using cross-over cable to transfer files

Anachem

Hi All,
I trying to transfer a lot of files from an old windows xp machine to a new xp machine. I've read that i need to use a cat 5 cross-over cable which i have just bought. The thing is that there is a lot of conflicking info on the web about the next stages eg setting up ip addresses and masks!!
The folks on this forum have always been really helpful and i wonder if they can work their magic again.
thanks. Anachem

emmahip

Best thing to do is keep it simple:-

First thing you need to do is make sure you have a network card in both machines!

Next set the IP address on pc 1 to 192.168.100.1 and subnet to 255.255.255.0 and ensure the workgroup is set to the default (workgroup)

IP address on pc 2 to 192.168.100.2 and subnet to 255.255.255.0 and ensure the workgroup is also set to the default (workgroup)

This is pretty much all you need to do apart from allowing access on the drive you want to copy from, ie the old machine.

You should be able to connect the cross over cable, boot up the 2 machines and browse from the new pc to the old pc.

Bob is your mother's brother! Good luck

Chippy_Minton

http://www.wikihow.com/Connect-Two-Computers gives a bit more information on setting up the IP addresses. Once configured, you should see the other computer in My Network Places - View Workgroup Computers. You can type \\otherComputerName in Windows Explorer to see shared folders on the other computer.

Anachem

Thanks emmahip & chippy. will give it a go. as a side issue , does changing the ip address of your pc alter using the internet. i ask this in all naivety as i thought ip addresses were specific to one computer and couldn't be changed.

no_debts_no_more

It depends on how you access the internet.

If you use dialup, no difference.
If you use a USB-attached broadband modem, no difference.
If you connect using a Cat5 network cable, whether through a router, or directly to the ADSL/cable modem, then quite possibly.

Assuming your PC's only have one network interface, you'll be unplugging the internet connection, so it obviously won't work. If you have more than one network interface, then you can use the spare with the crossover (aka "Null Modem") cable.

If you're worried that it'll take forever to get the Internet working again aferwards, then don't worry. ISP's use something called DHCP which automatically tells your PC what IP address it should have when you boot up. The easiest thing to do when you've finished is just to put all the wires back as they were, and reboot.