My turn to get picky <g>. CPU and computer are technically interchangeable terms since the CPU does the computing, it is the computer. Course without the supporting hardware like motherboard, memory, BIOS chip, power supply, etc., it is little more than modified sand. Every thing else together constitutes a computer SYSTEM. To the original complaint, however, you can change virtually everything in a computer system and not lose a bit of data EXCEPT the hard drive (assuming that the individual who does the installation has the knowledge and tools to make the old hard drive work with the "new" system. If the hard drive is replaced, the new drive will not have any data on it and you will have to install programs, restore backups, fiddle with all the settings, etc. to get back to "normal" operation. That said, there are programs, like Power Quest's Drive Image, that will take a copy of your existing (small) drive and put it on a new, large drive. That's the way to go but I HIGHLY recommend that you get someone familiar with the program to do the copy. Finally, I always install my old hard drive as a second drive in my system when I upgrade. That does two things. It gives you access to files and folders you might have missed and it gives you a quick place to do a backup in case your primary hard drive crashes. For the first thirty days or so, you are much more likely to lose a new hard drive than one that has been in service and reliable for a couple years. Good Hunting! -- Paul aka Graveseeker on Geocaching.com where YOU are the search engine. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Alfred Eller" <adeller@santel.net> To: <FAMILY-ORIGINS-USERS-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, January 01, 2003 11:15 AM Subject: Re: [FO] CPU replacement > Now, I am going to get picky. > > The CPU is the Central Processing Unit, It is the most expensive chip > on the mother board inside the computer case. The power supply, > motherboard, hard drive, floppy drive, sound card and video card, > modem, network adapter and probably a CD drive or two are installed in > the computer case. That is the computer. It is not the hard drive or > the CPU, it is the computer. The keyboard and the monitor are just > computer peripherals, like the printer, scanner and speakers, but, in > my opinion, a little more important. > > > Alfred D. Eller > http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~adelr/ > ===================================== > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Joyce Ragels" <jragels@comcast.net> > To: <FAMILY-ORIGINS-USERS-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Wednesday, January 01, 2003 10:43 AM > Subject: Re: [FO] CPU replacement > > > > I know, but if a person was just replacing the CPU there should not > be > > any loss of anything. > > > > We should all think of the CPU (Computer Processing Unit) as the box > or > > outer covering of the other stuff. > > > > Being picky is how new terms are learned. You were not wrong in > > pointing that out. > > > > J > > > > Henry Terhune wrote: > > > Not trying to be picky but... a CPU is not the hard drive. > > > > > > > > >>Varick wrote: > > >> > > >>>We are replacing the CPU on this computer (just got this one in > July and > > >>>I lost lots of stuff - particularly my address book when we > installed > > >>>this one). > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>>Floreda > > >>> > > > > > ==== FAMILY-ORIGINS-USERS Mailing List ==== > My very basic Windows beginners help: http://freepages.computers.rootsweb.com/~adelr/index.htm > basic HTML: http://freepages.computers.rootsweb.com/~pasher/ >