Connecting two laptops for file transfer?

[Gary88]

i just got a new laptop and i want to transfer all my files from one to another, music and pictures.

i'm not paying to redownload the music from itunes and my only memory stick is only 128MB so transfering it like that will take about 100 'journeys' back and forth on top of my pictures and other crap. is there anyway i can connect the two laptops, over the internet or otherwise to stream my files from one to the other?


(please note beyond an ethernet cable i have no cables that can connect the two and believe me i rooted through everything i have)

sorry for the spacktard question

[Simetrical]

If you have an Ethernet cable, just plug one end into one and the other end into the other. Instant two-computer network. Ideally, Windows will recognize its brethren on the other end of the line and let you transmit the files directly easily enough.

[Ulf]

Either an ethernet cable as Sim suggested, or buy an external hard drive. They have some rather versatile uses beyond the simple transfer of files from one hard drive to the next.

[Garbarsardar]

Or try infrared ports...
Ulf's suggestion is probably the best idea since you're going to need one at some point...

[Arakorn]

I use my iPod...

Does the same thing work with a WLAN network? Because I've got one Vista comp and one XP comp, and I'm wondering how to achieve this and how ti share a printer (the printer is connected to the XP one, it's a HP 6122-series I think).

[OTZ]

A crossover cable will work as well...

I didn't think a plain old cat-5 ethernet cable would work in this case. Ya learn something new every day.

[Gary88]

cheers for the help

[Rob_the_Celt]

What do you do if the ethernet cable suggestion doesn't recognise the other one? Say I want to play a game, C&C or something over that cable with another computer but the dumb ****er doesn't recognise it and an even dumber ****er, me, has no clue what to do about it.

[Gary88]

thats a god point as a fellow dumb ****er myself

[OTZ]

Well, I'm pretty sure you'll need a crossover cable (yellow).

If you're using an ethernet cable (blue) you'll also need to use a router.

I think Sim's suggestion may be incorrect - but I'm not positive. In the past, I've always used a crossover cable to connect two PCs...

[Simetrical]

Possibly. I'm fairly sure I've used an Ethernet cable for direct connections at least once before, though. I've definitely had extensive trouble getting Windows computers to recognize each other's existence over a network.

[Gary88]

oh ok, my cable is yellow does that make it a crossover cable (man i feel like such a spastic)

[OTZ]

Yep, "typically" xover cables are yellow. If both laptops have XP, it should be a simple process...

[Gary88]

Yep, "typically" xover cables are yellow. If both laptops have XP, it should be a simple process...

****, one is xp one is vista...

it looks like i'm gonna have to move my music in 10 song bursts

[OTZ]

Souldn't be a prob between xp and vista.

[Gary88]

ok, i'll post back once i've given it a go

[drak10687]

Sometimes the eithernet cable solution works, sometimes it doesn't. One way to make it work when it doesn't, is to go into your Network Conections and set up a home or small office network on both computers with the same work group. That has solved the issue before for me. (also, remember to allow file sharing in the properties of the folder or drive which you want shared).

This still might not work, and then you're pretty much screwed.

Another idea I had, but never tried, is P2P sharing over the internet... if you have unlimited Bandwidth, or don't mind the cost.

[Cyrus the Virus]

(also, remember to allow file sharing in the properties of the folder or drive which you want shared).

This is important.
I use crossover sometimes, but USB is much easier(have an external HDD). And an other thing, disable firewall, they might block if you try to connect to an other PC.

[OTZ]

Any luck Gary?