cross-over cable

[Donn]

I'd like to transfer my 'MY Documents' from my Compaq Win Me to my Dell XP. I was told to use a cross-over connection cable, and to run it through a certain port for networking. What is that port?

How can I check these two boxes to see if they have the required port and physical connection. The crossover connection looks a lot like an ethenet connection, but they ar not in fact the same, right?

[classicsoftware]

The crossover cable is in fact an ethernet cable with the wires set up for direct computer to computer communication through the ethernet (read network) cards on each PC. The computers will have to have the same network name and the same workgroup name.

I would run the Network wizzard from the XP computer and make a disk and use the disk on the ME box.

[Donn]

Originally posted by classicsoftware
The crossover cable is in fact an ethernet cable with the wires set up for direct computer to computer communication through the ethernet (read network) cards on each PC. The computers will have to have the same network name and the same workgroup name.

I was over at CompUSA yestereday checking them out, and on the package it specifically said that the crossover cable was not to be confused with the ethernet, and the same plug was not to be used. The clerk was Jamaican and I had to ask him to repeat everything he said twice at least because he was talking so incredibly FAST, and I finally gave up. But I think he said you need a J240 port-- I asked him three times to slow down and speak clearly, and each time he said ok, and went right back to speaking at 200mph. Very bizarre and frustrating.

Perhaps I read the package wrong, I have to go buy a box of floppies so I'll look again.

[i]I would run the Network wizzard from the XP computer and make a disk and use the disk on the ME box. [/B]

Lost. No way to just drag and drop from one C:\drive to the other? Why the disk if I am trying to transfer from one C:]drive to the other?

[Fruss Tray Ted]

Jamaican? did he have dreadlocks? That's from not washing your hair! Ugh. Shoulda' offered him some Ganja. That would have slowed his speech to a southern drawl... ;)

Whut'samatter with that HDD idea from the other day? How 'bout a DVD burner? How many gigs you gotta copy?

edit:
Lost. No way to just drag and drop from one C:\drive to the other? Why the disk if I am trying to transfer from one C:]drive to the other?

Is either one of these a laptop? If not, it's a piece of cake!

[PrntRhd]

I prefer a 256MB/512MB USB keyfob, you just cut and paste the files onto the drive, move to the other PC and cut and paste them onto the new PC in batches. No networking needed, no OS user accounts needed.
I was over at CompUSA yestereday checking them out, and on the package it specifically said that the crossover cable was not to be confused with the ethernet, and the same plug was not to be used.
It has a regular RJ45 connector, just has the wire pairs set up to connect without a router/hub/switch.

[Donn]

Originally posted by Fruss Tray Ted
Jamaican? did he have dreadlocks? That's from not washing your hair! Ugh. Shoulda' offered him some Ganja. That would have slowed his speech to a southern drawl... ;)

Whut'samatter with that HDD idea from the other day? How 'bout a DVD burner? How many gigs you gotta copy?

edit:
Is either one of these a laptop? If not, it's a piece of cake!

I mentioned on the other thread the smallest hdd I could find was 20 gb, and I haven't even used half of my 40 gb yet, so I know I will not need another 20, and especially not for $70.

Now that I have my Win Me box back up to speed, I can download to a CD, but I'd still like to try PrntRhd's way just to learn to do it. Neither is a lap top. One is my Win Me compaq, and the other is the Dell (XP) the guy gave me when I painted his house.

I have to go back to Comp USA tomorrow, if the hurricaine isn't too bad, so I'll check out the 256/512 USB keyfob--hopefully not too expensive.

Edit: Describe the piece of cake s-l-o-w-l-y, everybody talks like I already know what to do.

:cool:

[classicsoftware]

Will you be using both PC's in the future? If not, get the USB device to transfer the files. If you will, go the network route. Go back to Comp-USA and find a slow english speaking employee.

1) Buy a box of floppies
2) Buy a cat-5e crossover cable. It should have RJ-45 connection.
3) Go back home
4) Turn on the XP computer.
5) Double click on My Network Places
6) I'm not in front of my XP box so, I'm a little fuzzy on this, but click on the Network Connection Wizzard. Keep the computer name under 8 characters.
7) Get one of your new floppies.
8) At the end of the Network Connection wizzard it will ask if you want to make a disk. Select that option.
9) Boot up the ME box. Insert the Floppy created in step 8.
10) Run the file on the floppy.
11) Go to the ME Box Rt click on My Documents and Choose Sharing. Choose a short share name like docs.
12) Go to the XP Box. Go to My network places. The docs on the ME box should appear. Double click on it
13) Chose edit and then select all. Choose edit and then copy
14) Navigate to the My Documents folder on the XP Box and double click on it
15) Choose edit and then paste.
16) You're done

[PrntRhd]

so I'll check out the 256/512 USB keyfob-
They go on sale about every month or two.
I meant one of either size, as long as it has a good price. The little flash memory fobs are almost indestructable, no moving parts.

WIN 2000&XP doesn't need drivers, it recognizes them natively. Win98/ME may need driver files but it is an easy download from a website, just save the driver to a floppy "just in case".

[Fruss Tray Ted]

Open both pc's

Remove Compaq harddrive and set pins to slave

Install into Dell

Boot Dell

Navigate XP to My Docs in Slave drive

Copy away, anything and everything desired. Paste in native drive's documents or partition.

When done, remove drive, return pin setting to original and reinstall to Compaq
_______________

Want ice cream with it too??? ;)

[PrntRhd]

When done, remove drive, return pin setting to original and reinstall to Compaq
For a second I thought you were sending the HDD back to HP/Compaq.
:p

[classicsoftware]

Originally posted by Fruss Tray Ted
Open both pc's

Remove Compaq harddrive and set pins to slave

Install into Dell

Boot Dell

Navigate XP to My Docs in Slave drive

Copy away, anything and everything desired. Paste in native drive's documents or partition.

When done, remove drive, return pin setting to original and reinstall to Compaq
_______________

Want ice cream with it too??? ;)

Before you break out the Ice cream, Alot of Dell's use Cable Select and it might be better to make the HD the primary on the secondary IDE controller. It's those nice Dell Proprietary Motherboards

[Mark Miller]

Hey guys,
Quick question.
Since one of the computers is XP won't the file and transfer wizard be faster and quicker?
I know I am probably missing something, so let me know:)
Mark

[HeadachesAbound]

File and transfer wizard?

Never heard of it. Of course I don't use XP that often either.

The fastest and simplest method would be to use a crossover cable. See classicsoft's original directions. No need to open the machine for something so simple.

[Mark Miller]

You don't open anything up with file and transfer wizard it's like using a backup program. Can make cd and just put on me computer.
Mark

[classicsoftware]

It will probably take the same amount of time to do the network as it will to physically transfer the hard drive and copy the files or use a USB storage device and install it twice and copy the files twice.

My orginal question remains. Will you be using both machines? If you will be using both machines, the network is the way to go. You can't damage the computers by transfering the drive (small risk, but a risk none the less) from machine to machine. You get the added benefit of have the network be permanent and you can use one machine to backup the files from your main computer.

Once you answer the question one of us can take you step by step based on the method that is best for you.

[Paul Komski]

Actually a pertinent question to answer is how much data? Less than one MB and you could use a floppy. Hundreds of Megabytes then get some sort of flash memory. Gigabytes and you are into CD/DVD burning or network transfer or physically moving the HDD temporarily and so on. I would personally only bother networking the PCs if you are going to be doing this regularly with large amounts of data and if both PCs already have the LAN hardware (NICs or onboard LAN) installed.

The USB Pen Drives (or other Flash Memory modules) are one of the coolest things to have around. Get one with say just 128MB and you wont be disappointed if you want to be able to do quick backups and quick transfers of data on an almost indestructible media that also provides fast transfer speeds; can be encrypted for security and easily carried around with one: as long as you are not using ancient hardware and software that is.

Win98/ME may need driver files
Win98 will need the driver files and they usually come with the devices on a mini CDROM. The PC must of course support USB.

WinME will, like WinXP, recognise the USB pen drives by just plugging them in.

[Donn]

Okay, just wanted to acknowledge and thank you all for the advice. There may be a new twist to this-- it looks like I'm going ot get DSL, and it also looks like it'll save me @ $10 a month to do that.

I also dropped into a yard sale today, and the guy was breaking down his home office, so he sold me his Linksys cable/DSL modem and wireles access point router (4 port switch). That means I can set up my Xp Dell and my Me Compaq as a network. They come witht he power units and the booklets, everything but the boxes...$5.00 (five dollars), and for 5 bucks I couldn't say turn away.

So I'm going to hold off on this until I get the DSL in, should be at the end of the month when my billing period turns over.

Everybody--thanks again...:)

Edit: Classic, "3) Go back home" Lol...M. Python's 'Looney Olympics'
LOL....

[classicsoftware]

Is Verizon your DSL provider? If it is, you DO NOT have an always on conection. You have PPPoE, which is fake dial-up. You will have to make some adjustments to the router settings in order to get the best performance. You cant go wrong with linksys.

[Mark Miller]

Hi Classic,
One of my questions again:D
Can't ppope be set to auto log in?
Something like Outlook Express.
I have cable so I am not that familar with dsl
As alway just curious.
Mark

[classicsoftware]

Don: One more thing. You will need a Patch cabel, not a crossover cable.

Mark: Yes, you have to change the setings in the router. Or sometimes you actually have to go into the router firmware and ask it to connect.