Connecting PCs

pollyskettle

Please please help me! I have two PCs at the moment. I have a new Acer, which is working like a dream. It's running on windows 7. I also have an old PC which is a whole other story. It turns on intermittently, and now I can't get a monitor to work with it. This is the first time it's turned on today, and I think it's probably the last time it will ever do it. The original issue was a flashing amber power light on the front (it's 6 year old dell dimension 9200, running xp), if that helps!!

I would really like to retrieve some files that I really should have backed up from it.

Can I connect the two pcs to be able to retrieve the files?

Failing that, how can I read the hdd to be able to get to the files? I can remove the drive easily, but I don't want to break the seals on my lovely new PC to shove the hdd in there - is there another way?

Obviously the first option (connecting them) would be easier! I am a bit of a technophobe though, in case you hadn't gathered!!

Thank you in advance

Linbox

Large capacity usb stick available Amazon
RJ45 (cat5) cross over cable available PC World/Amazon (belkin) or make your own
teamviewer on both PCs transfer over your own wifi

Google will give you info on all of the above.

pollyskettle

Thanks. I can't seem to get a monitor to work on the old PC, and I've tried two so far, so I can't see to transfer the files, iyswim. I've got a BT home hub thing and several ethernet cables - will these help me at all or am I just clutching at straws?

spakkker

If you take out the hard drive and connect/install it in the new pc you can read it - maybe use the CD connections or it's original cable.

SteveJH200

The old hard drive may not connect to the new PC as it's likely to be an IDE instead of a SATA drive. Also it is not a certainty that the new PC will read it. The easiest way for someone with little knowledge of PC's is to buy a caddy suitable for the old hard disc and to plug it in to the USB socket on the new computer and all the required files can be tranferred without any hassle. Do scan the old disc with your anti virus before transferring anything.

Linbox

SteveJH200 wrote: »

The old hard drive may not connect to the new PC as it's likely to be an IDE instead of a SATA drive. Also it is not a certainty that the new PC will read it. The easiest way for someone with little knowledge of PC's is to buy a caddy suitable for the old hard disc and to plug it in to the USB socket on the new computer and all the required files can be tranferred without any hassle. Do scan the old disc with your anti virus before transferring anything.

+1 for this - Buy a caddy but you'll need to know the type - IDE or SATA

Google connections for these, if you go down this route.

pollyskettle

Thank you all very much. I will indeed look for and buy a caddy for the hdd as I think this is the best way for me to not screw anything up!

Rather amazingly, I managed to get a monitor working on the old pc by using a white connector, rather than a blue one (you know you know what I mean!) and I've emailed myself the really important stuff, but I shall need a caddy for all the old pictures etc I have on there. I did try the bt digital vault, which would have been so easy as I'm a bt broadband customer, but it keeps telling me it's down for maintenance I will keep checking though and make sure that I keep a copy of important stuff there too in case this ever happens again.

Thanks again for the help - I was really panicking at one point!!

SteveJH200

If you've got that far and it's just the photos then I use Picasa (download this) as this will scour your disc for all photos and put them in one place. You can then transfer them to a file or files on the desktop (right click to create a new file) and then put them on a memory stick to transfer to your new PC. It will save buying a caddy.