Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Never Let Old Guys on Computers

    When you read my sad story, you will understand why I say, "Never let old guys on computers."

     For some time I have been thinking about scanning photos.I want my children to have all my photos. After all, many of the photos are about the kids.

    First I had to sort out a few issues about equipment. Once I had that under control it was time to discover how everything would work.

   My plan was to scan the photos and send them. So first, I planned to use windows photo gallery. I wanted explanations on each photo. I worked and got info on the photo. Then I decided I better test this and emailed a photo to myself. Well, the info didn't go with the photo.

    Well, plan B, why not use Picasa? I hadn't used Picasa for 5 or 6 years. I couldn't find the Top line that gives you all the options. I thought I must be missing something so messed around for a few hours before deciding that part of the picasa program had gone missing.

     Okay. Download Picasa again. The download went smoothly. After that things went off the rails. I signed out of Picasa. When I went back I couldn't find Picasa 3. Worse than that the old Picasa came up. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't find Picasa 3. Then I made a blunder and uninstalled Picasa 3. By that time I'd had enough and went to bed.

    Thinking things over in the night, I thought I would go to my trusty son for advice

    When I opened my computer in the morning, I saw the Picasa 3 short cut on the desk top. 

    Ooh! That's where it was. Why didn't I see that? 

    So plan AA by now, download Picasa again. Fine. Okay, maybe I should test this out. I'll email a sample to myself. I wanted to use Hot mail. I was asked some questions I'd never heard of before. They wanted to know information about my email server. I was stumped so it was a good time to stop for lunch. During lunch the light bulb came on. Picasa wants you to use Gmail. So check this out after lunch and it works like magic. 

    So after days of stress and much swearing I finally have a system that works. I mailed my baby photo to my daughter. She thought I was really cute and then she said, "I still think you're cute!"

    Now any of you who have read this post to this point, have probably been saying,  "Why didn't he do this or that?" I hope that you include these asides in your comments. I might not be able to use your suggestions , but I will learn from them. It might also be that and old man stays on his computer!

     It's funny how when we do new things on the computer we learn much more than were looking for.

My graduation class 1957. I'm in the back row on the right... the really handsome one!

25 comments:

  1. yes, google wants you to use ALL their products - and only their products. :)

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  2. Scanning photographs would be a darn sight better than the curling albums we have piled up around the house. We now have not only our own, but my husband's parents' albums, and his grandparents. Which of course means we're carefully guarding albums that basically have the same pictures as each other.

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    1. What I scanned the other day came from my parents. My kids don't remember my Mom.

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  3. I have never used Picasa for storage. I think I would use a Flash Drive for your old photos, they don't take up much space. AND are easy to use:)

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  4. I don't use Picasa because I've got a Mac and used their photos albums, but I have to go in and manually put information in for each picture. I don't use anything else. But I can't resist asking you: why didn't you do this or that? :-)

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    1. You can use picasa with a mac. Windows has photo gallery

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  5. You're so much fun! This shows perseverance. I curse those who invent some of these programs!!! You are a smart man!

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    1. I know that nobody else will come and do it for me. I do get tips from my son.

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  6. ha,ha Red, you are too funny. If I lived closer, I would have dropped over and helped you out, OLDE GUY ha,ha. Anyway, the important thing is you got it done, but there are so many easier ways to do this and too many to write them all down. Just keep at your computer and keep using it often. Ya dont use it, Ya lose it. and programs and information change all the time. Part of the fun is keeping up. Yep, I agree the dude at the back is handsome as hell. ha,ha Don't tell MM i said that :)

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    1. Yes, you really have to keep up. We are at the point where we look back and are amazed at how young we look.

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  7. You were, and no doubt remain, quite dashing. My computer skills probably don't match yours so I'm sorry not to be able to offer anything constructive.

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    1. ...dashing...absolutely. But if we worked together just think how scary we would be!

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  8. Replies
    1. Unfortunately many things are a headache for me when it comes to computers.

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  9. You did well. I had to learn by experience the first year. I am proud of you.

    I just put up some pictures from the funeral. Got back last night. It was sad but nice to meet a lot of family and exchange phone numbers and emails. As I was doing so many requests where I wanted to put the last picture. Now this is new to me on my Imagination blog. So it said do you want to load up to, Pizap, I seen Load. I pushed it. Walla got my last picture on my blog. I am away for four days and when I come back they ask me those dang questions where do I want to chose from to put on my blog. . I know where but why are they giving me choices. Us oldies sure have to be learning every minute as what the doodle our blog wants now for me to do. To load up my last picture. I got the first loads done so don't come up with something new I was saying under my breath. NOT NOW.

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  10. HAHA! This was a funny story. I have moments like this and my kids tease me :) That is a great photo you shared. Yes, you are the handsome one :)

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    1. Yes, I get help from my son. He's got so old (46) that he doesn't tease me anymore.

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    1. Yes, 8 of us in a one teacher high school. the gr 11 class was with us as well.

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  12. I think that's how most of us learn anything new on our computers - trial and error, with the emphasis on "trials"!

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  13. Your daughter was right Red. It is nice that you have a trusty son who can fix things. I am at a loss on Picasa. Take care B

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  14. Hi there! I found you via Tired Teacher. I'm giggling away at your post because your methods sound so much like what I go through when trying new things. Sleeping on it over night always helps as it did for you.

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  15. I did write a post for you today, Red. I don't know if it will help or cause more problems.

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