[BasilRathbon]

Have just bought a new pc from a fellow forum user and I'd like to copy my vast collection of photos from the old pc to the new one. The trouble is that the old pc doesn't have CD writing facilities and the only removable device facility is the floppy disk.

Now to a luddite like me the most obvious solution would be to get a cable (a USB one maybe) and connect the two PCs together so the new pc can then 'see' the drive of the old pc and i can simply copy everything across. However a quick google search suggests that either this isn't possible or it may 'fry' the USB ports.

Any ideas?

[sccsux]

Originally posted by BasilRathbon
Any ideas?

Yep.


Take the old HD out of the old PC and stick it into the new PC as a slave.

Windows will then boot & recognise the HD and add it to explorer for you.

[chumpy]

Get yourself a cheap USB key, fill it with photos, copy them to the new machine, wipe it and start again.
regards Mick.

[rich951]

I'm assuming you have too many to fit on a usb pendrive. You can indeed buy usb "networking" cables, but I've never heard of them causing any problems (and yes, I've used one a few times without problems). If it was me I'd just whip out the hard drive and put it in the new machine - if you want to cut down on the messing about and only open up the old machine, get something like this which lets you plug a normal or laptop ide drive into a usb port.

[fred_notdead]

I've never used it but:

Start-programs-accessories-system tools

Files and setting transfer wizard.

I understand this can shift your stuff from 1 drive to another???

[melthebell]

Originally posted by fred_notdead
I've never used it but:

Start-programs-accessories-system tools

Files and setting transfer wizard.

I understand this can shift your stuff from 1 drive to another???

but you still need a cable


aye upto you.


file and settings transfer wizard with cable
a cable
network em together with a crossover cable
bung in the old drive as a slave
get a usb pendrive
borrow a usb cdwriter off somebody

or if theres only a few hundred mb or if theres more, do it in bits
upload em as a rar or zip file to www.yousendit.com
write down the url it gives you, then download them onto the new computer....link only lasts about a week tho


theres plenty of choices

[WickedBones]

We used to have a USB network cable under Win 98 and had nothing but trouble. We were trying to play games which obviously put the network under higher load, but it didn't even work to copy files.

I have never heard of 'frying' your USB ports though.

Without swapping the disks (which personally I would do as its the easiest option) this is the better option.

Forget the File and Settings Transfer Wizard. Depending how many files....and it sounds like at lot...This is not really this utility's purpose. More for transferring system files and desktop settings. It would take an absolute age and the file has to be backed up...to another file whose size would be enormous. You would still have the problem of getting it to the new computer (I am quite certain it wouldn't fit on a floppy).
You also have to Win XP which not everyone has.

[BasilRathbon]

thanks for all the advice. In the end I've used a 2nd hard drive generously donated by a friend on which I've copied all the files from the original computer and intend to insert into the new one. A much easier solution than i thought (once you know what cable connects to what..... )