Transfering data from an old hard drive.

[classical_hero]

Recently I just got a new computer and I need help on getting my files from my old computer (which is my mum's)and ont this one. I have been told by a friend that I need an IDE cable , but I have no idea what I am looking for. I need help and fast.

[bathsheba666]

Do you have a router for a broadband connection?
If it takes multiple PCs, you could suck the files through that without having to buy extra cables.

[classical_hero]

I have a broadband connection, so how will that do the job instead?

[bathsheba666]

Do you have one single PC plugged in to the broadband connection?

or do you have a box (router) that enables a number (usually 4) of PCs to share the connection?

This might be a wireless router, or a router with 4 network cable slots in it.

If you have such a router, it will distribute IP addresses internally to all the PCs connected to it.

If you have, let me know, and we can talk about the next detail.

Broadly speaking, you type ipconfig in a dos box to find the ip address the PC has been given. You can do the same on the old PC, then map a drive from one PC to the other using the IP address.

You need to have the same account and same password on each PC, though.
But this only has to be a temporary thing.

(I'm using Win2K, but I assume XP will be similar - please correct me anyone else if not)

[Rheinmetall]

The router will work if it has been setup to allow traffick between LAN's. At default most DSL routers consider all ports as separate LAN's and do not allow traffic between them. So you'll probably need to configure the router first.

And you don't need to have same account or password on both computers. When mapping a network drive it asks a login so just type the login of the other computer there and it will work.

[classical_hero]

I have been able to transfer the date, but I am having problems with programs that I have down copied over to my new computer, what do I do now?

Basically programs that I could use before are not working.

[Rheinmetall]

You probably need to reinstall the transferred programs because their registry entries haven't been transferred and/or some files they need to work are in directories you didn't transfer. The programs are unable to locate certain files/registry entries and thus refuse to work.

[classical_hero]

I was afraid of that, so I will just have to do that instead.

Thanks for the help.

[Genocidicbunny]

for future note, you could always just back up the keys for that program, or maybe even back up the entire registry. Most programs just use the Software tab of the registry though so you wouldnt need to back the whole thing.