How do I transfer files between two laptops?

Bones

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I want to transfer files between my old and new laptop. Both are running Windows 7. I am sure I have done this before by running a RJ45 cable between them but can't remember how to give one access to the others C drive. Any advice welcome. Thx
 
Open the command prompt on one machine - Start -> Run -> cmd. Type "ipconfig" in the command prompt to find the IP address of the machine. it'll be in the range 192.168.0.* in most cases

from the other computer do Start -> Run -> \\IPADDRESS\c$ (replacing IPADDRESS with the IP address gained in the last step)

you should then have an explorer window looking at the C: drive of the other machine. You can then drag and drop from the old machine to the new one.

Regards, Rob.
 
Using RJ45 Network cable between two laptops, you require whats called a "Crossover Cable". It has RJ45 connectors but the wires are crossed inside to allow comms to take place without a router.

You need to enable file sharing on one C drive in order for the other computer to be able to see it.
 
get a USB external hard drive
plug it in to the old laptop
copy all drives you want to the external hard drive
when finished
plug the external hard drive into the new laptop
copy it to the new laptop hard drive :beerjug:
 
Open the command prompt on one machine - Start -> Run -> cmd. Type "ipconfig" in the command prompt to find the IP address of the machine. it'll be in the range 192.168.0.* in most cases

from the other computer do Start -> Run -> \\IPADDRESS\c$ (replacing IPADDRESS with the IP address gained in the last step)

you should then have an explorer window looking at the C: drive of the other machine. You can then drag and drop from the old machine to the new one.

Regards, Rob.

Cheers, that's the sort of solution I was looking for. Several years of digital photography/video would of been abit of a pain to move via memory stick and I don't have an external drive. As soon as I get the daughter of my old (her new) lappie I will give this a go.

Thanks all for for help.

Graham
 
Just been doing that and hit a snag where folders / filenames too long (too many nested I guess). Soooo, zipped the whole caboodle and saved as .rar then copied that and unzipped it.
 
I too would suggest transferring all files with an external drive.

Copy to drive then copy off ( not cut and paste.), there by creating a backup of your files too.
Safely remaining on the external drive.

Prob good to virus scan the files as well just in case. Don't want to inadvertently transfer a old virus to a new machine.

ferrol.:)

Sent from using smoke signals.
 
External USB HDs are stupidly cheap now as well.....you can get a 2 TERRABYTE one for well under a hundred quid now :eek:


That way, you'd be able to transfer but also, as said above, you'd have a back up copy in case the HD they are currently on goes fizz pop :beerjug:
 
External USB HDs are stupidly cheap now as well.....you can get a 2 TERRABYTE one for well under a hundred quid now :eek:


That way, you'd be able to transfer but also, as said above, you'd have a back up copy in case the HD they are currently on goes fizz pop :beerjug:

+1 :thumb
 
External USB HDs are stupidly cheap now as well.....you can get a 2 TERRABYTE one for well under a hundred quid now :eek:


That way, you'd be able to transfer but also, as said above, you'd have a back up copy in case the HD they are currently on goes fizz pop :beerjug:

+1 :thumb

...AND you'd have something to do regular back-ups on in future. :eek:

I'm guessing you don't do proper back-ups now coz if you did you'd already have one of these!!!!!!! :augie

Will people never learn? :blast
 
Open the command prompt on one machine - Start -> Run -> cmd. Type "ipconfig" in the command prompt to find the IP address of the machine. it'll be in the range 192.168.0.* in most cases

All well and good if both devices have static IP Addresses in the same range but no good if there's no DHCP server in the loop.
 
Do this all the time, connect to home wireless, then either copy from one to the other's shared folder or share the actual destination and copy to that.
Only need to have them both on the same workgroup to be able to see each other.
For a one off the external hdd is a good method with benefit of creating a backup of the files at the same time
 
All well and good if both devices have static IP Addresses in the same range but no good if there's no DHCP server in the loop.

If this is a home network, it's very likely both will be on the same subnet and using dhcp.

The above reads wrong, if there is no dhcp, then they would need to be static addresses on the same subnet anyway.

If there's any wireless involved, it'll be tons quicker to use a USB drive to copy stuff across.
 
If this is a home network, it's very likely both will be on the same subnet and using dhcp

If you read his post he wanted to just connect both devices together with the same Cat5 cable. More than likely the LAN cards will be set to get the IP Addresses from a routers dhcp and as one wouldn't be involved if he did that they wouldn't get Addresses so wouldn't work unless they were static ones.

And yes it's far easier to do it with a USB drive.
 


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