Its Easy, Just Buy A Cross Over Cable....

[skippybangkok]

Issue 1.

Have a new PC ( desktop ), and want to copy alot over to the PC from my laptop. Asked the guy at the IT mall " just buy a cross over cable, and thats it...it works".

Well, did that, and as I expected, it dont work.

Issue 2.

Have a hard disk I pulled out of the old desktop, and want to use it as a back up on the new PC ( HP ). Plugged it in, and it boots from the old hard disk. Thought to my self..... I can handle this...went to BIOS, and it did not allow me to set master for the new 160 GB disk. Took the old disk to IT mall, and he pulled out a jumper..... Thought, OK, I know everything now..... came home confident, an now ..... I am loosing my confidence in my IT skills ( which were so so to start off with ).

Advice appreciated

[Cyberstar]

As for issue 1: Assuming you're on Windows XP - have you set up a "Home or small office network" as they call it? It should work if both of your computers are in the same workgroup and if what you want to transfer either is in a shared folder on your laptop ("pull" from the desktop PC) or you have a shared folder on your desktop PC ("push" from your laptop) ... You sound like you know about the tech stuff so probably you don't need details - Go to Control Panel --> Network Connections --> Setup a home or small office network and follow the instructions.

As for issue 2: Never had more than one HD, but have you checked the internal cabling. On my mainboard I see slots labeled as master and slots labeled as slave and on the cable I also see "outlets" labeled as master and slave respectively.

[endure]

1. You need crossover cables to connect PCs together directly. If you're using a hub or a switch you need straight through cables. The easiest way to identify a cable is to put the 2 plugs side-by-side the same way up and look at the wire colours. If the wire colours run in the same sequence in each plug it's a straight through cable. If they differ it's a crossover cable.

2. IDE hard drives use the control circuitry from one of them to control both drives connected on the same cable. If you look at the drive you'll find a set of jumpers labelled MA/SL/CS or something similar. MA= Master, SL=Slave, CS=Cable Select. Make sure that one drive is set to Master and the other to Slave.

[wpcoe]

When you say "it dont work" ... what exactly are you clicking on/entering and what is the reply? i.e. How are you attempting to access the other (networked) computer.

Do you have Client for Microsoft Network, File & Printer Sharing, and TCP/IP enabled on both computers? For TCP/IP, do you have DHCP enabled, or have you assigned IP addresses to either/both computers?

Also, make sure you have some share-able data on each computer. If you don't enable some shares, there will be nothing accessible, much less transferrable, via the network.

Do you have firewall software enabled? If so, is it configured to permit a local LAN like you are attempting?

[nikster]

Issue 1.

Have a new PC ( desktop ), and want to copy alot over to the PC from my laptop. Asked the guy at the IT mall " just buy a cross over cable, and thats it...it works".

Well, did that, and as I expected, it dont work.

Issue 2.

Have a hard disk I pulled out of the old desktop, and want to use it as a back up on the new PC ( HP ). Plugged it in, and it boots from the old hard disk. Thought to my self..... I can handle this...went to BIOS, and it did not allow me to set master for the new 160 GB disk. Took the old disk to IT mall, and he pulled out a jumper..... Thought, OK, I know everything now..... came home confident, an now ..... I am loosing my confidence in my IT skills ( which were so so to start off with ).

Advice appreciated

[1] You have several options, the crossover cable is probably the worst of them.

A - You have a local network set up - a DSL router or a WiFi router or whatever. Share a directory on your new computer with windows sharing, connect to it from the laptop, and copy everything over in Windows explorer. Will take a long time, could be a day.

B - You emulate a local network using a crossover cable - you have to manually set IP settings on both machines and so on, I dont recommend it. Once you have the two computers thinking they are on the same network, you can do same as A.

C - Assuming you have IDE hard disks - buy an IDE adapter which converts the plug on the laptop IDE drive to desktop size. Take out the laptop hard disk, connect the adapter, connect the whole thing to your desktop IDE connector, mount it as local hard disk. Advantage: This will be FAST.

D - Put the laptop drive in an external USB enclosure for 2.5" hard disks. These go for as little as 500 Baht. Then plug it into the desktop. This is pretty fast too.

The networking options are the most convenient - no hardware shuffling - but _only_ if you already have a local network set up. If not, setting it all up so that it works may be more work than just taking the HD out of the laptop and going with option C or D.

I forgot, the capitalist option:

E - Hand the laptop and a hard disk over to a local shop you trust and tell them "do it".

[2] Is this a SATA or IDE drive? The old one probably is IDE but new mainboards often have SATA... I have not had a desktop in a long time so I don't know anything about SATA setup though I would imagine it's easier than IDE.

[skippybangkok]

Issue 1.

Have a new PC ( desktop ), and want to copy alot over to the PC from my laptop. Asked the guy at the IT mall " just buy a cross over cable, and thats it...it works".

Well, did that, and as I expected, it dont work.

Issue 2.

Have a hard disk I pulled out of the old desktop, and want to use it as a back up on the new PC ( HP ). Plugged it in, and it boots from the old hard disk. Thought to my self..... I can handle this...went to BIOS, and it did not allow me to set master for the new 160 GB disk. Took the old disk to IT mall, and he pulled out a jumper..... Thought, OK, I know everything now..... came home confident, an now ..... I am loosing my confidence in my IT skills ( which were so so to start off with ).

Advice appreciated

[1] You have several options, the crossover cable is probably the worst of them.

A - You have a local network set up - a DSL router or a WiFi router or whatever. Share a directory on your new computer with windows sharing, connect to it from the laptop, and copy everything over in Windows explorer. Will take a long time, could be a day.

B - You emulate a local network using a crossover cable - you have to manually set IP settings on both machines and so on, I dont recommend it. Once you have the two computers thinking they are on the same network, you can do same as A.

C - Assuming you have IDE hard disks - buy an IDE adapter which converts the plug on the laptop IDE drive to desktop size. Take out the laptop hard disk, connect the adapter, connect the whole thing to your desktop IDE connector, mount it as local hard disk. Advantage: This will be FAST.

D - Put the laptop drive in an external USB enclosure for 2.5" hard disks. These go for as little as 500 Baht. Then plug it into the desktop. This is pretty fast too.

The networking options are the most convenient - no hardware shuffling - but _only_ if you already have a local network set up. If not, setting it all up so that it works may be more work than just taking the HD out of the laptop and going with option C or D.

I forgot, the capitalist option:

E - Hand the laptop and a hard disk over to a local shop you trust and tell them "do it".

[2] Is this a SATA or IDE drive? The old one probably is IDE but new mainboards often have SATA... I have not had a desktop in a long time so I don't know anything about SATA setup though I would imagine it's easier than IDE.

Issue 1.

Have a new PC ( desktop ), and want to copy alot over to the PC from my laptop. Asked the guy at the IT mall " just buy a cross over cable, and thats it...it works".

Well, did that, and as I expected, it dont work.

Issue 2.

Have a hard disk I pulled out of the old desktop, and want to use it as a back up on the new PC ( HP ). Plugged it in, and it boots from the old hard disk. Thought to my self..... I can handle this...went to BIOS, and it did not allow me to set master for the new 160 GB disk. Took the old disk to IT mall, and he pulled out a jumper..... Thought, OK, I know everything now..... came home confident, an now ..... I am loosing my confidence in my IT skills ( which were so so to start off with ).

Advice appreciated

[1] You have several options, the crossover cable is probably the worst of them.

A - You have a local network set up - a DSL router or a WiFi router or whatever. Share a directory on your new computer with windows sharing, connect to it from the laptop, and copy everything over in Windows explorer. Will take a long time, could be a day.

B - You emulate a local network using a crossover cable - you have to manually set IP settings on both machines and so on, I dont recommend it. Once you have the two computers thinking they are on the same network, you can do same as A.

C - Assuming you have IDE hard disks - buy an IDE adapter which converts the plug on the laptop IDE drive to desktop size. Take out the laptop hard disk, connect the adapter, connect the whole thing to your desktop IDE connector, mount it as local hard disk. Advantage: This will be FAST.

D - Put the laptop drive in an external USB enclosure for 2.5" hard disks. These go for as little as 500 Baht. Then plug it into the desktop. This is pretty fast too.

The networking options are the most convenient - no hardware shuffling - but _only_ if you already have a local network set up. If not, setting it all up so that it works may be more work than just taking the HD out of the laptop and going with option C or D.

I forgot, the capitalist option:

E - Hand the laptop and a hard disk over to a local shop you trust and tell them "do it".

[2] Is this a SATA or IDE drive? The old one probably is IDE but new mainboards often have SATA... I have not had a desktop in a long time so I don't know anything about SATA setup though I would imagine it's easier than IDE.

Thanks guys. Some of it went a little over my head, but will add some comments.

1. Desktop - Is a new 1024MB RAM and 160 GB hard disk from HP. The HDD is from Samsung and is 160GB, and has the SATA connection ( looks like a smaller red cable ). The old drive I have ripped out of the old computer is an IDE, and has those very and thin cables. I was just thinking, if the IDE can plug into a unit which has a USB connector, that would be good, as I want to use this second drive to back up critical stuff, and want to store it seperately incase of theft or fire. I have already pulled the IDE cable and power supply outside the new PC so I can hook it up..... works fine, except cant get it to work as slave. Samsumg does not have switches, it has jumpers..... only got one so I will need to get another one to try setting one as master and one as slave. ( If there is a USB thingy, it would be better .

2. At home I do have a DLink Wireless modem (GST604 i think ). I did get the cross over cables ( confirmed ) and did go through this home network set up thing where you save the config to a USB, and load it also on the other PC. can see sharing folders, and have put some stuff in it, but I can seem to see the other folder when I am on the other computer. ( so in my laptopn, can see "HP DEsktop" under network, but cannot actually go into it as its "not conencted". File sharing has been enabled.

Guess will do it again and see.

The joys of having a new PC

Thanks

[friend2]

Regarding your old IDE hd.

Go to the comp shop and buy a usb enclosure.

Piece of cake to put together.

Just open the enclosure with a screwdriver and attach the IDE and power cable, done.

I set mine as master, works just fine.

You then connect it to your comp via a usb cable.

convenient and cheap.

I bought mine I think for around 1000 baht.

Edited December 29, 2006 by friend2

[Naam]

"Just open the enclosure with a screwdriver and attach the IDE and power cable, done.

I set mine as master, works just fine."

******

when using an USB enclosure it doesn't matter whether the drive is jumpered as master or slave. both work. unfortunately there is no way (yet) to boot XP from a USB-drive even if the BIOS offers that option. old Win98 does boot though.

[skippybangkok]

Thanks.....think I will go with that as its too much messing around with these jumper pins..... tried almost every config, nothing seems to work