linking 2 computers

[tipsterno1]

Hi, l have just brought a new computer and was wondering wether there is an easy way to link up the 2 computers, so l can swap the stuff l want to keep from my old computer 2 my new one!! :shy

[Krell]

This is not a difficult proposition. HOWEVER . . . its requires you to give as much info as we ask for, in detail.

If I do not know what you have to work with, its not worth my breath to recommend anything.

First, do you have:
1) a printer
2) a broadband connection to the internet
3) do both have network cards
4) a hub
5) What Operating Systems are on your computers

Nothing more, answer that, and stop.

*note : the ease may be as simple as buying a cross-over cable and plugging it in to both computers network cards, but if you want to get them both on the internet, and share files\printer, you may need to purchase a hub.

[tipsterno1]

thanks 4 replying :tilted. they are both running xp, both have network adaptors, dont know about hubs, but dont want them both connected to the internet and have a cable connection.but all l want to do is transfer a few files from the old to the new, then prob format and flog the old 1!! If is relitively easy l'll do it if not its not life of death!! Cheers! oh and yes l have a printer lol

[Krell]

I have an alterior plan of action too, tell me more about format and flog, what are you wanting to do? Have you ever installed a hard drive before, are you technically inclined?

The FASTEST way is to just hook your old drive up to your new machine, and move them across in explorer. This will take an hour start to finish, and maybe a screw driver, its no big deal I assure you.

If you want a long term solution, then we need to plan accordingly.
.

[tipsterno1]

ok thanks Krell. l will try that first if no joy l will get back to you.
Cheers :gj

[Krell]

In your NEW computer, you should have a free connector on an IDE cable. You main hard drive, the C: drive, is set to be the MASTER drive. If you plug another drive in with that one, be sure to remove the jumper on it, or set it to be SLAVE.

Add a 12v connector, and try to boot in to Windows. If you are successful, you should see a new hardware msg, and be able to see the contents in Exploror. If not, go back and double check your connection.

good luck with it

[tipsterno1]

Krell can you explian to me a bit more or is there a site with info on setting jumpers and (or) slaves. l have fitted stuff before (never a hard drive) and dont know wether l have been lucky but lt gone in fine without fiddling with anything else???? Cheers :bling

[nasrules]

personally i had an old serial cable lying around and a prog called FX. it runs in a dos prompt and it aint too fast and is difficult to use at first, but u dont have to do any hardware removal, i was scared id bugger it up if i did!

there are recent similar things using usb and probably firewire and usb2. windows has a built in direct cable connection feature which can do it for you (so long as you have a cable), you will probably have to install it from your windows cd.

[Krell]

Yes, I will try to hunt you up some resources to view, however, either it will work, or it will not. It will not self destruct in 5 seconds whilst making beeping noises. If your pc doesnt boot after you plug in the OLD drive, just unhook it. No biggy.

The jumpers I refer to resides in just one place, and most of the time, to make a drive a slave, you just take the jumper off, period. That little jumper is on the end of the drive, where the cable and power connect.

The drive itself usually has a sort of diagram on it. My advice, just pull the old one, examine it, if you have a question, post it. I'ts not rocket science, im sure you will do fine.

[tipsterno1]

ok thanks Krell u've been a great help cheers Happy new year! :gj

[Krell]

Happy New Years ! If you decide to add the old drive and move files, let me know how it turns out, I will check back now and then,

cheers

[Darth Bond]

You could use a crossover cable between the 2 comps....make sure you file and print sharing is on, and that should do the trick, however I would use the method with the hub, easier and safer.

[Veilmusic]

I set up a direct cable connection to my 2 pcs to do the same thing.... I used the serial ports to do this.. Let me tell you.. it took sooo long to transfer one file that was about 400M.. probably about 3 days straight. I did hear there was some type of higher speed wire that could be used. Does anyone know about this?? Im definitey considering now to try and install the harddrive to my main computer now that it had been suggested to you... also... Im not sure if it was just coincendense but my modem began not-working then working.. off and on ever since and in my other computer my cd-rom drive stopped working.. Anybody hear of this problem?? VERY STRANGE!! UG!

[bobhss]

The higher speed wire you are talking about may be a parallel to parallel cord? I've used that before to link two computers through Window's Direct Cable Connection. But I guess I had never thought of putting the Hard drive directly into the other computer. It's such a simpler way of doing it that I missed it altogether.

[Darth Bond]

the cable in question I was refering to is good old cat 5(ethernet cable) between 2 ethernet cards in each computer.....then enable file and print sharing.

[Krell]

Darth Bond is right, if he wants to have them both talk in the long run, or both have internet access, a hub is fairly easy to do.

Of course there 19 ways to get data from one pc to the next. He could buy a crossover cable, that he will most likely use one time. Then, I have to talk him thru assigning IP address, file and print sharing . . . and then thats IF they will talk to each other. Easier to just take the 30 minutes to an hour to do the other.

Or he could just ask some computer geek high school kid to do it, and buy him lunch and a stack of blank CDs.

I move stuff with drives all the time, I have a 20Gb drive here, I just filled with movies for the second time, I am giving it back to my friend, so he can burn them himself.

He will take the drive home, walk in to a room, power down the PC, plug this drive on to a cable, and 12 v connector, and boot. viola, 20Gb of movies. Estimated time : 4 minutes

It takes longer to remove the covers and put them back, than it does to hook up the drive.
.

[tipsterno1]

Sorry I took so long to reply been busy. But I used the ethnet crossover cable and it worked fine,once I got the home networkup and running lol but thanks to everyone that has helped cheers Tipser:gj

[Krell]

tipsterno1

Im glad you got it, I didnt want to risk you screwing up your existing network. I wasnt inferring that you were POOR, I just didnt want to send you to buy a cable, then have it a mess.

Last night I wanted to send moonman a file, but it was on a drive that I didnt have installed. I shut down, took off my cover, plugged in two more drives, booted back up, and was sending it via ICQ in 5 minutes.

Congrats ! Hope I can do better in the future.