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  • #2163148

    When is Enough Enough?

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    by captbilly1eye ·

    Being somewhat bored today, I thought it was about time to do a quick inventory of all the programs and files I’ve accumulated over the years. Just for grins.

    Here’s what I came up with:

    180,000+ graphic files

    25,000+ MP3s

    10,000+ fonts

    2500+ WAV files

    2200+ icons

    670+ video files

    635 documents

    357 games

    275 screensavers

    267 system tools

    263 graphic editing programs

    252 misc. programs

    245 video and audio editing programs

    197 Internet tools

    I think it’s time to clean house! 🙂

    What do you do with all the useless, out-dated junk you collect? Hard drives are cheap and burning DVDs and CDs is easy. But where do you draw the line and chuck junk in the circular file?

    Too bad there’s no way to have a digital garage sale. Program licenses are technically not transferable anyway and the other junk left over from my desktop publishing days doesn’t seem to have much value to anyone but me. Up till now, the only guideline I followed for getting rid of stuff was when it was no longer usable in the current OS.

    [BTW… 0 porn] 😉

All Answers

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    Replies
    • #2966254

      Clarifications

      by captbilly1eye ·

      In reply to When is Enough Enough?

      Clarifications

    • #2966253

      I ask, when was the last time I used this?

      by cg it ·

      In reply to When is Enough Enough?

      If I can’t remember, I toss it.

      • #2967244

        Good plan. But for me…

        by captbilly1eye ·

        In reply to I ask, when was the last time I used this?

        … with my crappy memory, I’d probably end up deleting and dumping everything but Windows.

        🙂

        • #2967185

          Just hope

          by .martin. ·

          In reply to Good plan. But for me…

          you don’t forget what you use windows for… hehehehe…

          “windows? i don’t need that” ‘delete’

          next reboot: ‘OS could not be found’ “ohhhh 🙁 “

    • #2967243

      Since I began working for the college

      by boxfiddler ·

      In reply to When is Enough Enough?

      and in a department (initially) that wouldn’t get me a computer, I have been working primarily from home. Meaning of course that I have to keep all kinds of CYA stuff. All my Supplemental Instruction correspondence, exercises, planning, my supervisory things, all on disk. I recopy them every couple three years and toss the old. Complete backup .pst’s from those years, too.
      Now, teaching, I have to keep student records for at least three years, so theres’ more STUFF. Including .pst’s. Sorted by semester. The discs are piling up.
      Bah. I’ll be drowning in them by the time I die. 🙁

      • #2967242

        That reminded me…

        by captbilly1eye ·

        In reply to Since I began working for the college

        I forgot Documents. I’ll have to add that.

        Yea. You’re smart to keep old docs as records. How do you organize/categorize them?

        • #2967211

          By semester.

          by boxfiddler ·

          In reply to That reminded me…

          Then by course number, then by section number. The .pst for the semester contains an Inbox organized in the same way.
          I use rules to help keep my email time to a minimum. Email from so and so in course number ? section number ? goes straight to the folder for that crn and sec#. Save replies with messages is also set up.

    • #2967236

      Each time I get a new computer….

      by thumbsup2 ·

      In reply to When is Enough Enough?

      I copy everything to CD that I want to save (docs, wavs, PST files, graphics editing filters, etc…) from the old computer. When setting up the new computer, I only put stuff back on that I know I’ll need. If I need to retrieve something later, it’s easy to get at from the most recent CD. Occasionally, I might have to search through 4 or 5 of them to find what I want, like a specific picture. But, most is now just saved as historical data… just in case.

      • #2966992

        That’s the way I always start out….

        by captbilly1eye ·

        In reply to Each time I get a new computer….

        … I SAY I’m not going to load in anything until I need it. Then time goes on, a download here, a download there, new games come out, projects come up… the next thing ya know, I’m running outta hard drive space again.

        I think it must be a matter of discipline.
        🙂

    • #2967180

      my solution

      by .martin. ·

      In reply to When is Enough Enough?

      documents and the such get backed up weekly, onto an external hard drive, when that becomes full, I will just delete the oldest copy, I also take a backup of my schoolwork at the end of the year onto a DVD (a year is like 100MB at most, usually…), as for programs, when it is no longer used, it goes…

      I have only ever needed one file that i haven’t saved, but I can no longer remember what it was… (and it wasn’t windows!)

      • #2966994

        Back ups are key.

        by captbilly1eye ·

        In reply to my solution

        I have everything backed up regularly (Differentially) to an external HDD and many files burned to the shelves full of CDs and DVDs.

        You can never be too safe.

        • #2965382

          You can be too safe…

          by .martin. ·

          In reply to Back ups are key.

          make hourly backups, also make hourly backups of your backups. after one year you send the backups off-site (because you can no longer move!)

          😀

        • #2967525

          yea yea yea. ;-)

          by captbilly1eye ·

          In reply to You can be too safe…

          🙂

    • #2967162

      I never get rid of anything

      by rob miners ·

      In reply to When is Enough Enough?

      I may need it some day. Have you ever thrown something out and a week later you wished that you hadn’t. No mate I’m a bower bird and I also have backups of backups. Talk about belt and braces. To be sure to sure to be sure. I have the original CD’s and I make ISO’s of them and copy them to DVD and then make a backup copy of the DVD. Belt and braces to the extreem. 😉

      I subscribed to APC and PC User for nearly ten years and still have the CD’s that came with them. A few have disappeared over the years, the joy of having kids that have borrowed them to install a game demo on their friends PC and they wern’t returned. They used to have usefull apps on them for one thing or another and a lot of them were freebies.

      I keep a simple file structure and keep the appropriate files in sub directories relating to the file extensions. It works for me. 😉

      • #2967157

        :D :D :D

        by boxfiddler ·

        In reply to I never get rid of anything

        I am SO bad that way. I b*tch about the old man and his keeping of everything (non-computer), but I have stacks and stacks of backups of backups.
        Whew. I’m relieved not to be the only one!

        • #2967145

          You ought to see my Shed

          by rob miners ·

          In reply to :D :D :D

          I have old PC’s that still work, Dot Matrix printers and a swag of old monitors. I get nostalgic every now and then and fire one up and see if I can still get around in it.

          Then there are my tools, I borrowed a drill from a neighbour once and the dambed thing died on me. I had to hunt around to be able to replace it for him with the same model and I ended up out of pocket. I haven’t borrowed anything since. If I need something I put off the project until I can afford it. If it breaks on me I can normally get it replaced under warranty.

          I used to restore old cars and I also ran a handyman service so I have accumulated a few tools over the years. Most of them are packed away to make room for the PC parts that I have accumulated in recent years. Now if I could only get my loft back I would have more room to stack my crap err parts.

        • #2965449

          Me too

          by tig2 ·

          In reply to :D :D :D

          I think that that tendency is systemic to the average comp-
          u-geek. We know down to our souls the value of our
          backups.

          I have Time Machine set to back up every four hours. God I
          love that thing! It backs me up to a 500GB external drive
          and it just works. If the ca-ca ever hits the oscillating air
          mover, I am still golden.

        • #2965309

          S.O.P.

          by captbilly1eye ·

          In reply to Me too

          … specially when you consider how inexpensive external HDDs are these days.
          I just picked up an ext. Seagate 1TB drive for under 150 and they keep getting cheaper. Every computer should have a sticker on the front of it with a picture of an extra drive that says “You NEED this (along with a UPS)”
          I use one external drive to store installations, graphics, videos & docs and the new one for differential backups.

          Man… I remember my first internal 1GB drive – $270.

      • #2966991

        Being a Digital Pack Rat…

        by captbilly1eye ·

        In reply to I never get rid of anything

        … is something I’m not proud of, but at least it’s good to know I have company.

        🙂

        Perhaps we should arrange a swap meet.
        😀

    • #2967115

      On each ‘puter I’ve got 2 ‘Installer’ directories …

      by older mycroft ·

      In reply to When is Enough Enough?

      Particularly useful if I’ve either downloaded something or gleaned something from a magazine cover disc, as soon as it’s installed and running – I copy the installer to either ‘Installers – Games’ or ‘Installers – Utilities’.

      As the installer directories grow I review them each month as part of the regular system housekeeping (like full anti-virus scans & defrag checks), and if there’s a factorial amount sitting there, I’ll burn it to a data DVD and delete it from the respective directory (preferably IN that order 😉 ).

      Looking at your list of files, I’d hope that the majority of your typefaces are held in a reserve sub-directory otherwise you’ll slow down the OS-boot by a factor of note.

      The same condition will and should also apply to your screensavers (personally, I only ever have TWO active in my System32).

      As long as the remainder of your file-types are NOT sitting on your system disk, it’s really only whether you can afford the disk space – their continued existence will make zero impact on the OS. (I have a secondary non-OS disk directory for ALL my Document files, just to be sure to be sure).

      • #2966986

        Call me Mr. Organized.

        by captbilly1eye ·

        In reply to On each ‘puter I’ve got 2 ‘Installer’ directories …

        The strict organization rules I follow have influenced my wife and several friends to suggest I have an obsession. To which I respond; “OK. …and your point is?”

        If there is one thing I’ve learned over the years it’s to have a structure for filing and easy retrieval. My real problem is that I hate too much to toss or flush stuff when it’s usefulness has waned. I keep thinking; “Hey, some day I may need this.” or “some day I may want to play this game again.” So I save the discs or move files to an external drive for the future reinstall that never happens.

        Ultimately, though, it’s not a lack of hard drive space so much as it is shelf space.

        Is there therepy available for obsessive software collectors.
        😉

        Your comment about fonts is very true. I only keep a few hundred loaded in the Fonts folder, the rest are in over a dozen catagorized and sub-catagorized directories or on disc.

        • #2965448

          Embrace your OCD

          by tig2 ·

          In reply to Call me Mr. Organized.

          Between the SO and I we have so much digital stuff that our
          tiny office is overflowing. Oh well. We DO try to off load
          anything that is no longer relevant. Like my resume from
          1997. Hard to toss it but I did… last year when it turned ten.

    • #2966975

      Spring computer cleaning

      by notsochiguy ·

      In reply to When is Enough Enough?

      I use a combination of methods to keep track of old files. System imaging, DVD/NAS backups, drive mirroring. I find that I spend almost as much time in ‘file triage’ than I do in actually performing the tasks pertaining to safeguarding them! 🙂

      Typically, I do this (major cleaning) once a year. I start with a full image of my system (have system images going back a few years now). Then I determine which files stay ‘active’ (meaning, somewhere I can readily access them–usually stuff related to taxes and school) or those that get removed.

      My overriding rule of thumb in this exercise (as well as with house cleaning): when in doubt, throw it out. If I have to ask if something is important, it isn’t!

      • #2966969

        Sounds like a good plan.

        by captbilly1eye ·

        In reply to Spring computer cleaning

        Maybe I’ll try it out this Spring.
        😉

        Meanwhile… I’ll consider following your rule of thumb. It makes sense.

    • #2966947

      It’s never enough :D

      by jiminpa ·

      In reply to When is Enough Enough?

      I am a digital pack rat. I never throw anything away. I have an external USB hard drive for those programs that I am currently not using but likely will within a short time frame, my USB memory stick which hangs around my neck for things I use all the time, and I burn on DVD those thing which I will likely never use again but hey… you just never know 😉

      • #2966928

        I feel your pain…. ;-)

        by captbilly1eye ·

        In reply to It’s never enough :D

        although my USB ministick is on my keychain.

        There’s nothing private or personal on it – just some tools and utilities and its XP bootable.

        Good to know I’m not alone. 🙂

        I think I am going to focus on weeding out some programs and utilities that are essentially redundant. I have a lot of tools that do the same thing. I just need to decide which one does the job best.
        (ie. graphic editors, audio/video editors, system tweakers/fixers, scanners/removers, etc.)

        • #2966924

          Weed out?

          by jdclyde ·

          In reply to I feel your pain…. ;-)

          as in, delete? :0

          If the program works, you just NEVER know when you might need it again… ;\

          My rule, if there is space, fill it! B-)

      • #2966921

        Still have old floppies

        by jdclyde ·

        In reply to It’s never enough :D

        homework assignments from back in the late 80’s, early 90’s.

        Heck, I just found my old DOS disks! B-)

        Windows 3.11 anyone? B-)

        Windows 95 floppies? (many pc’s didn’t HAVE cd roms yet) B-)

        • #2965564

          Heck,

          by tonythetiger ·

          In reply to Still have old floppies

          I still have all the BBS files I was running in the early 80s.

          Also have a copy of OS/2 version 1.3.

          Qemm386/Desqview 🙂

        • #2965535

          One-ups-man-ship

          by jdclyde ·

          In reply to Heck,

          how about if I can find and post pics of 7 inch floppies? 😀

          I know I have a WORKING 286 in my basement…. B-)

        • #2965418

          :)

          by tonythetiger ·

          In reply to One-ups-man-ship

          Shrink wrapped IBMDOS 5.

          A keyboard from an IBM PS/2 model 30 (it’s in my line of sight right now. My granddaughter plays with it).

          I’ve got a 286 in the garage, but I don’t know if it still works. It’s 16 mhz /4 meg on the motherboard, a math co-processor a RAMPAGE card… 8 meg EMS card (it was 10 meg, but I actually cut one bank off to fit in the case), 40 meg HD.

          I have an 8-bit-bit STAC card (worked with the STAC program to compress the hard drive.

          Not as old, but I have a working 386 Acer laptop. 12 inch screen, no speakers, no CD. a 2 gig hard drive (upgraded from 540 meg), 32 meg ram (upgraded from 16), Windows 98 installed (I installed it with a parallel port CD-ROM (I still have that too.) and a boot floppy). It has a PCMCIA network card, and will connect to the internet… but a lot of sites don’t work well with IE4.

          I’ll check my boxes for more 🙂

        • #2965529

          Good to know…

          by captbilly1eye ·

          In reply to Heck,

          So I know who to ask if I ever need those.

          … perhaps when someone invents a time machine. 😀

          I wonder if we could donate our worthless junk to a museum as a tax write-off.

        • #2965533

          Collectibles! :)

          by captbilly1eye ·

          In reply to Still have old floppies

          I bet if I looked hard enough, I’d find those at the bottom of a drawer somewhere.
          After all, I’m the one who has such a hard time throwing anything out.

          … an affliction I evidently share with you. 🙂

        • #2965521

          I have a tape winder

          by jamesrl ·

          In reply to Collectibles! :)

          No idea where in my house it is though….

          James

        • #2965489

          …Mine was a Bic ballpoint !

          by older mycroft ·

          In reply to I have a tape winder

          Dunno how the compatibility happened, but a Bic ballpoint shaft had just the correct number of ‘sides’ to fit into and lock onto the spindle in the centre of a tape cassette. 😉

        • #2965523

          I’ve got a flip-top box of C64 5.25in floppies, that started out life as…

          by older mycroft ·

          In reply to Still have old floppies

          IBM formatted floppy disks!

          They were always formatted single-sided IBM disks with one “bite” out of the upper left-hand edge.

          But with a minimum of TWO and a bit of judicious scissor work, I used to cut a “bite” out of the right-hand edge and ‘create’ double-sided C64 floppy disks to stuff into my old 1541 drive.

          After all the effort I’d put into their creation, I just couldn’t throw ’em away. 😉

          Ultimately, in the late 80s (by which time I’d moved onto the Amiga) a British company produced a little desk punch, similar to an A4 loose-leaf punch, that did a much easier job than my laborious scissor hobby. 🙂

    • #2965451

      Unless I use it seasonally

      by tig2 ·

      In reply to When is Enough Enough?

      If I haven’t opened it in more than a year, I chuck it. The
      exception is music files and graphics stuff including
      pictures.

      I should do a Spring clean on my old Dell but as long as it
      is happy, I’m happy. I have a few old games that could
      probably hit the road but have a massive external drive
      that they are welcome to hang out on.

      If it is something that you can see yourself using in the
      future, just drop it on other media and let it collect dust.

    • #2965397

      RE : [i]When is Enough Enough?

      by oh smeg ·

      In reply to When is Enough Enough?

      NEVER!

      You can never have too much stuff ever.

      Things like Fonts still cost money to replace and there are many other things that you may feel you don’t need till you need them then they cost you to replace after throwing them out.

      I still have Applications from the DOS Days that I keep and occasionally use. Though to be fair I do copy the Install Disc’s to a HDD and store them there in case the Floppies no longer work or in the case of the 5.25 inch Floppies no longer have a drive that you can read them with.

      You could probably fit all of this stuff on 1 X 10 GIG HDD and store it if required in piratically no space what so ever.

      Col

      • #2965319

        Interesting point.

        by captbilly1eye ·

        In reply to RE : [i]When is Enough Enough?

        That justification makes me feel much better. Although, in a way, it sounds like telling a junkie;’just go ahead, feed your habit. It’ll be good for you someday.’
        🙂

        “piratically”? …what a good freudian slip when it comes to referring to what occupies much of my space.

        • #2965288

          Funny you should mention this today of all days

          by oh smeg ·

          In reply to Interesting point.

          I just got hit with a repair for something I haven’t looked at in a very long time. If I didn’t have the Disc’s for it it would have been impossible to repair. 😉

          Now who said that no one uses Geo Works still? :^0

          Col

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