transferring data

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Kulot - 29 Mar 2005 19:53 GMT

I am trying to figure out, the best way to be able to transfer data between
two computers without installing a network. One of the systems has USB,
Serial and Parallel ports. The other has only Serial and Parallel ports. Both
computers are running Windows Me, and the transfer needs to be done as soon
as possible. How would I accomplish this?

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Mike M - 29 Mar 2005 20:06 GMT

How much data? Once only or a regular event in future?

Signature

Mike Maltby MS-MVP
mike.maltby@gmail.com

> I am trying to figure out, the best way to be able to transfer data
> between two computers without installing a network. One of the
> systems has USB, Serial and Parallel ports. The other has only Serial
> and Parallel ports. Both computers are running Windows Me, and the
> transfer needs to be done as soon as possible. How would I accomplish
> this?

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Kulot - 29 Mar 2005 20:19 GMT

Once only.

> How much data? Once only or a regular event in future?
>
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> > transfer needs to be done as soon as possible. How would I accomplish
> > this?

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Mart - 29 Mar 2005 23:56 GMT

Buy a USB-IDE adapter (typically 25GBP) and hook it up to your non-USB box's
HDD, then read/write to it using your USB PC. Works on USB1, but a lot
faster with USB2

No need to physically remove the drive, just change-over the IDE and power
connectors then 'plug&play'

Very neat and simple for a 'once-only' event. - And a very useful addition
to your 'tool-box' for future. I've used mine to rescue data from several
HDD's (including NTFS using a laptop with XP) and use it for backing-up data
to a spare (external) HDD.

Mart

> Once only.
>
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>> > transfer needs to be done as soon as possible. How would I accomplish
>> > this?

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Mike M - 30 Mar 2005 00:04 GMT

Good suggestion Mart, I was holding off responding until I got some idea
as to the amount of data to be transferred.

Cheers,

Signature

Mike Maltby MS-MVP
mike.maltby@gmail.com

> Buy a USB-IDE adapter (typically 25GBP) and hook it up to your
> non-USB box's HDD, then read/write to it using your USB PC. Works on
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> from several HDD's (including NTFS using a laptop with XP) and use it
> for backing-up data to a spare (external) HDD.

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Mart - 30 Mar 2005 00:13 GMT

Sorry for chipping-in Mike - I thought that you'd gone off-message <bg>

But I think that you already know of my experiences with the USB-IDE
adapter. Paid for itself several times over already!

Mart

> Good suggestion Mart, I was holding off responding until I got some idea
> as to the amount of data to be transferred.
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
>> from several HDD's (including NTFS using a laptop with XP) and use it
>> for backing-up data to a spare (external) HDD.

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Mike M - 30 Mar 2005 00:24 GMT

I'm glad you did chip in as I probably wouldn't have thought to mention
your suggestion which I recall you've used to great effect in the past. I
just hope the user realises that this could result in the system restore
archive being reset. Not that this should mean they ought to be looking
for an alternative solution as the one you suggest is nice and quick.
Whilst yours involves opening up just one PC, the one without the usb
port, they could also try opening up both PCs and instead of buying and
using a usb-ide converter temporarily hang one PCs hard disk off the ide
controller of the second. However this is a far messier solution and both
really only applicable if lots of data is to be transferred.

Mike

> Sorry for chipping-in Mike - I thought that you'd gone off-message
> <bg>
> But I think that you already know of my experiences with the USB-IDE
> adapter. Paid for itself several times over already!

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Mart - 30 Mar 2005 01:16 GMT

> this could result in the system restore
> archive being reset.

Interesting point, Mike, but it doesn't (normally) reset the SR archive, as
the disk is recognised as a 'Removable' device by default when using the USB
adapter, whereas hooking to a 'controller' usually does reset it.

Another possible option - though I've never tried it - is maybe to use
HyperTerminal over the serial (or parallel?) ports - as in LapLink? But I
guess that could be just as messy <g>

Mart

> I'm glad you did chip in as I probably wouldn't have thought to mention
> your suggestion which I recall you've used to great effect in the past. I
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
>> But I think that you already know of my experiences with the USB-IDE
>> adapter. Paid for itself several times over already!

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Mike M - 30 Mar 2005 01:34 GMT

> Interesting point, Mike, but it doesn't (normally) reset the SR
> archive, as the disk is recognised as a 'Removable' device by default
> when using the USB adapter, whereas hooking to a 'controller' usually
> does reset it.

I wondered about that and that's good to know. I wasn't sure but was
perhaps influenced by the SATA drives on this box (XP Pro SP2) which are
considered to be removable but still support SR - although, of course,
being XP SR is implemented on a drive by drive basis rather than Win Me's
"all or bust". I've got an ide/usb enclosure rather than adapter but have
never tried using it on a Win Me box. Not that would really help either
as it currently houses a DVD writer rather than a hard disk. :-)

> Another possible option - though I've never tried it - is maybe to use
> HyperTerminal over the serial (or parallel?) ports - as in LapLink? But
> I guess that could be just as messy <g>

Could be! :-)

Signature

Mike Maltby MS-MVP
mike.maltby@gmail.com

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Kulot - 30 Mar 2005 00:15 GMT

Thanks for your help.

> Good suggestion Mart, I was holding off responding until I got some idea
> as to the amount of data to be transferred.
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> > from several HDD's (including NTFS using a laptop with XP) and use it
> > for backing-up data to a spare (external) HDD.

Reply to this Message

Kulot - 30 Mar 2005 00:15 GMT

Thanks for your help.

> Buy a USB-IDE adapter (typically 25GBP) and hook it up to your non-USB box's
> HDD, then read/write to it using your USB PC. Works on USB1, but a lot
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
> >> > transfer needs to be done as soon as possible. How would I accomplish
> >> > this?

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Rick T - 30 Mar 2005 06:38 GMT

> I am trying to figure out, the best way to be able to transfer data between
> two computers without installing a network. One of the systems has USB,
> Serial and Parallel ports. The other has only Serial and Parallel ports. Both
> computers are running Windows Me, and the transfer needs to be done as soon
> as possible. How would I accomplish this?

NICs are very cheap and MS-Networking can be installed/uninstalled
pretty painlessly.

How much data and of what type ?

Rick

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