Transferring to a new pc

[wolves pete]

I have just bought a new base unit and want to transfer most of the old hard drive to my new computer.I was just wondering if I can connect the two pc's to transfer files or do I have to transfer files via my extremely slow external drive.

[mathare]

You can connect the PCs directly via a crossover network cable to create an ethernet link between the two and then you can drag and drop between PCs as you could with any machines on a network. Or you can use a cheap switch/hub to create a small private network.

I assume you're not using a wireless access point at home else you can do this with wireless networking.

Or you can rip the HDD out the old PC, shove it in the new one and mount the drive and just copy from drive to drive.

Or burn to CD/DVD.

[wolves pete]

Thanks Mathare.The HDD looks best.
Is this simply a 'remove/refit job?
I could leave it in the new unit as a second drive--do I just plug it in?

[John]

Or you could just buy a cheap external hard drive and manouevre files to and fro.

[wolves pete]

John

My son has one but to move 160gig it takes a lifetime

[Win2Win]

Just plug it in the IDE2 on the new board.

[mathare]

Thanks Mathare.The HDD looks best.
Is this simply a 'remove/refit job?
I could leave it in the new unit as a second drive--do I just plug it in?Maybe. Near the sockets on the drive where the power and data cables connect will be a series of pins with a bit of white plastic on called a jumper.

This controls how the drive acts and whether the PC treats it as the primary (master) or secondary (slave) drive on the IDE channel it is connected to. Your motherboard should have two IDE channels (IDE0 and IDE1) with the HDD connected as the master on IDE0 and your CD/DVD drive connected as the master on IDE1. If you have multiple CD/DVD drives (eg DVD-R and CD-RW) these will probably be connected as master and slave on IDE1.

Near the jumper should be a picture showing the settings and how to fit the jumper to configure the drive as slave or master.

In theory you need to:
1) take HDD out of old PC
2) set jumper to slave
3) mount HDD in new base unit
4) connect to existing IDE0 cable as slave and plug in spare power connector from PSU

However, the IDE cable supplied in the new base unit may only have one connection (ie for the existing HDD in the new base unit) so you would have to change that cable for one with two plugs.

[mathare]

Just plug it in the IDE2 on the new board.Or you could disconnect any DVD drive and connect it up temporarily on the other IDE channel, yeah. Good thinking Keith

[wolves pete]

Thanks all---I'll have a go

[Win2Win]

Try not to get your tongue on the power pack though :doh

[wolves pete]

I can't fit the hard drive into my new pc cos they're different.
The new pc is SATA (I think).

Is there a way of connecting the two via a lead such as USB/USB so I can transfer files that way.

I've got about 120GIG to do.
Son has a 200g external but it takes a lifetime to copy onto.

Looks like no new pc this week for me :cryer :cryer :cryer

[mathare]

Ooh, I never even considered SATA.

I can't think of a USB lead that would do the trick but that's not to say there isn't one. I'd go with the cheap hub and ethernet cables to create a small private network if the transfer by external drive would be too slow

[wolves pete]

Finally did it all thanks.

Just wired into my router and set up a network---lightening fast transfer