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General discussion

Saving Software on External Harddrive

Aug 10, 2010 5:33AM PDT

I have Quickbooks Premier 2004. Can I download the software on a desktop and save all data on an external hard drive instead of saving info on the desktop?

Discussion is locked

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Maybe.
Aug 10, 2010 5:40AM PDT

If you already have the software, why "download" it again? Downloading is copying something from the internet to your hard disk.

I don't know the program, so I can't tell you if it has an option to specify the storage location for its data. If it has, most likely you tell it that it should be a folder on an external hard drive. Check the manual or the help, or look around in the menu.

But it's a bad idea to 'store' data on an external drive. This forum is full of posts by people who found there external drive failing for some unknown reason. External drives are much more error prone than internal drives, and slower moreover. Why do you want it? What's wrong with your internal hard disk?

Whereever you store it, be sure to regularly make a good backup. That's required with an external hard disk (because it's so unreliable) and highly recommended with an internal one (because those fail also).

Kees

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External Hard drive question
Aug 10, 2010 5:52AM PDT

thanks. A client of mine has Qucikbooks Premier 2004. They want me to install the software on the desktop and save all data on the external hard drive instead of saving anything on the desktop

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Re: your client
Aug 10, 2010 5:06PM PDT

As I said, I don't know if the settings in the program allow it (for example, Outlook Express insists on having the mail folders on a local internal drive, and won't even allow a mapped network drive).

But if the program allows it, it can be done. It's even understandable that your client wants to have his private financial data inaccessible for other users of the PC. But you must make it clear that he's responsible for a backup, for example by copying the data from the external hard disk to a USB-stick after each update.

Kees

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Yes, but
Aug 10, 2010 5:45AM PDT

you would not be able to install programs or applications to an external drive.

But saving the 'downloaded' file to some folder or other media, like an external drive is always good as a backup. Then if you ever have to reinstall the application you have the installer file in your backup.

Just a note though. I never save data files to my Desktop. I create my own Work folders and save them to those.

Mark