How to download files to a zip drive???

[TwingleMum]

I need to download files on a home computer to a zip drive. I am technically challenged. Could anyone explain (in simple language) to me how to do it?? Will it down load all the computer files on the computer mine as well as my DH and kids?? My DH is less computer savy as me What do I buy ? Is any zip drive OK??? Are they sold with different storage capacities?? Thanks so much I appreciate it.

 

[Kies99]

First off, do you truly mean a "Zip" drive or the small, portable USB (thumb/flash) drives?

Zip drives, for lack of proper words, use disks like the old floppy disks. USB drives are the smaller, keychain size storage devices.

I'll assume you mean the USB drive.

First off, plug your USB drive into a USB port. The drive "software" will load onto your machine automatically the first time. Once done (which is very quick), you can then just drag and drop the files you want to transfer onto the drive. Simple as that. USB drives do not automatically download anything. You'll need to physically drag and drop.

If your USB drive doesn't open automatically, go into "My Computer" and you should see a section labled something like "Devices with Reomovable Storage" and you should see your USB drive listed there. Just double click on it to open it and you can drag and drop stuff there.

 

[Best Aunt]

With a PC: after I put the flash drive into the USB port, I go to Windows Explorer (right click on START, left click on EXPLORE).

I find the document I want, and click on it, and copy it (EDIT, then COPY).

I scroll down until I see the flash drive near the bottom on the left side of the screen.

I click on the flash drive.

Then I paste the document to it (EDIT, then PASTE).

If you hold down the CTRL key, you can click on more than one document, and then copy them all at once.

With a MAC: after I put the flash drive into the USB port, I click on the FINDER icon on the dock at the bottom of the screen.

Again, I click on the document I want, copy it, and then paste it to the flash drive. I think the flash drive appears in the far left column.

You need a steady hand to drag and drop. I kept dropping the document in the wrong place, so I switched to copy and paste.

 

[Tinijocaro]

For mac it's all drag and drop.

 

[Imzadi]

You need a steady hand to drag and drop. I kept dropping the document in the wrong place, so I switched to copy and paste.

This is for a PC not Mac:

If you (general you) go to My Computer, click to open it, there should be a separate drive for the FLASH drive. Usually Drive E or F, depending on if your hard drive has a D drive for backup. It should also describe it, something like: Removable storage device.

Click to open a window for the Flash drive. It usually comes up as a nice BIG window. If there's nothing on the flash drive, it should be an empty window. You can enlarge the window if necessary to half or a third of the screen.

Go back to My Computer and click on it again. This should open a new window. Enlarge or shrink to fit window next to the flash drive window. Click to change to the C Drive (or where the files are located.) Locate the files necessary. Highlight the ones wanted. By pressing CTLR + left mouse button, you can individually highlight each of the files you want while the others stay highlighted.

Next, while clicking and holding down the mouse button on one of the highlighted files, you can drag & drop ALL the highlighted files at once, (they move together) into the nice big flash drive window.

 

[TwingleMum]

Thanks everyone. My friend told me I need an external hard drive because there would be too much for a flash/zip drive.

 

[Imzadi]

Are you just moving them or storing them? If you are just moving them, you can do a few folders at once, delete, then start over again. Plus, there are 32GB flash drives which hold more data than most (older) hard drives. Also, you need a secondary back up in case your first fails. You can usually get good deals at buy.com.

By the way, all the dropping & dragging info is the same for an external hard drive. Although there is also software out there that can do it for you.