P.C. Connections.

[piscatus absentis]

I know that there are some computer experts out there.

I've just bought a new PC and want to transfer some stuff from my old one.  Both use XP.  I can remember a salesman showing me a cable that connected one PC to another.  What happened then was that the contents of PC "B" appeared on PC "A".  Where can I buy one of these cables, what do I ask for and is it cheaper than (say) a 2GB pen drive?

[Traditionalist]

I know that there are some computer experts out there.

I've just bought a new PC and want to transfer some stuff from my old one.  Both use XP.  I can remember a salesman showing me a cable that connected one PC to another.  What happened then was that the contents of PC "B" appeared on PC "A".  Where can I buy one of these cables, what do I ask for and is it cheaper than (say) a 2GB pen drive?

There are a number of possibilities

The cable is a "null-modem" cable.

http://www.nullmodem.com/NullModem.htm

This will work OK  but is  slower than other methods. may not be a problem if you just want to transfer stuff once.  The cable is cheap enough.  http://www.amazon.co.uk/StarTech-com-Null-modem-cable-DB-9/dp/B00009ADGW

This article should provide all the info you need for this;
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/expert/crawford_november12.mspx

If you want to transfer stuff, the pen drive or similar is easier and faster. An external USB drive is even better, and you can also use this for backups.

You may also simply burn what you wish to transfer to a CD or DVD if you have that capability.

You may also use simple file sharing if you have network connectivity on both PC?s;

http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp/filesharing.htm


You can also set up a small LAN ( Local Area net ) using various devices like NIC?s ( network interface controller) or USB ( universal serial bus)devices.

Also, and finally, you can upload whatever you wish to transfer to an internet storage device, and then download it to your other computer.  Like this;

http://www.lacetoleather.com/frewebstorsp.html

Only worthwhile if you have broadband and preferably a flat rate connection.

TL
MC

[Fishtales]

.....or take the hard drive out of the old one and put it in the new one. Transfer the files, and return the hard drive or keep it in the new computer for more storage

[Fishtales]

I hope you already have the originals backed up to CD/DVD? You never know what might happen and you could lose the lot  :shock:

[Traditionalist]

Check that your new computer can read the discs you burned on the old one. This can sometimes be a problem.

TL
MC

[Traditionalist]

.....or take the hard drive out of the old one and put it in the new one. Transfer the files, and return the hard drive or keep it in the new computer for more storage

  NEVER EVER  tell a computer user how to even open the casing!  The damage is invariably massive, and they tell you "the fairies did it", "It was like that when  I bought it",  "I don?t know how that half pint of coffee got in there, I don?t even drink coffee!", or something similar!

TL
MC

[Fishtales]

I converted this tower to accommodate an Amiga 1200 mother board and got it on the 'net. I outgrew that and swapped it for a MSI Motherboard and fitted another hard drive. I am now on the second motherboard and now have four hard dives, a DVD writer and CD drive. I have a router and two other computers waiting to be networked. I tend to forget how far I have come over the years You are right Mike, unless you know what you are doing leave the screws in the casing

[Traditionalist]

I once was obliged to fly from Hong Kong to Berlin at very short notice, as a VIP customer was having trouble with his network connection ( This was before the general availability of the internet and was a private GAN belonging to Citibank.

Four technicians, including the senior technicians for Germany and the UK had spent hours messing on with it. The problem was, we could see his machine on the concentrator display, but he was not receiving his stock market quotes ( obviously a matter of life and death!   ).

I listened to various tales of woe form various technicians, and the customer himself. He told me " I was reading some quotes from NYSE and it just stopped working".

Fortunately, I am a cynical sod, and I would not even believe the Pope on such matters, so I simply ignored what everybody had said, and had a look at the machine, which was an "intelligent" terminal. I switched it off, and unplugged all the interface connections, or at least I tried to. Have you ever seen a SUB D25 plug which has been forced on the wrong way round after being bent to shape with a pair of office scissors?   I have

Five minutes later the machine was up and running again. Of course "The fairies did it"!.  I kid you not, those fairies can sometimes be bloody expensive!

TL
MC

[burnie]

Last week I got a 2gb memory stick for ?20 , half price at PCworld. They do 4gig if you want.I've been told that pictures saved on these should be safe whereas on a cd they can start to fail in less than 5 years.What I really like is they are easy to use and even easier to store/carry,and probably loose!!!!!!

[Fishtales]

Burnie

I had one that I backed up my Money file to. One day it just stopped working, it wasn't that old. Luckily I had the file backed up on floppies. You can never be too careful or have too many backups