PC to PC File Transfer

GuanYin

I have a laptop and a desktop both running XP (one Pro one Home) and I want to transfer one HD to the other.

Both are on a wireless network but behind a strict enough firewall (all but port 80)

Whats the easiest way to set up a transfer.

I assume I can't just plug em into each other via USB?

Thanks

Syke

Asok

Have they got regular 10/100 network cards?

GuanYin

Originally posted by Asok
Have they got regular 10/100 network cards?

One has (laptop), not sure on the other one but I can get one easily

Asok

That might be your handiest/quickest option then all you will have to do is stick a crossover cable between them and leechy leechy!

GuanYin

Originally posted by Asok
That might be your handiest/quickest option then all you will have to do is stick a crossover cable between them and leechy leechy!

Ok, can you explain that to someone who is more used to the inside of carbon things rathern than silicone?

I can Stick a Network cable from my laptop Ethernet to my PC Ethernet card and then just transfer them?

Can I not do the same over wireless?

seamus

You could set up an FTP server on the one you want to remove the files from, and to Quote Asok...leechy leechy!

netman

If you have a firewall on your network, then surely it should be between your LAN and the WAN, not sitting between the two PC's on the LAN.

Try setting up a windows share on the PC you want to copy files from, and map it on the PC you want to copy files to.

If you have some strange firewall rules between the two PC's, try opening up port 139 and tranfer the files via windows share over the wireless network.

The same will apply if you try to transfer the files over ethernet, only it will run a bit faster.

GuanYin

eck I wouldn't know how to do that with the FTP, especially with only port 80 open.

So a direct ethernet cable link should work then, yes?

XP will have the software to sort that out?

seamus

Originally posted by syke
eck I wouldn't know how to do that with the FTP, especially with only port 80 open.

Download EFTP:
http://download.com.com/redir?pid=10217327&merid=6205289&mfgid=6205289&edId=3&siteId=4&oId=3000-2196-10217327&ontId=2196&ltype=dl_dlnow&lop=link&destUrl=%2F3001-2196-10217327.html

Install it on the machine that you want files taken from, and run the server. Make a note of the IP address of this machine.

Install it on the other machine and connect to the IP you've noted down. hey presto. Hopefully.

RE*AC*TOR

cerberus ftp - is a nice free server - ftp commander is a good client. If both pc are on the same side of the firewall then you should have no probs.

GuanYin

Originally posted by davidwwalsh
if you want to copy the entire contents of one hard drive to another - take the 1st HD out of its computer - put it in the 2nd computer - copy and paste. It'll be a hell of a lot quicker if you've got a lot to transfer. If its over 5GB FTP could be v slow.

erm

laptop to desktop

RE*AC*TOR

yeah sorry about that - didn't properly read it the first time.

swiss

If port 21 is locked then setting up an ftp server might not be much help. That said however that is likely to affect LAN to WAN communications, and probably not internal LAN traffic (which means it shouldn't be a problem).

If your laptop has a lan port, I would just recommend (as someone else suggested) putting a cat5 crossover cable between the two computers.

All you have to do then is set the IP of the leeching computer to 192.168.0.1 with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 with a default gateway of 192.168.0.1. Use the same settings for the other computer but set the IP to something like 192.168.0.2

Share out the folder you want to share, and leechy leechy.

Oh, and I know you probably want recommendations for ftp clients right now like you need a hole in the head, but I've always found leechftp to be nice and simple when connecting/downloading.

GuanYin

thanks a million lads:)

thesteve

i may be a little slow here but isn't setting up an ftp server a little complicated for what is needed?

shouldn't two network cards, the machines on the same workgroup (and possibly having to temporarily stick in two static ip addresses) make one machine visable to the other and vice versa?

This is the method I use for backing up my laptop to my desktop and it couldn't have been easier

RE*AC*TOR

Originally posted by thesteve
i may be a little slow here but isn't setting up an ftp server a little complicated for what is needed?

setting up an ftp server is no more complicated than running outlook.

seamus

Originally posted by thesteve
i may be a little slow here but isn't setting up an ftp server a little complicated for what is needed?

shouldn't two network cards, the machines on the same workgroup (and possibly having to temporarily stick in two static ip addresses) make one machine visable to the other and vice versa?

This is the method I use for backing up my laptop to my desktop and it couldn't have been easier

Personally, I'd find it quicker to install a standalone FTP server than to go fiddling about with shares.

BuffyBot

Sorry to hijack the thread.

I'm getting a new desktop on Saturday and need to transfer over the contents of my old laptop to the desktop. Can anyone tell me the quickest way of doing this? The machines won't be networked, so it is possible to get a USB cable connector of some sort and do it via that method?

neokenzo

I have a USB to USB connector when I wanted to transfer stuff between 2 pc that doesnt not have a network jack. Works fine, porbably slower than networking though. You can pick it up at Compustore for about €20++.