Slave computers

I know this isn't a computer ng but can anyone point me towards either the right ng or more information?

TIA

Mary

Reply to
Mary Fisher
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Hmmm.

this wouldn't be one of those kinky dress-your-computer-in-leather-and-make-it-lick-your-boots kind of newsgroups you'd be after would it?

I'd suggest one of the uk.comp.* hierarchy, but I don't frequent them so don't really know whether they contain anything of relevance.

google group search might be your friend. Otherwise, I'd say post the question as an Off Topic, you never know where the thread will take you! (heard the possiblities of domestic LED lighting briefly discussed on R4 today, btw! £200 for 3 of those fancy LED white lamps someone said...)

cheers Richard

-- Richard Sampson

email me at richard at olifant d-ot co do-t uk

Reply to
RichardS

What do you want your "slave" computer to do?

Reply to
Hywel Jenkins

No. It's for Spouse. He's not like that.

I'll wait.

Mary

Reply to
Mary Fisher

It's for Spouse. I think he wants to link his old Compaq to his marginally newer whatever so that he can read 5 1/4" disks from the older one and save the data in his newer one.

He remembers seeing something about a slave computer some time ago but not where it was and he's nagging about it.

I need to sleep :-)

Mary

Reply to
Mary Fisher

Then why doesn't he just put the 5 1/4" drive in the new one or does he just prefer trying to find the most complicated possible solution to an easy problem?

Dave Baker - Puma Race Engines

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"How's life Norm?" "Not for the squeamish, Coach" (Cheers, 1982)

Reply to
Dave Baker

You're very perceptive!

And anyone who says anything about who he chose for a wife gets it!

Mary

p.s. I'll ask him.

Reply to
Mary Fisher

He says he'd thought about that but there's no available slot for the 5 1/4" drive.

We're not talking State of the Art Cutting Edge stuff here!

Mary

Reply to
Mary Fisher

Alternatively, the two computers need to be networked in some way. The simplest way - if he is only transferring low volumes of data, and if is running some flavour or other of Windows on both machines - is to use "Direct Cable Connection". The software supporting this comes as part of Windows, but probably hasn't been installed. He needs to go to Control Panel | Add/Remove Programs | Windows Setup | Communications and then to select Direct Cable Connection and to insert the original Windows disk (or CD) when prompted.

He will, of course, also need a suitable cable - either serial or parallel - Direct Cable Connection supports both, but it has to be specially wired to provide the necessary cross-over capability.

HTH, Roger

P.S. Why doesn't Spouse ask his own questions?

Reply to
Roger Mills

It's either that or network the two computers together - cost about £30. It might be worth doing that anyway if you wanted to have simultaneous internet access for both machines.

OTOH, if it's just copying floppies then moving the drive is generally easier, although some drives have edge type connectors with gold fingers on the printed circuit board, while others have a connector with pins. Murphy's law suggests that you will have one of each and the cable won't be suitable........

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

Reply to
Andy Hall

Stop right there.

As I see it that's a fundamental problem. The compaq was purely DOS. The HP isn't.

So all the following useful information probably is wasted.

For this bloke anyway - but no information is ever useless and I thank everyone for their contributions - as always.

Mary

Reply to
Mary Fisher

You mean the drive?

I wondered about that too.

Worth thinking about. But not now, I'm dropping asleep. Been shopping today and I hate shopping :-(

Mary

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Reply to
Mary Fisher

That's not a problem if it's just to transfer a few files. It's not a real computer if it hasn't spent at least a week with the lid off :-)

The other alternative would be Laplink, or whatever its modern equivalent is. This was (haven't used it for 6 or 7 years) a program which could transfer files via a serial cable between two machines. Commercial though, so costs. Maybe you'll find a freeware or shareware work-alike on

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M.

Reply to
Martin Angove

In message , Mary Fisher writes

Then the only easy solution is to temporarily move the disk across to the other computer

Reply to
geoff

Now there's a first!

Steve R

Reply to
Essjay001

I know this is a DIY group, but there is an element of RIP (Read it Properly) involved. Im' a thick shit "thieving pikey bastard" and I understood what Mary meant.

Steve R

Reply to
Essjay001

Oh, and seeing your reply about it being an "old, DOS computer", Laplink worked particularly well under DOS. I dare say its modern equivalent still has this ability.

Hwyl!

M.

Reply to
Martin Angove

Exactly. Just pop a piece of cardboard underneath it to make sure that none of the drive electronics touch the PC metalwork

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

Reply to
Andy Hall

Setting up networking on a DOS machine can be hard work and not easy to debug if it doesn't work. It probably isn't worth it.

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

Reply to
Andy Hall

Having scanned all the replies so far, as he needs DOS ->Windows then he either needs to follow the "plug the drive in outside the box" route, or use something like Laplink for DOS, which will also run on Windows:

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comes with a cable (or at least it did when I bought it some years ago!), and you can install it on either PC and then transfer it to the other using the cable and a DOS command which is detailed in the instructions.

Dunno whether you can still get it though - it is still listed in the laplink site

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but not on
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.

Reply to
Alan Shilling

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