Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2016 July 3

= July 3 =

Copy and Replace
What does the entitled ‘’feature’’ do?

a) Copy’s/adds whatever that is not there - reason for asking because I recall something in Win XP that does this.

b) Deletes the old file and replaces it with the new one

Apostle (talk) 18:35, 3 July 2016 (UTC)


 * If you try to copy or move a file to a place where there is already a file of that name, you will be warned and asked whether you want to replace the existing file. If you choose to do so, the existing file is not deleted but is simply overwritten. There is no need to delete data before writing the new data - the process of overwriting erases every trace of what already existed. Your question was a bit unclear but I think that was what you were driving at. Akld guy (talk) 19:59, 3 July 2016 (UTC)
 * Just to clarify, I'm assuming bite size will remain the same for the file and the location volume you are overwriting on, right? It won't add extra because its being overwritten...? Are you aware of the indexing issue? -- Apostle (talk) 18:35, 4 July 2016 (UTC)

Managing photos on iPhone and ipad
This ought to be really straightforward but I'm completely stuck and reading forum posts, I don't think I'm the only one. I have an iPhone 5 and an iPad. The phone storage is full. I have photos on there that I want to keep. The iPad has spare storage capacity. How do I get the photos onto the iPad and make sure they are stored there, so that I can then delete them from the phone? I have Bluetooth and airdrop enabled on both. The iPad doesn't appear in the phone's AirDrop for some reason. Would particularly appreciate advice from someone who also has an iPhone and iPad and does this regularly. 81.97.236.216 (talk) 19:19, 3 July 2016 (UTC)
 * I'm guessing you do not sync your 2 devices to the same itunes? It would be pretty easy to sync your photos into itunes and then out onto your ipad. That's how I do it.  04:05, 4 July 2016 (UTC)
 * Also, the most basic troubleshooting, do you have wifi AND Bluetooth enabled on both devices? I believe airdrop relies on both so if you don't have Bluetooth enabled on both devices, airdrop won't work. Vespine (talk) 05:53, 4 July 2016 (UTC)
 * OP here again. Thanks for advice. I can get the photos over to the IPad. If I then delete them on the phone they will still be on the iPad? I had a bad experience but I think it was with photo stream. 90.22.70.101 (talk) 21:00, 4 July 2016 (UTC)
 * I know what you mean.... What you need to make sure is that the copy on the ipad is "separate" than the one on the iphone. I.e. that you are NOT syncing both devices to iCloud for example, then deleting the photos on one device will probably delete them on both. Personally I would not tryst ANY method described online, just delete one photo you don't mind losing, then wait an hour, sync both devices, wait another hour and if the "other" copy of that photo remains on your ipad, I think you are safe. The PROBLEM then is, and I can't stress this enough: your iPad is ONE single point of failure, iPad uses solid state memory, if your device becomes corrupt or dysfunctional (Don't think it can't or won't, electronic devices can and DO fail, given enough time it's pretty much inevitable that it will fail at some point), it may be practically impossible to recover the data. if you have photos you actually care about losing, you really need to back them up somewhere else, like a computer, (which would ideally then have its own backup) I would NOT use a iPad as a storage device for photos you care about. Vespine (talk) 00:10, 6 July 2016 (UTC)