Using an External USB Drive...

I'm looking for tips on using an external USB hard drive for interchangeable
use on either my XP laptop or Vista Home Basic laptop.... and across my home
network.

I keep the master of my website on the external drive...

In XP I can open the site on the external drive, right click any page, 'View
Source', tweak it, save with 'Control-S' and keep going.

In Vista, I can do the same if the website files are on the C drive, but
with them on the external drive where I want them, I have to jump over so
many different permission hurdles that it's impractical to work. Obviously
simply turning on sharing for the drive isn't enough... but I don't know
what else is needed.

One thing I wonder about with an external drive that might be attached to
either laptop at any time, if I setup permissions from XP, does Vista honor
them? If I set them up from Vista, does XP understand them?

Thanks
--
website references are to www.papajohn.org

PapaJohn

Anecdotal-based advice and experience

I use 2 external USB hard drives (HDD). I can move them from Vista PC to XP
laptop to XP PC--and even to an I-MAC (which can read most files). Also have
home network. All work smoothly. Plus, after 2 HDD crashes in 4 months, I now
keep all docs on external USB, and back both that and my PC onto a second USB
HDD

What made it all run smoothly on main Vista PC was my decision to disable
Vista's UAC and stop all the permissions nightmares and pop-up permissions.
All has worked fine ever since: with good anti-virus software, updates, and
router firewall, I'm not worried about security issues. I had tried all the
settings with UAC, and none relieved me of the constant distractions and
hardware and software compatibility. I check all the message boards and
Microsoft Knowledge Base to find any downside to disable UAC. For non- major
network users, UAC is not essential of you have other good security software.

So, Click! - I turned off UAC. And Vista was tamed to a point that I stop
cursing it.

HOWEVER, in my experience, the key action needed before transferring/moving
USB hard drives among computers is to be sure -- if the computer is on -- to
first use the "Safely Remove Hardward" function. Or, move it when machines
are off.

And so make backups of the backups.

Aaron

"PapaJohn" wrote:

> I'm looking for tips on using an external USB hard drive for interchangeable
> use on either my XP laptop or Vista Home Basic laptop.... and across my home
> network.
>
> I keep the master of my website on the external drive...
>
> In XP I can open the site on the external drive, right click any page, 'View
> Source', tweak it, save with 'Control-S' and keep going.
>
> In Vista, I can do the same if the website files are on the C drive, but
> with them on the external drive where I want them, I have to jump over so
> many different permission hurdles that it's impractical to work. Obviously
> simply turning on sharing for the drive isn't enough... but I don't know
> what else is needed.
>
> One thing I wonder about with an external drive that might be attached to
> either laptop at any time, if I setup permissions from XP, does Vista honor
> them? If I set them up from Vista, does XP understand them?
>
> Thanks
> --
> website references are to www.papajohn.org
>
> PapaJohn
>
>
>
>

thanks Aaron.... I'll try disabling UAC for a while
--
website references are to www.papajohn.org

PapaJohn


"Aaron" <> wrote in message
news:9429B1F9-9A50-4F17-8D9B-...
> Anecdotal-based advice and experience
>
> I use 2 external USB hard drives (HDD). I can move them from Vista PC to
> XP
> laptop to XP PC--and even to an I-MAC (which can read most files). Also
> have
> home network. All work smoothly. Plus, after 2 HDD crashes in 4 months, I
> now
> keep all docs on external USB, and back both that and my PC onto a second
> USB
> HDD
>
> What made it all run smoothly on main Vista PC was my decision to disable
> Vista's UAC and stop all the permissions nightmares and pop-up
> permissions.
> All has worked fine ever since: with good anti-virus software, updates,
> and
> router firewall, I'm not worried about security issues. I had tried all
> the
> settings with UAC, and none relieved me of the constant distractions and
> hardware and software compatibility. I check all the message boards and
> Microsoft Knowledge Base to find any downside to disable UAC. For non-
> major
> network users, UAC is not essential of you have other good security
> software.
>
> So, Click! - I turned off UAC. And Vista was tamed to a point that I stop
> cursing it.
>
> HOWEVER, in my experience, the key action needed before
> transferring/moving
> USB hard drives among computers is to be sure -- if the computer is on --
> to
> first use the "Safely Remove Hardward" function. Or, move it when machines
> are off.
>
> And so make backups of the backups.
>
> Aaron
>
> "PapaJohn" wrote:
>
>> I'm looking for tips on using an external USB hard drive for
>> interchangeable
>> use on either my XP laptop or Vista Home Basic laptop.... and across my
>> home
>> network.
>>
>> I keep the master of my website on the external drive...
>>
>> In XP I can open the site on the external drive, right click any page,
>> 'View
>> Source', tweak it, save with 'Control-S' and keep going.
>>
>> In Vista, I can do the same if the website files are on the C drive, but
>> with them on the external drive where I want them, I have to jump over so
>> many different permission hurdles that it's impractical to work.
>> Obviously
>> simply turning on sharing for the drive isn't enough... but I don't know
>> what else is needed.
>>
>> One thing I wonder about with an external drive that might be attached to
>> either laptop at any time, if I setup permissions from XP, does Vista
>> honor
>> them? If I set them up from Vista, does XP understand them?
>>
>> Thanks
>> --
>> website references are to www.papajohn.org
>>
>> PapaJohn
>>
>>
>>
>>

I'm with you Aaron... working well.

Thnaks again
--
website references are to www.papajohn.org

PapaJohn


"PapaJohn" <> wrote in message
news:...
> thanks Aaron.... I'll try disabling UAC for a while
> --
> website references are to www.papajohn.org
>
> PapaJohn
>
>
> "Aaron" <> wrote in message
> news:9429B1F9-9A50-4F17-8D9B-...
>> Anecdotal-based advice and experience
>>
>> I use 2 external USB hard drives (HDD). I can move them from Vista PC to
>> XP
>> laptop to XP PC--and even to an I-MAC (which can read most files). Also
>> have
>> home network. All work smoothly. Plus, after 2 HDD crashes in 4 months, I
>> now
>> keep all docs on external USB, and back both that and my PC onto a second
>> USB
>> HDD
>>
>> What made it all run smoothly on main Vista PC was my decision to disable
>> Vista's UAC and stop all the permissions nightmares and pop-up
>> permissions.
>> All has worked fine ever since: with good anti-virus software, updates,
>> and
>> router firewall, I'm not worried about security issues. I had tried all
>> the
>> settings with UAC, and none relieved me of the constant distractions and
>> hardware and software compatibility. I check all the message boards and
>> Microsoft Knowledge Base to find any downside to disable UAC. For non-
>> major
>> network users, UAC is not essential of you have other good security
>> software.
>>
>> So, Click! - I turned off UAC. And Vista was tamed to a point that I stop
>> cursing it.
>>
>> HOWEVER, in my experience, the key action needed before
>> transferring/moving
>> USB hard drives among computers is to be sure -- if the computer is on --
>> to
>> first use the "Safely Remove Hardward" function. Or, move it when
>> machines
>> are off.
>>
>> And so make backups of the backups.
>>
>> Aaron
>>
>> "PapaJohn" wrote:
>>
>>> I'm looking for tips on using an external USB hard drive for
>>> interchangeable
>>> use on either my XP laptop or Vista Home Basic laptop.... and across my
>>> home
>>> network.
>>>
>>> I keep the master of my website on the external drive...
>>>
>>> In XP I can open the site on the external drive, right click any page,
>>> 'View
>>> Source', tweak it, save with 'Control-S' and keep going.
>>>
>>> In Vista, I can do the same if the website files are on the C drive, but
>>> with them on the external drive where I want them, I have to jump over
>>> so
>>> many different permission hurdles that it's impractical to work.
>>> Obviously
>>> simply turning on sharing for the drive isn't enough... but I don't know
>>> what else is needed.
>>>
>>> One thing I wonder about with an external drive that might be attached
>>> to
>>> either laptop at any time, if I setup permissions from XP, does Vista
>>> honor
>>> them? If I set them up from Vista, does XP understand them?
>>>
>>> Thanks
>>> --
>>> website references are to www.papajohn.org
>>>
>>> PapaJohn
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>
>