Using a Old Pc For Backing Up

mulldoonuk

Just bought a new computer (thanks to people on the forum for their help and advice)
Want to use my old PC as a backup for all my music ....pics etc...(like a external hard drive)
( Old Pc...XP home...two hard drives...40Gb main...160Gb slave)

At the moment just a little confused about how to do this...
I connect my old computer to the web via a one port router and will
connect my new PC to the web via the same way..
However ..will i need to get a crossover cable..like this..http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/16480...???

if possible i want to keep the two PCs permanently conected..

as i have said... i will be using the ethernet port on my new PC for my router connection.. if i connect the two PCs... will i have two disconnect my router from the new pc to exchange files between the two Pcs....then when this is done....plug my router back in again???

Hope this makes sense!!!!

BTW....Do not want to connect my two Pcs to the web....just the new one!!
Just want to use the old one as backup!!!
Thanks.

DuncanMiller

the easiest thing to do would be to use th ehardrive from you old pc and put it into the new one - therefore you do not need two pcs connected up etc...

If your main Harddrive fails then you have the back up files all to hand.

Other than that what router to you have? if it has multiple ethernet ports then you can use this to link the two pcs together.

philnicandamy

or take out the hard drives from your old system & buy drive enclosures so you can connect via usb for quick back-ups

Millionare

why not save all the hassle and buy a external hd, they are so cheap these days.

250GB for around £57ish quid.

and you get the wires included and it saves space.

http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/109356

Idiophreak

Millionare wrote: »

why not save all the hassle and buy a external hd, they are so cheap these days.

250GB for around £57ish quid.

and you get the wires included and it saves space.

http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/109356

Yeah, if you can spare the money, this seems the most sensible way to go...
(could you sell the old PC and buy one?)

MadCowMan

What about using an online backup service ?

A friend swears by his . He uses carbonite ( https://www.carbonite.com ) I think it works out at £25 a year for unlimited backup. It would also cover you if your PC & backup device got stolen , damaged accidentally.

mulldoonuk

Idiophreak wrote: »

Yeah, if you can spare the money, this seems the most sensible way to go...
(could you sell the old PC and buy one?)

Want to keep the old Pc just in case the new one goes t***s up!....it happens!!

Give me something to access the web with...
Can't do that using a external hard drive!!

Is it safe to use something like this??...http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/ProductInfo.asp?WebProductID=76674

Millionare

mulldoonuk wrote: »

Want to keep the old Pc just in case the new one goes t***s up!....it happens!!

Give me something to access the web with...
Can't do that using a external hard drive!!

Is it safe to use something like this??...http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/ProductInfo.asp?WebProductID=76674

Yep both will work fine. The crossover will work of your router as well. the other one looks like a usb direct connection with the computer.?

crox

DuncanMiller wrote: »

the easiest thing to do would be to use th ehardrive from you old pc and put it into the new one - therefore you do not need two pcs connected up etc...

If your main Harddrive fails then you have the back up files all to hand.

Other than that what router to you have? if it has multiple ethernet ports then you can use this to link the two pcs together.

This could be risky if you get a virus that deletes both harddrives, slight risk I admit, of cause then if you keep both pc's then there's no saying the 1 you don't use won't die on you.
It's best to use 2 forms of backup if you can.

mulldoonuk

Okay...if i connect my old Pc to my new Pc (and keep them permanently connected) with one of these...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/USB-2-0-Network-Link-Cable/dp/B000ITM0KG/ref=sr_1_5/026-7531118-3190865?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1176758602&sr=1-5
...will it be okay??...
is there a chance of any damage to either Pc??...Is the piece in the middle of the cable a sort of power surge protector??