PDA

View Full Version : Changing to a different computer box



Steve Clardy
08-30-2004, 9:37 PM
Ok. Heres what I am doing, or want to do. I bought a used year old souped up computer, runs two 40g hard drives, win xp pro, and lots of other software.
My old amd box is getting some age on it and I want to either hook them together or transfer everything off my old box onto the new one.
Old box is running win98 se, 2 hard drives, 40, 6, and is full of my shop software, cab program, books, etc.
My questions are--
Just hook together?
Change drives?
The new box has a mirror program that keeps both drives the same in case one of them fails.
My old box, I use the second smaller drive for misc. programs, to keep the c- drive from filling up.
What is networking exactly? What cables are needed? The little networking thingie with a small ribbon cable is in my old box, but none in the new one. I found a used one out of an older box, but do not see a place to plug it on the mainboard.
Steve:confused:

Michael Perata
08-30-2004, 10:02 PM
Easiest, cheapest way would be to put all of your data on the larger drive in you older system, then connect the drive in your newer box. this assumes you have an open IDE slot on your motherboard or disk cable.

You could keep the older system as an email, backup system by buying two Network Inteface Cards (NIC's) and a "cross-over" cable. Then you would have a peer to peer network. Cost about $30-50. Very simple to setup. XP will recognize the network immediately, don't know about 98. (Get rid of 98 at your earliest opportunity.)

Steve Clardy
08-31-2004, 3:00 PM
Thanks Michael. I thought that maybe changing the drives would be the easiest for me.
But I still might want to hook them together. I have a card in there that has a plugin that looks like a phone plug, but bigger. See pic. Is this a NIC card?
Also, the newer box has this same plug, but no ribbon cable. Looks like it is built on the mainboard. If these are both NIC's, I just need a cable?
And if this works, how does the monitor respond to two boxes? Old box has the huge heavy monitor, new box has the sleek flat screen.
Steve

Chuck Wintle
08-31-2004, 5:51 PM
You could keep the older system as an email, backup system by buying two Network Inteface Cards (NIC's) and a "cross-over" cable. Then you would have a peer to peer network. Cost about $30-50. Very simple to setup. XP will recognize the network immediately, don't know about 98. (Get rid of 98 at your earliest opportunity.)

Steve,
I agree with Michael about the network. A crossover cable is the easiest and cheapest way to hook the boxes together. Getting rid of win98 is a good idea especially if WinXP Pro is set up in NTFS. Win98 will not see NTFS files. So if you have the WinXP disk you can convert Win98 to WinXp. On the new box what you have described is Raid 1(mirroring) which is good for security against disk failures.

Larry Browning
08-31-2004, 6:49 PM
Steve,
Are you accessing the internet via broadband (cable modem or DSL)? Or are you dial-up?
If you are broadband you really should have a router with a firewall between the broadband connection and your computer(s). There is also the added bonus of it being a network hub that allows you to hookup several computers (typically 4) into a network. They are pretty inexpensive these days. I saw one on Amazon for $17 with rebate the other day. If you are upgrading, why not do it right? In the long run this is really the simplest solution and will allow you to have full use of both computers.

PS. From what you describe, I'd say both computers have an NIC already installed.

Larry

Larry Browning
08-31-2004, 6:58 PM
Steve,
I agree with Michael about the network. A crossover cable is the easiest and cheapest way to hook the boxes together. Getting rid of win98 is a good idea especially if WinXP Pro is set up in NTFS. Win98 will not see NTFS files. So if you have the WinXP disk you can convert Win98 to WinXp. On the new box what you have described is Raid 1(mirroring) which is good for security against disk failures.

Charles,
It is sometimes not practical to upgrade an older computer to XP. They just don't have the processing power to run it. I would think that just networking them together might be the best bet. That's what I did with my P133 with 96meg of memory I have it down in the shop where I sometimes use it hang out here at the creek or to otherwise surf the net. But that's about all it's good for.

Steve Clardy
09-04-2004, 9:37 PM
I ended my problem for a while. I was wanting to upgrade with this newer box to run my cabinet program. And the wife was wanting it in the house for school duties. So I relented and took the super puter in the house.:o:o
I did find out they both had nic cards, and all I needed was a cable and some changes to the programs to hook them up. But that project is dead now.:(
I ordered a NEW puter to hook to my old one.:D It ought to be here tuesday or so. Then I will link them together. She has hers, I have my two. :)

Steve