[bksvol-discuss] Re: I am back and with problems.

  • From: "Roger Loran Bailey" <rogerbailey81@xxxxxxx>
  • To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Sat, 19 Nov 2011 17:54:48 -0500

By the way, while I was exploring my new computer I did come across something that was labeled transfer files from another computer. At that point I said darn it. Nevertheless, they did not transfer everything, so if I can get the old one connected to the new one I will still have use for that if I can find it again.


-----Original Message----- From: Evan Reese
Sent: Saturday, November 19, 2011 3:48 PM
To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: I am back and with problems.

Hi Roger,

It is called a drive enclosure. It has a holder inside that slides out of a
metal case. You place your old hard drive into this holder, making sure that
it is fitted firmly into the connector, Then you slide this assembly into
the case. There is a plug on the side of the enclosure that you can plug a
cable into, (the cable comes with the enclosure),  and connect the other end
into your new computer. They run around $30. Obviously, I cannot say for
certain, but it is very likely that your hard drive is the 5.25 inch model,
so you could buy an enclosure at some place such as Radio Shack with the
understanding that you can return it in the unlikely event that the drive
does not fit. I'm not sure why anyone would put the old hard drive back into
the computer when there is no way of getting power to it. They should have
just handed it to you. You'll have to extract it before you can do anything
with it. Once you get it hooked up to your new computer though, you should
be able to transfer your old emails and scanned files. There is a Windows
utility which is supposed to be able to transfer files and settings, such as
Internet Explorer Favorites, and (I'm pretty sure) email messages as well.
If it doesn't transfer email, there are other programs that can certainly do
the job, including most likely the email program that you have on your new
system. Or, if you take the trouble to find out where your email folders are
stored, you can copy them manually to your new system. I think they should
have just done that for you. There is certainly nothing illegal about
copying your own email messages from an old computer to a new one. It's
standard practice for most people and it certainly does not violate any
software licensing agreements or anything.

Evan

----- Original Message ----- From: "Roger Loran Bailey" <rogerbailey81@xxxxxxx>
To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, November 19, 2011 3:00 PM
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: I am back and with problems.


Before I can tell you how long the old hard drive is I will have to figure out how to get it out of the old computer. I have no idea how it looks in there. I have some sighted assistance, but that person is probably more incompetent than I am. Do I understand correctly from your message that Open Book 6 is likely to be incompatible with a new computer? Where do these cases come from? Can they be bought at a computer store? What would it be called? -- a hard drive case? If it is not the size you specify then can another case be obtained from a computer store? Should I measure it and call with the dimensions on hand?

-----Original Message----- From: Mike
Sent: Saturday, November 19, 2011 2:46 PM
To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: I am back and with problems.

Roger,

If your old hard drive is about 5.5 inches on the longest side, then I
can send you a case that will allow you to use it as an external usb drive.

I have no idea whether this will allow you to run the old Openbook
because if Windows 7 doesn't recognize some driver it uses, but at least
it will let you try.

Another option, if the new computer has the right connections inside it
is to have the hard drive from the old computer installed in your new
computer as a second drive.  Unfortunately, most new computers use a
different hard drive connector than those from more than about 5 years ago.

Misha


On 11/19/2011 10:50 AM, Roger Loran Bailey wrote:
I suppose that no one noticed that I have been missing for a while. My aging computer has been developing more and more problems, but finally the power switch stopped working. I could not turn it on. I called a repair shop and asked how much it would cost to fix that. I was asked how old the computer was. Uh, coming up on nine years now. The repairman said that it was not worth repairing. Eek! I must be one of those Internet addicts because I started to go into a kind of shock at the prospect of being off line for an indefinite time. I can’t afford it, but I had to buy another computer immediately. I will have to cut back on other expenses. Oh well, I can stand to lose some weight anyway. Cutting back on food is good for me. The computer store offered, for an additional fee, to transfer all my files to the new computer. They could not transfer software because of copyright issues. The trouble with that was that some of my most important files were in software applications. Specifically, I lost a ton of emails that were stored in Outlook Express. Also, none of the scanned books that were in Open Book were transferred. That includes the one I was working on and was almost finished with. When I went to pick up my new computer I was given both the new one and the old one. I was told that they had replaced the hard drive back into the old computer. I asked the woman I was talking to if it was possible to use the old hard drive as an external hard drive. Somehow my mind went blank when she answered me. I remember her saying, “Oh yes.” Then she kept talking and my brain did not register a thing she said until she finished with, “Then just connect it with a USB cable.” So here is my first question. Question one: Does anyone here know how to turn an old hard drive into an external hard drive? I expect that my Open Book along with the book I was working on is still there and if I could connect it as an external hard drive I might be able to recover it. Question two: Might it be possible to connect the old computer with no power coming to it to the new computer and do my recovery that way? Now, with that said, it might not be possible for me to resume working on the book anyway. I never actually installed Open Book on my old computer in the first place. Back in early 2003 when I ordered the computer I also ordered the software that I wanted with it and had it delivered with Open Book 6 already installed. The only time since then that it has been installed again was when my hard drive corrupted and I brought my software disks to the repair shop and they reinstalled it for me. Now, though, I have been trying to install it on my new computer. I have tried twice unsuccessfully. The first time it installed, but would not work. After trying over and over I decided that my own incompetence caused an incomplete install. I uninstalled it and tried again. This time there came a point that it said something like, “Searching for components.” Then, after a few minutes, it said something like that it could not find a video something or other. Then the installation just stalled and it would not do anything else. I am thinking of calling Freedom Scientific technical support, but I am suspicious that my antiquated Open Book 6 is just not compatible with my new operating system, Windows 7. Question three: Am I correct that Open Book 6 is not compatible with my new system? If this is the case I just might have to quit scanning books. The computer was expensive enough without buying new scanning software too and I can only cut back on other expenses so much. If all that I have said here is completely bad news for me then here is my next question. Question four: What can I possibly do?

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