exchange data between laptop & desktop? 1

[jazzbo]

i was given an old compaq lite elite 4/40C laptop ,but it has a floppy problem -nor can I boot it from DOS emergency floppy-it just ignores the floppy,yet on system-it says device working?

its running W 95,has no CD rom,, so how can I set up software to exchange data between laptop & desktop?


I assume have to use serial-or parallel port adaptor?

 

[dinosnake]

Nah. Use Windows' built in Direct Cable Connection. The only problem is you had better hope the .cab's are on the hard drive otherwise you will not be able to install it - but that is the same limitation we have with anything we do from this point, yes?

Go to Control Panel / Add-Remove Programs / Windows Setup (tab) / Communications and check Direct Cable connection. If you do not already have the Dial Up Adapter installed it will tell you it needs it - let it install it. Reboot if you need to.

Now, the configuration of Direct Cable Connection gives some people fits. It's actually very simple - you simply set up the network as if the systems will connect to each other via TCP / IP.

So, in Control Panel / Network make sure you have the Client for Microsoft Networks, the Dial Up Adapter, TCP / IP and File and Printer Sharing installed. Make sure TCP / IP and File and Printer Sharing are bound to the client and Dial Up Adapter. Select 'Windows Logon' as Primary Network Logon to avoid the hassle of the computer asking you for a password every time you boot. In the Advanced tab of TCP / IP Properties make sure the 'Set this protocol to be the default protocol' is checked.

In the Client for Microsoft Network Properties check Quick Logon. In the Identification tab make sure both computers have the same Workgroup name entered (exactly), but you must give them different Computer Names.

Once the network is configured properly you have to right click on drives, printers or directories in My Computer, select Sharing, and activate sharing on the computer you want to give imformation from (the other computer will take information). The link is one way - one acts as server, the other the guest. If you need to reverse the link you have to stop the program (if running) and restart it in the correct configuration.

The last part of the puzzle is the Laplink style cable. I highly recommend a parallel cable - serial links are much, much slower.

Make sure any parallel port programs and items are turned off or disconnected (like a ZIP, for instance), plug in the cable, and on the server start Direct Cable Connection (it's in Accessories / Communications). The first time it will sense and install your ports - select the printer port. Select Host operation and start it.

On the guest do the same as above, but of course select Guest operation, printer port connection.

If you did everything right the guest (laptop, say) will have access to the server (desktop?).

Total cost: about $20 or less for the cable. Shop around. Fancy not needed.

Oh, one more thing. This setup is not secure for internet surfing. This is the same as a TCP / IP network set up the Microsoft way - and it is not secure. To make it secure in the Bindings tab of TCP / IP uncheck all boxes and answer 'no' to 'do you want to select now?'. The next time you want to use the Cable Connection rebind the clients, and when you are finished unbind them again. Your mileage may vary...

 

[jazzbo]

no,im screwed, no cabs on HD<it asks for W95 disk #11 to install
Direct Cable Connection.
I guess only solution is ext floppy –using a PCM card?
Know cost,where get them?

 

[dinosnake]

Search the HD using Windows' FIND function, looking for .CAB's. Just because Windows did not automatically go to them does not mean that they aren't on the drive. If they were copied after the install, and the Registry was not hacked for Windows to know that (I can tell you the hack later if you do the copy yourself, if you want) Windows will not go to them itself. You'll have to tell it to.

As for other options you do have a few choioces.

(1) a external, PCMCIA CD-ROM. Just make sure that the interface operates (and Windows sees it) as an IDE drive - in that case the OS has the drivers built in.

(2) maybe the sneakiest and least expensive option (now, that is) - get a CompactFlash card with PCMCIA adapter and a adapter for the desktop. Thanks to the dropping cost of the cards you can get a good sized one (try to make sure you do) and spend practically nothing. If you have a digital camera that uses CompactFlash all the better. The PCMCIA adapter is just a holder that the CM card fits into and then slides into the PCMCIA slot in the laptop. The OS detects them as a IDE drive - in other words, as a removable hard drive. Very handy. Use it to copy files between the desktop and the laptop.

If you have a digital camera you may be able to use it as the adapter for the desktop. See if you can write to it, as well as read. If you can then all you need is the laptop adapter - $15. Cheap.

(3) as you mentioned, a PCMCIA floppy. Hard to find and expensive. To top it all off you still have a driver problem - if it needs drivers how do you get it in? It will probably install itself as an IDE drive.

(4) replace the floppy. The best option. Do it yourself - just find a floppy, take the unit apart and replace it. Really, the hardest thing will just to find the replacement part. Working on laptops is really quite easy - no harder than a desktop. Just a lot smaller.

(5) take the HD out of the computer, attach it to the proper cable, and plug it into the desktop as an extra drive. I do that alot personally when I need to copy large files into my older IBM that I keep around. Dirt Cheap Drives, and others, have the adapter (assuming that the Compaq uses standard IDE pin-out drives. On their desktops you can't make that assumption.)

I'll think of others as the day goes by...
Your mileage may vary...

 

[Daveyboy2]

Ya know the other thing you can do is get an IDE hard drive cable converter - They are under $20, and you can get them a lot of place on the net.

What you would have to do though is remove the hard drive out of the laptop, pop it as a secondary drive, and then you can load the CAB files on the laptop through your CD drive. After that, pop the laptop hard drive back into the laptop, and configure the direct cable setup.

Or, you can get a PCMCIA NIC and a crossover cable, and do some networking! (you'd probably still need the CABs though...)