Connecting old computer to new computer

Spacehopper383

I've been asked by a friend, if I know how to transfer 800+ jpeg files from an old computer running windows 98 with serial and parallel ports only to her new computer running XP. I have a cable which has a USB plug on one end and a serial plug on the other. My plan was to connect this to her old computer, switch it on and then plug the USB into her new computer. Hopefully XP will think this is just another USB memory device and allow access, so she can then just drag and drop. I remember doing something similar with 2 window 95 laptops in the mid 90's using a serial to serial cable.
Am I thinking too simplistic and if so what does any one recommend?
Cheers

ManAtHome

If you have the kit, probably worth a try, although don't sit around watching it - paint drying/grass growing will be much more exciting.

Other cheap alternative is to remove the drive from the old machine and connect it as a second drive to the new PC (you need to take the back of each one, and possibly play with jumper settings.

Next cheapest is likely to be adding a network card to the old PC and a cross-over network cable (or a cheap hub if they're intending to keep the old PC for light surfing).

I used serial to serial (and later parallel to parallel) with cross-overs in the 80s and 90s - Hyperterm (possibly on both machines), Procomm (used to be shareware) and LapLink (commercial) were common software choices. Sure there was another one bundled with later DOSs and earlier Windows (this worked great with parallel), can't remeber what it was though.

johnmc

Take the "old" hard drive out and put it in the new machine. If you use the power and IDE cables from the DVD/CD in the new machine you won't have to mess with the jumpers.

When you start the machine you may have to go into the BIOS to get it to find the added drive.

Russ66

ManAtHome wrote:

Other cheap alternative is to remove the drive from the old machine and connect it as a second drive to the new PC (you need to take the back of each one, and possibly play with jumper settings.

Agree.

Quicker to whip the old drive out, remove the ribbon & power lead from the cd/dvd drive etc on the new machine and connect to old harddrive. New drive will show in place of cd drive in "my computer" and then just copy & paste them across.

Russ66

johnmc wrote:

Take the "old" hard drive out and put it in the new machine. If you use the power and IDE cables from the DVD/CD in the new machine you won't have to mess with the jumpers.

When you start the machine you may have to go into the BIOS to get it to find the added drive.

Poo. . . . . . . . johnmc beat me to it.:D

johnmc

........... I was hovering!

ManAtHome

You can hoover and type at the same time.. (is it a wireless or USB one)?

johnmc

"Manathome" - yes I can see where the confusion lies :-)

DEFINETELY prefer USB - like this.

ManAtHome

Must be better avalable - have seen the "intelligent" vacuums and lawnmowers etc - I WANT ONE (only if they're dead cheap of course...)

Spacehopper383

Cheers guys, like the usb hoover, sounds like a good idea for a present for the wife, if a got a longer usb lead she could do the house....

MadCowMan

I have a bit of Kit I use for this exact purpose , its an IDE to USB adaptor. I only have to open up the old PC and whipe the drive out , then connect it up ad plug it into the new PC , where it is recognised as a removable hard drive.

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/ProductInfo.asp?WebProductID=138544

best tenner I've spent on PC kit.