Re: External Hard drive.
Hi...
You don't have to have any photo-editing programs only on C drive. You can, while in the process of installing them, choose to install them on an external drive - the change is only one typed letter away.
However, there's at least one even better option.
(1) Instead of even having to install a photo editor on an external drive, just download a photo editor that has a
"PORTABLE" version. That can be completely put on an external hard drive and runs from that external, too. It's called portable because you can have the program on a dinky little flash drive (i.e., a USB memory stick) in your pocket, wherever you go. Run that portable photo-editor
from the USB stick and edit / organise the photos from /
on your external.
(2) If safety of photos is crucial, you could get a
"Photobucket" account, or an
"Open Drive" account and safely upload them to those (in the
"cloud", as it's described) and they'll not only always be safe, up there, but
you can log into them on a friend's or relative's machine and - BINGO - there they are, visible and safe! You have lots of options open.
(3) Open a Facebook account
(in a fake name, if you'll take my advice) and you can create an entire jam-packed extra page of all of your photos up there.
Those, too, can be viewed by whoever you decide you want to view them - that includes others who have no Facebook accounts of their own, because you can make your massive photo section of your Facebook main page
"Open" and nobody needs have a Facebook account to even see them...just send them the link and they'll be taken right there.
Just, a few ideas, really. You've a lot to take in, I know. I hope that this was helpful in some way.
Ian.