[KathyinNH]

Forgive me if the following sounds incredibly stupid, but I'm new to all this and I have no idea what I'm doing, but we all had to start somewhere, right? So here goes... I would like to be able to download/manage/store digital photos on a portable hard drive (a Passport). Can I install HP photo software JUST on the Passport, or must I put it in with all the other programs on each of the two computers I use? I like the idea of keeping my photos all in one place (hence the Passport). Also, it is my understanding that the Passport comes with one FAT32 partition and I have read that it is advantageous to convert to NTFS -- do you think this is necessary in my case? As I said, I am clueless so the less I have to fiddle the better. And, about partitions...it sounds like I would have to create a second partition, one for the programs and one for the data -- how do I do that, and how do I name them? God, it never ends. I have tried to do the research but I don't understand most of what I read so everything I read just ends up presenting more questions. It's all becoming more complicated and dreadfully confusing. I keep trying, hoping some of it will eventually make sense but it's just not happening. My head is ready to spin right off my body, I don't know how you Geeks do this... Any help anyone might offer would be GREATLY appreciated. The computers I work with use XP. And I haven't purchased the Passport yet, so if there is another way to go, I'm all ears. Thanks again.

Kathy from New Hampshire (who apologizes for a technology IQ equal to 2 dixie cups and a string...)

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for external hard drives it's in your best interest NOT to install software there...pretty much all software needs to have data on your primary HD (c:\) so that windows can use it..you can install the rest of the stuff on a different hard drive..but without the proper location of the rest of the program being in place on the C drive...it won't work...plain and simple..i find that using software that comes with digital cameras..is usually more trouble than it's worth...you mainly usually just need the drivers so that you can access teh camera as if it were a harddrive (or card reader) then drag the images off of the camera...

as far as partitioning and formatting...you can do that however you want...if this HD is just being used for file storage..you can (when you get it) format the drive as a single NTFS partition and be good to go (of course...if you want to use this HD with any OS pre 2000...you will need to leave it as fat32...but if you never plan on using it on a 98 or 95 machine...ntfs is a better plan)

[dsenette]

for external hard drives it's in your best interest NOT to install software there...pretty much all software needs to have data on your primary HD (c:\) so that windows can use it..you can install the rest of the stuff on a different hard drive..but without the proper location of the rest of the program being in place on the C drive...it won't work...plain and simple..i find that using software that comes with digital cameras..is usually more trouble than it's worth...you mainly usually just need the drivers so that you can access teh camera as if it were a harddrive (or card reader) then drag the images off of the camera...

as far as partitioning and formatting...you can do that however you want...if this HD is just being used for file storage..you can (when you get it) format the drive as a single NTFS partition and be good to go (of course...if you want to use this HD with any OS pre 2000...you will need to leave it as fat32...but if you never plan on using it on a 98 or 95 machine...ntfs is a better plan)

[KathyinNH]

I shall do as you suggest. The computers I use are Dells, both were new in 2005, and use XP. So I will convert or reformat the Passport to NTFS and keep just photos there. Oh, thank you! It makes a huge difference when you're no longer terrified you'll be doing the wrong thing.

Thanks again.
Kathy

P.S. And I'll look for some nice (read: simple) photo software!

[dsenette]

if you're wanting to just be able to view and maybe do a little modifications you can check out infranview, and paint.net (still in beta..but it's nice...ALOT better than regular windows paint) both of these are free

if you're wanting to go a step above, check out JASC paint shop pro i'm not sure of the price...but it's worth it...i like to call it photoshop lite..it's got alot of really nice functions and it's rellatively easy to use

[KathyinNH]

Thanks again for the follow-up and additional info. I looked up the Paint Shop Pro X and it sounds like just what I've been looking for -- chock-full of good features but without having too many bells and whistles that I would never use and would just make things complicated. It has everything I would need to download/file/fix/share my photos...the email feature sounds great. I especially like the user-friendly organizational features. And -- of course! -- what also sparked my interest was the fact that it contains 2 hours of video tutorials plus a Learning Center...no more guessing at what some indecipherably tiny icon will do. Again, thank you so much for your time and assistance.

....The Friends Of Animals, the Disabled American Veterans, The Fund for Animals, and now the World Wildlife Fund...I'll have return address labels to last a lifetime!!

Kathy in New Hampshire