that is down to your anti virus and anti malware programs.

However, formatting that drive gives you a clean slate drive to then use for new storage.

 

Nev.