Backup From Old Computer To New One

[Taggart]

Hopefully, sometime over the next few months I'll be buying a new laptop computer. The desktop I have now is over 5 years old, a Pentium lll, with Microsoft 2000 Pro, and using the 3.5" floppy drive for backups. I don't have a cd/dvd writer, and my USB is 1.0. It's still possible, (Dell here in Canada) but I doubt I'll get a 3.5" drive with the new computer. How would I go about transferring backups from the old to the new computer, since I know the new computers have a USB 2.0?

[Tywais]

You could buy a small hard drive (80GB about 2000 Baht) and an external drive case (about 1200 Baht). The external case can be USB 2.0 and will work with the USB 1.0 (backward compatible) you have with your existing system. Just copy the files from your old system to the external drive, plug it into your notebook and copy them back to it.

An alternative is if they both have ethernet capibility just use a ethernet cable (crossover cable) and plug it into both machines. Setup file sharing on the desktop and then you can transfer the files directly to the notebook across this network line. Cheapest way to do it.

Edited September 13, 2006 by tywais

[nikster]

Hopefully, sometime over the next few months I'll be buying a new laptop computer. The desktop I have now is over 5 years old, a Pentium lll, with Microsoft 2000 Pro, and using the 3.5" floppy drive for backups. I don't have a cd/dvd writer, and my USB is 1.0. It's still possible, (Dell here in Canada) but I doubt I'll get a 3.5" drive with the new computer. How would I go about transferring backups from the old to the new computer, since I know the new computers have a USB 2.0?

Buy a 1 GB USB stick for $40. Put your backups on that. A 3.5" floppy (not typed this in a while) has 1.44MB, let's say 1.5M. So a 1G stick will hold close to 700 3.5" floppies. Isn't technology amazing?

This is going to be the easiest route and the USB stick is going to come in handy later.

[Taggart]

tywais wrote:

>>>You could buy a small hard drive (80GB about 2000 Baht) and an external drive case (about 1200 Baht). The external case can be USB 2.0 and will work with the USB 1.0 (backward compatible) you have with your existing system. Just copy the files from your old system to the external drive, plug it into your notebook and copy them back to it.

An alternative is if they both have ethernet capibility just use a ethernet cable (crossover cable) and plug it into both machines. Setup file sharing on the desktop and then you can transfer the files directly to the notebook across this network line. Cheapest way to do it.<<<

I thought the second option was a great idea, (especially since I have a spare ethernet cable that was included with my cable modem) until I checked the back of the computer and found no ethernet connection.

Nikster wrote:

>>>Buy a 1 GB USB stick for $40. Put your backups on that. A 3.5" floppy (not typed this in a while) has 1.44MB, let's say 1.5M. So a 1G stick will hold close to 700 3.5" floppies. Isn't technology amazing?

This is going to be the easiest route and the USB stick is going to come in handy later.<<<

First of all, I'm only guessing it's a 1.0 USB I have, because someone told me that's what they used on the old Pentium lll's. I was in Wal-mart this morning, looking at their USB 2.0 sticks and all they said on the package was that it was backwards compatible with USB 1.1 (Legacy) which left me more confused than ever. Are both of you telling me that a USB 1.0 connection would be compatable with a USB 2.0 stick? If so, that would be great. Thank you for your answers.

[Lannig]

I thought the second option was a great idea, (especially since I have a spare ethernet cable that was included with my cable modem) until I checked the back of the computer and found no ethernet connection.

The new laptop will have an Ethernet port for sure, and you can get a PCI Ethernet card for your old computer (that's a desktop, right?) for a couple of hundred bahts. Used ones (make sure it's a 100Mb/s one) go as cheap as 100 bahts

and can be found in boxes in front of shops many in places at Panthip, Zeer etc. Even a new one will be cheaper than you think.

First of all, I'm only guessing it's a 1.0 USB I have, because someone told me that's what they used on the old Pentium lll's. I was in Wal-mart this morning, looking at their USB 2.0 sticks and all they said on the package was that it was backwards compatible with USB 1.1 (Legacy) which left me more confused than ever. Are both of you telling me that a USB 1.0 connection would be compatable with a USB 2.0 stick? If so, that would be great. Thank you for your answers.

Yes it will, but transfers will be dead slow on a USB 1.0 port. To fill the 1Gb USB drive, you're looking towards several hours. If you're in no hurry, fine.

--Lannig

[Taggart]

Lannig wrote:

>>>Yes it will, but transfers will be dead slow on a USB 1.0 port. To fill the 1Gb USB drive, you're looking towards several hours. If you're in no hurry, fine.<<<

There are a few important data files I have to transfer, but nowhere near 1Gb. I think this is the direction I'll be taking.

Many thanks to all three of you for your responses and help.