Data transfer from old to new desktop...what options?

[MarkCup]

My old PC is creaking, and I can't get the DVD drive to write any data discs, so options are?

USB key
Standalone HDD

Or could I have them both connected through my wireless router then just fire the files straight from one HDD to the other?

If not anyone have any recommendations for the standalone HDD?

Thanks.

 

[Rich]

Get a Ethernet crossover cable and connect the two together ?

 

[MarkCup]

Get a Ethernet crossover cable and connect the two together ?

Like the wireless then?

Or would it be better for me to hardwire them? Got plenty of cable at work so could be do-able.

 

[Dafthead]

Hardwire will always be much faster

 

[Mike_182]

Hardwire will always be much faster

Depends, but typically yes.

Depends how much s**t you've got to move, and whether a large USB key would be useful in future after you've finished? As 16GB ones are going for sensible money now...

 

[Dafthead]

Home based wireless then

Unless he's on Token ring 4 or 10Base-T

 

[Adam]

Get a Ethernet crossover cable and connect the two together ?

Like the wireless then?

Or would it be better for me to hardwire them? Got plenty of cable at work so could be do-able.

Make sure its a crossover cat5 cable and not a patch.

 

[Mike_182]

Home based wireless then

Unless he's on Token ring 4 or 10Base-T

802.11N is quicker than 100Base-T? Given that most home-spec desktops (particularly as one is an old one!) run 10/100Meg Realtek (nasty cheap) NICs.

 

[KDF]

My old PC is creaking, and I can't get the DVD drive to write any data discs, so options are?

USB key
Standalone HDD

Or could I have them both connected through my wireless router then just fire the files straight from one HDD to the other?

If not anyone have any recommendations for the standalone HDD?

Thanks.

Transfer Wireless, its the cheapest (free) and easiest.

 

[MarkCup]

My old PC is creaking, and I can't get the DVD drive to write any data discs, so options are?

USB key
Standalone HDD

Or could I have them both connected through my wireless router then just fire the files straight from one HDD to the other?

If not anyone have any recommendations for the standalone HDD?

Thanks.

Transfer Wireless, its the cheapest (free) and easiest.

It'll have to be that as I've not got an ethernet network card in the old machine.

New machine running Vista, old machine creaking along with XP home, with me being a typical 'home user', is setting up the link across wireless going to have me tearing hair out?

 

[Mike_182]

If you've already got wireless network in place, it's slightly less difficult. Just share the folder you want to be accessible with permissions set to Read (or Read-Write) as 'Everyone' (Builtin security principles) and in Vista you'll need to make sure network discovery and file sharing is on (which, if you selected your wireless as being a 'Home' or 'Work' network it should already be).

 

[Tom H]

Pull the hard disk out the old one, and put it in the new one is the best way

Or get an USB/Firewire extrnal caddy for the old drive to plug it into the new pc


Or... buy a mac...

 

[Tigger]

I hate wireless on XP - I used an IDE HDD for moving my old files - just loaded it on and then installed it in the new machine

Maybe a bit more physical than moving everything electronically but it worked at the time lol

 

[cava83]

DVD rewriter.

Could be worthwhile rolling back the drivers and downloading the latest ones from the manafacturers website... you never know......

Otherwise, hardwired for your current setup.

 

[Dafthead]

Home based wireless then

Unless he's on Token ring 4 or 10Base-T

802.11N is quicker than 100Base-T? Given that most home-spec desktops (particularly as one is an old one!) run 10/100Meg Realtek (nasty cheap) NICs.

Most standard home users won't invest in wireless N technology yet though :S

 

[Mike_182]

802.11N is quicker than 100Base-T? Given that most home-spec desktops (particularly as one is an old one!) run 10/100Meg Realtek (nasty cheap) NICs.

Most standard home users won't invest in wireless N technology yet though :S

Why not when Belkin and Linksys and the like have been pushing it for going on for 2 years now? And it's very difficult to buy a computer now that doesn't have a Draft-N wireless adapter? I've not got 802.11n because I've spent more on wired networking, it's something I'm going to consider when we move, but a lot of people have Draft-N. BT's own HomeHub is now Draft-N compliant.