Setting up a new computer is both good and bad. I have hundreds of folders and thousands of files to transfer, and that's not counting all the programs I have to install.

I removed the D drive from my dead computer and put it and a new drive into the new Dell. Then I began copying files and folders from D to E, pausing when the drive temperatures got to 120°. Going through the files gives me a chance to eliminate many that I no longer need, but I have to keep the two drives coordinated for when the other computer starts working again. When I'm finished copying, I'm going to one or more fans to keep things cool. Ideally, I'll have a switch to turn on the extra fans so they're not running all the time.

So far, all my key numbers have worked to install the programs, but I suspect there will be problems with some of them. By the end of the day, I'll have two identical drives in the Dell, and then I'll back them up to my externals and NAS. On the plus side, it gives me an excuse not to do housework or work outside.

I just replaced a failed hard drive in my laptop and did a clean Win 10 install on the replacement drive. Because of past criticisms of Windows browsers, I had Firefox installed on the old drive. I also had added Avast as my anti-virus software.

Has the Win 10 browser (Edge) improved enough that I don't need Firefox? Is it just a matter of personal preference? Is the built-in Win 10 security good enough that I don't need a separate anti-virus program?

I know that Google could get me some answers on this. But we have some very computer-savvy folks on UHH and I hope I can tap into some of that expertise. I got some help from you all when my hard drive crashed and I really appreciated that!

I have tried many different brands of backup software and finally solved the problem I have with them. I found a program in Win10 that will do just what I want. Back up the whole drive, copy over files if they are outdated and copy in new files or directories.

Want to know what it is? A batch file command named "robocopy". A high level copying program that will take less than 10 minutes to set up, the calling batch file resides on the Desktop and it just did a 2nd backup in under 10 minutes. The first did take 5 hours, but that backed up 410GB of data.
Here is the command in the batch file if you want to use it.

robocopy c:\ d:\ *.* /s /R:1 /purge /mir /w:0 /xd "C:\users\dk\onedrive" "C:\windows"

I could set this up as a cron job, and have it back up continuously thru the day, but it is just as easy to hit the icon on the desktop every so often and then be sure it is working.

I am considering using a spare monitor I have for use in a 2 monitor set up for Photoshop. I like the idea of having the photograph I am editing (as near as possible) filling the largest screen, and the tools and menu panels on the smaller monitor. Does anyone have a similar set up and if so any information on the pros and cons of using 2 monitors for this purpose and advice on setting up and running the system would be greatly appreciated.
Apologies if it takes me a little time to reply to comments you might make as there seems to be a slight problem with me getting the latest UH digest. I will do my best to get back to you when and if necessary ASAP.

I've been using H&R Block tax software since TurboTax had problems doing state taxes correctly. I noticed something unpleasant this year.

Although I have my taxes from last year on my computer - a T18 file - the program will not open them. Doing a browse for them, they don't even show up as a choice in H&R. When I tried to open the T18 file independently, nothing can read it. The H&R program said I must buy last year's program to open last year's report. I thought it would be simple enough to re-install last year's program and use that to open the file. No good. Apparently, H&R doesn't do a download when you buy their program. They must install it directly.

In the past, H&R was able to access last years program with no trouble, but not this year. I have a paper copy of my report, so I can use that, but the file I saved can be opened only by H&R. Doing my taxes this year, I see there's an option to save the tax report as a PDF, so that's what I'm doing.

Maybe this is just a glitch for me alone, but it's an unpleasant one.

You can still upgrade your current computer to Windows 10 for free. It involves several steps including downloading the software and creating the media before doing it. This article is long and has too much discussion, but as you scroll down, you'll get to the way to do it. I just upgraded a machine, and I did not have to enter a product key. It worked fine. There is some chance that if your machine is more than 3-4 years old there may be some compatibility issues. Mine is 7 years old, and I had none.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/heres-how-you-can-still-get-a-free-windows-10-upgrade/

I always get good advice from this site so here's one more. I use Quicken 2019 for my personal finances. Now they're trying to nick me for another $50 per year for upgrades and updates. That's about what I paid for the original product at Costco. So, my question to my esteemed hoggers is: Is quicken the only source for these types of programs? Is there another program (like the demised MS Money) available? Or, is there a way around paying the ransom they seem to enjoy charging their customers.

Taking delivery on the Sony RX10IV with great excitement. I am wondering about the claim of it being "weather sealed." Photography in northern WI gets tricky in the winter. First challenge is to keep fingers from falling off! Second thing is to give the camera adequate protection when returning to the warmth of indoors. Is this camera sealed against condensation? Is that what "weather sealing" means, or does it still need to sit awhile wrapped in plastic? Looking also for a recommendation for photographer gloves that do not cost a fortune because I spent all monies on the camera! Thank you.