Another way to do things

Okay... since no one responded to the Dick and Jane thread, I thought I would tell you a dumb way I devised to transfer email and bookmarks to a new computer.

For email I just sorted through mine and mailed it to my Yahoo webmail. Then from there, once I had the new computer set up, I mailed it back to my POP account. It would never work for hundreds of messages but for a couple dozen it wasn't such a bad thing.

For bookmarks I sorted through mine and decided upon a couple dozen I simply had to keep. I visited each URL, copied the URL into Notebook and then saved that to disk. When I set up the new computer, I took those copied URLs and revisited each site, bookmarking it in my new browser. Again, it would not be very convenient for dozens upon dozens of sites but for me it worked just fine. It took about 15 minutes in all.

I tried pasting the bookmarks into my profile but obviously did not understand the directions and for some reason it just never "took ". This method I devised worked just fine. I'm not suggesting anyone try it but for the computer illiterate who doesn't understand the ins and outs of Netscape/Mozilla, it might be helpful.

 

I am not sure which post, but there is a nice link at Ramona's website
As for the bookmarks, they are located in bookmarks.html file, and that file should be backup anyway, and updated periodically. All you need to do is to copy the file to your profile .slt folder. It willl replace what you have.
The way you did things is quite interesting and very cumbersome, and to me more confusing than the standard way.

Ramona has a wealth of info at her website

 

Ah... but this is the very point I tried to make, Westside. There are many people for whom the explanations provided on some of these sites ARE confusing. You say my method was both cumbersome and confusing. Granted, it was cumbersome and possibly confusing (although my wife actually did the same thing so if two computer illiterates can do it, I would imagine others would also) BUT it worked. We have our email and our bookmarks and we did not have to hunt for files and paste them here or there.

It puts me in mind of something Leo Laporte once said in his show, The Screen Savers. He was talking about computer language and readily admitted that it was an invention by the geek and for the geek. Could things have been communicated in an easier and more readily understandable way? Probably. Hey... I'm not knocking Ramona's great site or those of others who spend hours and perhaps weeks compiling this information. BUT the fact remains that many simply cannot decipher it... period. Have you ever met someone who could NOT program their VCR? I have. And do you know... that person was very intelligent. Let's just say that there are different types of intelligence and different ways in which we communicate with understanding. I find Mozilla/Netscape/Firefox to be extremely difficult to work with BUT I love the suites and browser. It's like my loving my car but having absolutely no idea what happens under the hood.

I would hope that some day someone who doesn't speak the same technical language.. indeed may refuse to do so... will establish a site for the Dick and Jane crowd!

 

James,

Which browser did you install on the new PC, and which browser were you using on the old PC. You change fairly frequently, so I want to double check.

Ramona

 

lol... I know. *reddens*

I installed Firefox 1.0 on the new computer (so did my wife on hers... I bought matching computers for both of us). The last computer had Mozilla 1.7.3, Opera 7.62, IE of course and Firefox 1.0 installed. This time I've decided to try my best to stick with one browser so for an entire week, Ramona... yes... a whole week, I've used nothing but Firefox and Thunderbird. I'm going to try and stick with this and become more familiar with it. I noticed that the Mozilla store are offering a Firefox book but I'm wondering if anyone has actually ordered it and whether or not it is worth the time and expense.

Ramona, I hope you didn't take offense to my comments. They weren't directed at you or anyone else... more at ME! I just do not have a technical mind and technical language confuses me. Profiles, slt files, copying and pasting files... all of this I find confusing. Fortunately my bookmarks were small in number and my address book was not extensive so getting back everything wasn't as cumbersome as I made it sound. Yes, I admit it would have been much easier if I had been able to follow your directions (or Fulvio's for that matter) but I couldn't. I'm embarassed that I couldn't but I admit it. I look for the day when to get bookmarks or email from one browser to the next one only has to click on Import and/or Export and it will be done automatically instead of having to find where these files are located and where they should go... a sort of "Dick and Jane" version.

 

James,

I wasn't offended, and I understood what you meant. No explanation is necessary! I wanted to know which browser you will be using so I can perhaps give you a guideline that would be easier for you to follow, if you decide to change browsers again. I know that it is frustrating when you just don't get it.


Ramona

 

James,
I, too, have a fair amount of trouble following some of the instructions I read sometimes (even though they always SOUND relatively straightforward!).
One comment, though, on importing bookmarks, and/or anything in your Profile folder for that matter: what did the trick for me was replacing my "new" Profile folder with my old one (which I'd copied previously) BEFORE actually running Firefox for the first time.
In other words, I went through the installation of Firefox, but at the very end, when it asks you if you want to launch the program now, I un-checked that box. Then I moved the new default Profile folder to my desktop (I was afraid to delete it outright, 'cause you never know...), and "pasted" my previous Profile folder in its place. THEN I ran Firefox, and sure enough, all my bookmarks had come through as hoped!
[Mind you, I spent a whole day trying unsuccessfully to accomplish this end - it wasn't until I gave up and tried reinstalling Firefox from scratch that I thought to give THIS route a shot!]
Rebecca

 

To all,
I not only agree that you have to have a certain basic knowledge, and daring, in order to deal with the idiosyncracies of Netscape and Mozilla. In fact, I feel that they are weakened by this.
I still don't understand why one is forced to have a profile in an hidden spot ( although it is easy enough to get around this). Firefox is given opportunities which were not even available for the older browsers, and it should improve, after thedevelopers will get it that not everyone knows what they do.

 

James,

What rebecca did is the way to go:

Everything, including Mail, all your filters, all preferences, etc. are in place.

This is on my Solutions page for Moving Profiles from PC to PC:

I'll add Firefox to this paragraph, because it does work the same, as Firefox 1.0 is based on the Mozilla 1.7.3 code.

Ramona