Difficult day searching files

For me to solidify the situation in Brendan's family, in Derry, I need to know not only who his parents are and where they came from, in detail, but who his neighbors are and where they lived in proximity. So I decided to make a map of the area and note who's where and when. I do have the characters worked out and listed, who's with whom and such, but I need a lot firmer idea of Eamonn Sr. and Bernadette.

I know somewhere in my files I started writing out more background on the lives of his parents...but I'm having a hell of a time finding it. I've got a thousand Word files, alone, to go through as well as just as many images. I suppose I should just make some kind of order from them, because a lot are duplicates spread over at least five thumb drives and my external hard drive. 

I did finally find this map I'd been looking for. It's of the Bogside of Derry from before 1960. I know this because it shows an extension of Nailors Row that led up to Fahan Street, at the top center under that orange stripe, and I have a photo of that spot from 1961 showing they'd been torn down, by then.

I don't remember where I got it from, but I didn't put the colored stripes on it and the notes written there are not my handwriting. What's great is, this shows not only the plots of the houses but also their back yards and if they have a hutch/shed. I think I have another, somewhere, that is without the stripes...but it's God only knows where.

I'm going to add an 8th plot to that little curve across from Walker's Pillar and make that the Kinsella home. Then I'll need to do one for their new flat on Cliodhna Place, where they move before the Battle of Bogside.

What I'm also having to deal with is how some files have reached the point where I cannot open them, the format they're in is so old. At least, not on my laptop. I've got my MacMini so may try that version of Word. but no matter how it goes, this book ain't coming out till next year, at the earliest.