Transfering data and files from old pc to new pc.

Keanosafc

I'd like to know if there is a way I can network between 2 pc's in order to transfer music/video/photo/shareware programmes, from my old pc, to a new pc.

I know that I can burn them to dvd discs, but this is quite time consuming.

What i'd prefer is to be able to link the two pc's using ethernet cable and transfer the various files between them both, before I wipe the old pc ready to be sold on.

Could someone advise me if there's a programme which will make this easy to do, or if it simply a case of plugging an ethernet between each pc and letting windows do the work. (either way i'd still need some guidance.)

I've also accumulated a hefty amount of saved bookmarks on my firefox and internet explorers, can I transfer these over with ease, or do I need a particular programme to do so.

Chippy_Minton

Assuming both PCs have network cards, an Ethernet crossover cable (about £2) is the quickest way. See http://www.wikihow.com/Connect-Two-Computers

Other ways are via USB flash drive, or a router.

For IE favourites, use File - Import and Export to export them to a file. Transfer the file and then Import on the new PC. For Firefox bookmarks, click Bookmarks - Organise Bookmarks to open the Bookmarks Manager, then do File - Export.

Keanosafc

Chippy_Minton wrote: »

Assuming both PCs have network cards, an Ethernet crossover cable (about £2) is the quickest way. See http://www.wikihow.com/Connect-Two-Computers

Other ways are via USB flash drive, or a router.

For IE favourites, use File - Import and Export to export them to a file. Transfer the file and then Import on the new PC. For Firefox bookmarks, click Bookmarks - Organise Bookmarks to open the Bookmarks Manager, then do File - Export.

Thanks, Both pc's do have network cards (the newer one is wireless enabled if that makes any difference.)

I've looked on the wikihow and it states I need an ethernet crossover cable, I have a spare ethernet which came with my previous bb provider, I'm assuming this won't work as the wires need to be in different order. (i'm also not technically minded enough to attempt this myself.

I have a router: would this work by using an unmodified ethernet cable, does it need to be connected to the internet to use the router, or can it network between two pc's without internet connection.

If anyone could explain how this would be ideal.

Millionaire

Keanosafc wrote: »

Thanks, Both pc's do have network cards (the newer one is wireless enabled if that makes any difference.)

I've looked on the wikihow and it states I need an ethernet crossover cable, I have a spare ethernet which came with my previous bb provider, I'm assuming this won't work as the wires need to be in different order. (i'm also not technically minded enough to attempt this myself.

I have a router: would this work by using an unmodified ethernet cable, does it need to be connected to the internet to use the router, or can it network between two pc's without internet connection.

If anyone could explain how this would be ideal.

You need an ethernet crossover cable.

This is a different cable to the ones provided for broadband interent access. so your broadband ethernet cable wont work.

MercilessKiller

Keanosafc wrote: »

the newer one is wireless enabled if that makes any difference.

For wireless connectivity you need either 2 wireless devices connecting to each other (in something called ad-hoc mode), or a wireless hub/switch/router as a central point. This is more of a long term solution.

Chippy_Minton

Keanosafc wrote: »

I've looked on the wikihow and it states I need an ethernet crossover cable, I have a spare ethernet which came with my previous bb provider, I'm assuming this won't work as the wires need to be in different order. (i'm also not technically minded enough to attempt this myself.

It might work. If one or both of the network cards are auto sensing then a straight-through or crossover Ethernet cable will work between them. Try it and see. The Ethernet cable you have is probably a straight-through cable.

I have a router: would this work by using an unmodified ethernet cable, does it need to be connected to the internet to use the router, or can it network between two pc's without internet connection.

To connect computers to a router you normally need straight-through Ethernet cables, but again crossover cables might work. No, it doesn't need to be connected to the internet.

MercilessKiller

Well what type of router? If its a home router its actually an intelligent hub and you must use straight throughs.. (a professional cisco router for example you'd need crossovers as the router acts as a pc [layer 3]).

johnmc

I have a router: would this work by using an unmodified ethernet cable, does it need to be connected to the internet to use the router, or can it network between two pc's without internet connection

If it's an ordinary PC router and you have ethernet cards in each then use the normal ethernet connection cables. You don't need to be on the internet at the time.

You will need to turn both firewalls off and enable the harddrives for sharing then just use Windows Explorer on the new computer to pull the files across (much better than pushing from the old to the new).

Far quicker and better, though, to remove the harddrive from the old machine and set it up as a slave on the new machine.

Keanosafc

johnmc wrote: »

Far quicker and better, though, to remove the harddrive from the old machine and set it up as a slave on the new machine.

Thanks for the router advice, Chippy/merciless.

It is just a standard router, I'll try with this,

I'd prefer to use the old hard drive as a slave on the new machine, as it's decent size and would hold a canny batch of my music,

the only problem is i'm looking to sell my old machine on, I do have a 10gig harddrive spare out of an xbox which I'd thought about installing windows and putting into my old machine, but I doubt I'd get much interest from people buying a machine with about 6gb spare.

It's prob better to sell it as it is.

JEFFM_3

I'd ues the HDD as a slave in the new one and put the 10gig in the old one.People are always looking for a cheap maching regardless of HDD size (due to the low price of HDD's)

johnmc

I didn't mean to LEAVE it in there, only whilst dragging and dropping.

If you are going to sell the PC then don't forget to clean the HDD fully.