Transfer Of Data From One Computer To Another

mistymike

I need to transfer photos and word/excel documents from my now redundant PC to a lap top. Do I need special software and, if so, what do you recommend? I would also want to clean the hard disk before disposing of the PC. Again. how do I go about doing that?

mistymike

sandroad

You can transfer your data across win a number of ways:

* You can burn everything to CD/DVD and then copy it on the new PC (waste of disks)

* You can use a crossover cable between your PC and Laptop and copy the data across that way.

Also, if you want to wipe the hard drive of the old box, I would recommend Kill Disk:

http://www.killdisk.com/features.htm

This will completely erase the disk and ensure peace of mind that no one can use forensic tools to recoever the information.

let me know if you need help with anything.

John_Gray

Personally I would get the largest (sensibly priced) USB Flash Drive (UFD) that I could afford on which to write the files on the old PC, and from which to copy the files to the new PC. You will always need a UFD for temporary storage, the only snag being that the prices keep on going down. My 1 GB one a year ago was £80! They are advertised everywhere and there are threads about them on this board. Here is an example webpage (but BEWARE the rip-off shipping charges if you are going to buy one!)

As to disposing of a PC, if you want to delete absolutely everything on the hard disk, there are many utilities. To add to sandroad's KillDisk, there is DBAN that I've used successfully. If you want to have a utility that removes all your personal data, but leaves the operating system, Office, relevant parts of the registry, etc, intact, that's another matter...

John

sandroad

In the true sense of MSE savings, a cross-over cable is about 4 quid and if you already have a network card in your old pc that would be best.

If not, and building on John's idea, I bought me one of these

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Datawrite-Voyager-USB-Pen-Drive/dp/B000GYI34U/sr=8-4/qid=1159532054/ref=pd_ka_4/202-2849861-0717408?ie=UTF8&s=electronics

It's £11.99 + shipping which works out to about £13.8 which is a steal.

albertross_2

do you have broadband and a router?

Gib_Gib

If you do not have a network card on your old pc, I would buy a usb network cable, such as this £5 from ebay
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/USB-Network-Cable-BNIB_W0QQitemZ170031539172QQihZ007QQcategoryZ50197QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
It will be slow, but you are bound to have a usb port on both machines.

You could always remove the hard drive from the old machine and put it in a hard drive caddy such as this one from ebay
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BRAND-NEW-USB-IDE-External-Hard-Drive-Caddy-Enclosure_W0QQitemZ290032111376QQihZ019QQcategoryZ96894QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

This would mean that you can quickly copy your files across, and also have an external hard drive for your laptop so you can back up your files.

I have not affiliation with either ebay auction and have no idea how good/bad the vendors are.

scheming_gypsy

to save even more money you don't 'need' to invest in a memory stick or network cable etc. You can use a digital camera, mp3 player, mobile phone (depending on the phone) to copy information from 1 PC to the other.
An MP3 player is a memory stick which plays music
Digital cameras also use memory cards
some mobiles phones also use memory cards
You can connect all 3 to your pc and it pics it up as a removeable drive where you can copy information onto it.

MercilessKiller

Microsoft SyncToy I think its called.

AMAZING for synchronisation of data between 2 computers

John_Gray

SyncToy is fine - I use it almost daily myself.

But if you haven't got a network set up (or even a crossover ethernet cable) it's a non-starter, so an intermediate storage device might be a pretty neat idea...!

John

Sput2001

* You can burn everything to CD/DVD and then copy it on the new PC (waste of disks)

It's a waste of disks in some respects (you can always keep them as a backup) but blank CD's/DVD's cost pennies these days, so it could well be the most cost effective method.

We could do with some more info from the OP as to what's on his "old" PC, as follows:

* Does it have a CD or DVD burner?
* Does it have an ethernet port? If so does he have an ethernet crossover cable lying around?
* Does it have any wireless capability/access to a wireless network?
* What Operating System is it using (Windows XP?)?

Following on from an earlier post, when my Mum ditched her old PC and got a new laptop, I just hooked up my iRiver to it and used it as a portable external hard drive. Dead easy.

I'm no expert, but I've read elsewhere that the only way to be 100% sure your old hard drive won't be nicked and looted is to physically remove it and smash it to bits with a large hammer.

mistymike

Albertross

Thanks, I do have broadband and a router.

NickMidgley

Thanks, the old PC does have a CD burner. Don't know about an ethernet port; it doesn't have wireless capability and it's using Windows 98.