Slave computers

I'm glad I read the whole thread first John, as this was my thought as well. Why not put another drive in the old machine and transfer the files to it, then put it in to the new machine. The only problem I can see is the formatting between the two operating systems but I'm sure someone can come up with an answer to that.

Then leave the cover off the pc and have the drive sat next to it until he's read the disks he wants to copy.

Dave Baker - Puma Race Engines

Or make both machines connectable to the Internet and email the data over. :)

OK, let's start again.

Assumption 1: old computer is running DOS. What version?

Assumption 2: new computer is running Windows of some sort; what version?

Assumption 3: This is a one-off hookup to get the files from old to new; how many disks are involved?

I could be wrong, but I have an idea that Compaq altered their floppy drive interface such that their drives weren't comptible with other manufacturers.

A laplink type connection is probably the way to go. I have done this many, many times with laplink, interlink, and PC anywhere.

If you want to get in touch Mary, I can sort you out with a suitable cable and software for your slave's pc :=))

An crossover ethernet cable some ethernet cards and a bit of software is all you need.

keep asking - need more dteails on the older machine, and teh newer...

Alternatively, if you have a friendly computer store - a one man band with a pony tailed hacker typically - somewhere in teh neighborhood, get them to do it for you for a small fee.

They may in fact be able to fit a 5 1/4" disk to the new machine, provided the old one is of a reasonably compatible nature (i.e. runs MSDOS, not Atari Battle station X blaster we rolled our own operating system etc etc.)

In the final analysis, a mid range old Unix machine and a good softwre guy can pobably read the diskjs and recover the data.

Dos has not really changed its format ever. Well it did get a tad fancier in later years, but it can still read old file structures.

Assumption 4: There is a hard drive on the old machine?

The BEST solution I have heard sugested was to get that out, and into teh new machine..

Well I managed or am I a figment of your vertual reality

Steve R

Ooh, I dunno. Used to do it all the time at work... but that was a Novell setup. New machine, DOS boot disc with Novell drivers, couple of commands and install DOS and Windows directly across the network. The biggest hassle was having to remember to load different drivers for different network cards.

Laplink (mentioned earlier) was able to transfer itself across the serial link. ISTR a simple COPY COM1: CON: (ummm... or something similar) was all that was required. It first loaded a batch file (text so came across easily) which ran and set up the ports correctly for high(ish) speed transfer of the actual program. Very clever. Well, I thought so anyway.

Hwyl!

M.

I have managed to use old files written in WP51 (dos) on a 386 system driven by DOS 5 backed up to a 120 MB Jumbo tape streamer via the dos prog that came with it and download onto a P3 Win 98 computer. I am able to read all these files with WORD 98 with out error. I don't think there will be too many probs on the software side

Steve R

Getting a network interface working under DOS can be fun, not to mention that the "old" computer is a Compaq, they really did do things "their own (incompatible) way" and still do to a certain extent.

Of course the old machine may only have ISA slots not PCI so getting a suitable network card and it's DOS drivers might be fun.

As I see it the simplest solution is to bung a 3.5" drive in the old machine, assuming that the floppy cable has the required female DIL socket not just PCB edge connectors for 5.25" drives and that the PSU has a miniature power connector.

Next I'd go for a null modem serial connection and (failing to find my little ZIP program) a couple of ordinary communications programs at each end using z-modem or similar to transfer the data. Windows Terminal will do on the window box and there are any number of free DOS programs about.

This would be a file by file operation though rather than disc by disc, of course one could zip up each 5.25" disc to a single file and transfer that.

Aye, but if we're talking about a compaq desktop without a 3.5" disk then unless DOS has been upgraded then it's not likely to be one of the later version.

I didn't remember ever coming across this in DOS 5.x - DOS 6 had loads of additional utilities bundled in (drivespace, etc).

We used to use a program called FX, pretty much equivalent to laplink.

but of course we don't yet know versions or vintage of the machine...

cheers Richard

-- Richard Sampson

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

PC DOS 5 came on dual media, AFAIR.

Remember that you only need Interlink on the newer machine anyway.

Don't you talk about my husband's floppies like that!

Mary

:-)))))))))

LOL!

I'll find out after dinner.

But tomorrow we're going to Berkeley Castle and shan't be back until Tuesday. You can talk about me while I'm gone but I hope this thread doesn't take over the ng ...

Mary

news:nyyfbegfubjuvyypbz.hihpea0.pminews@192.168.8.1...

My brain's hurting ...

Mary

I'm a very clever hands on IT Manager and I didn't get it :o)

Tim