Moving Data from One Computer to Another

[humbert]

Guys, I know I'm being lazy by not Googgling for an answer to this, but let me ask you a question: If you had 2 PC's running different versions of Windows, what's the best way to move files from one to the other without installing software on the receiving computer? This nice old widow friend of my wife asked me to please transfer pictures from her late husband's computer to hers (she can barely use one). The husband's computer was running XP and she had 7-64 preloaded. I transferred the pictures with a temporary USB drive using Total Commander's portability feature. Sure, it worked, but then I dawned on me there's gotta be a better way. What if you connected the 2 PC's LAN ports with a crossed cable, or maybe a special USB cable I think I saw somewhere? What software could I use?

I don't know how many of you are Total Commander freaks (as I am), but given that, I'm even beginning to think that the solution may be under my nose and I'm not seeing it.

[an7war]

1) Why use TotalCommander? Connect a USB to the first computer and copy files to it using windows explorer itself. Then put the USB in the 2nd computer and retrieve them. This is the simplest method.

2) Online tools. RAR,Zip or 7zip the pictures, and send by mail, or you can use any hosting services also like rapidshare, megaupload, etc. 2nd simplest method.

3) If the network is internal only, you can use ethernet to transfer files. Just need to assign IPs, and/or enable file sharing.

As far as 1 know, for someone who is not so familar with computer, it is more adequate to make them do manual work. What I mean is to make the wife connect the USB and disconnect it.

No matter the OS used, USB pendrives are accessible.

[humbert]

1) Why use TotalCommander? Connect a USB to the first computer and copy files to it using windows explorer itself. Then put the USB in the 2nd computer and retrieve them. This is the simplest method.
2) Online tools. RAR,Zip or 7zip the pictures, and send by mail, or you can use any hosting services also like rapidshare, megaupload, etc. 2nd simplest method.
3) If the network is internal only, you can use ethernet to transfer files. Just need to assign IPs, and/or enable file sharing.
As far as 1 know, for someone who is not so familar with computer, it is more adequate to make them do manual work. What I mean is to make the wife connect the USB and disconnect it.
No matter the OS used, USB pendrives are accessible.

Thanks for your answer. Right after logging off my curiosity got the best of me, so I went to Total Commander's help file. It allows you to create a server machine and a client machine and connect to computers using a "Windows Easy Transfer Cable" ($15 to $20 online price). You'd work only off the client machine and could do just about anything except run a program on the server. Of the methods you mention, certainly they all work (I used a removable USB drive due to the number of pics involved), but I'd be interested on how you would use a crossed cable to accomplish the same feat. After hooking up the cable to both LAN ports, you'd have to go into Windows' networking setup and create IP addresses? I assume you'd also have to share the drives.

I like the idea of using your wife to do the dirty work. That's how they learn.

Thanks,

[an7war]

I don't know much about Total Commander, but when you say "could do just about anything except run a program on the server", you mean in terms of files or in terms of remote connections?

Using an ethernet cable, you can share files between 2 PCs. After plugging in the cable at both end, set the IP address manually. Put the same value for gateway and DNS on both PCs, and both must be in the same workgroup and have file/printer sharing on.
Then, go to either PC, open Network/Network Conn. to see the other PC in the same workgroup.

If you have a router/switch/hub, you can do the same. Just connect both PCs to the router, enable file sharing, and be in the same group. You will already have an intranet/LAN network available.

[an7war]

I forgot about Windows 7 Homegroup feature. Basically, if PCs are in the same network, then they can be in a Homegroup and decide what to share. What is needed is only the password. However this feature is only among Windows 7 computers!

[humbert]

I don't know much about Total Commander, but when you say "could do just about anything except run a program on the server", you mean in terms of files or in terms of remote connections?

First of all, I feel many people should look seriously into Total Commander. You can find it for download on the Pirate Bay or just about anywhere. Like Firefox, it has tons and tons of plugins and add-ons available, i.e., you choose the bloat you want and disregard the one you don't. Be that as it may, the way it works (according to the instructions) you turn on Total Commander on both PC's using the remote USB cable I mentioned. It does NOT have to be installed on any PC, it's fully portable -- you run a program that comes with it and it'll install a portable version with all plugins on a pendrive with a batch file to start it up from My Computer (or whatever). What I meant about "you could do anything except run a program", one computer will appear on one pane and the other on the 2nd pane (files and directories). Working from the client, you can transfer files back and forth, delete, rename etc., everything but run a program. When you're finished just click "disconnect" on both computers and you're back to normal. I haven't tried it yet because I don't have a remote transfer cable -- for just one use in order to help a friend, not worth buying it. At home I transfer files using my network.

Using an ethernet cable, you can share files between 2 PCs. After plugging in the cable at both end, set the IP address manually. Put the same value for gateway and DNS on both PCs, and both must be in the same workgroup and have file/printer sharing on.
Then, go to either PC, open Network/Network Conn. to see the other PC in the same workgroup.
If you have a router/switch/hub, you can do the same. Just connect both PCs to the router, enable file sharing, and be in the same group. You will already have an intranet/LAN network available.

OK, that makes plenty of sense. The only thing I'm not too familiar with is Windows 7 homegroup feature. When I set up my home network, I did like with previous versions of Windows, i.e., I went to where it defaults to "Workgroup" and changed the name (same on all computers), and from there I created my little home network. I remember that for some reason, when I included the new laptop, I had to click on "this is a work network" to get the thing to work. Can you tell me why, or what I'd have to do if I wanted to create a home network?

[RPM]

Total Commander?  I think I used to use that back in the Windows 3.1 days.  What's wrong with just using Windows Explorer ("My Computer")?

If you have 2 computers on the same network (either plugged-in/wifi-connected to a router, or with a crossover and manual IPs) all you have to do is open up network neighborhood and drag+drop.  If you know the name of the machine or the IP, just type "\\[pc-name-or-IP]".  You can directly access harddrives even if they aren't shared with $[letter].

EXAMPLE:  Open my computer.  In the address bar type "\\remotepc\c$" and press enter (or "\\192.168.1.x\c$").

Then you can open up a local window and have them side-by-side, just like you like to do using total commander

[humbert]

Total Commander?  I think I used to use that back in the Windows 3.1 days.  What's wrong with just using Windows Explorer ("My Computer")?
If you have 2 computers on the same network (either plugged-in/wifi-connected to a router, or with a crossover and manual IPs) all you have to do is open up network neighborhood and drag+drop.  If you know the name of the machine or the IP, just type "\\[pc-name-or-IP]".  You can directly access harddrives even if they aren't shared with $[letter].
EXAMPLE:  Open my computer.  In the address bar type "\\remotepc\c$" and press enter (or "\\192.168.1.x\c$").
Then you can open up a local window and have them side-by-side, just like you like to do using total commander

I've hated Windows Explorer since the days of Windows 95 because I found it cumbersome and hard to use. I was introduced to the system TC uses back in the Dos days when I used a proggie called Norton Commander. Subsequently I found what was then Windows Commander in the days of Windows 3.1 and have been using it ever since. What I love about it is the fact that it does just about anything, plus there are tons of free add-ons available for download that'll make it do almost anything you want.

Regarding what you said about networking, the way I have my home network set up with both computers using the same workgroup name, and the drives are shared. I just tried to connect doing what you said (with Windows Explorer, not TC) and I couldn't get it to work     -- maybe I'm just not doing it right.

[psxdogg]

When using a crossover cable to connect two PC's together to share files, you have to use the File Transfer Protocol. On the receiving end install a small ftp server(lots of them out there) and on the first computer install a ftp client. Connect to the server and starts transferring files!

[humbert]

When using a crossover cable to connect two PC's together to share files, you have to use the File Transfer Protocol. On the receiving end install a small ftp server(lots of them out there) and on the first computer install a ftp client. Connect to the server and starts transferring files!

Yes, but in order to use the ftp protocol at all, you need to call a computer with an ip address. Does this mean you have to go into neighborhood networking and manually assign ip addresses to both computers. Do you use 255.255.255.0 as your subnet mask? What about your default gateway?

I remember when I worked, XP was the norm and I assigned static IP addresses to all computers and turned off DHCP on the router's lan side. I don't know quite how to do this in Windows 7 because all I've used is DHCP servers