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Laptop file transfer question?

I just got a new laptop. I need to transfer all the files (MP3, pics, word docs) from my old laptop to my new laptop. I have an external hardrive available if I need it. How EXACTALLY do I get the files from one hard drive to another? I've heard people say you can transfer files from one computer to another, I just don't quite understand how you connect A to B to get the info from A to B...if you get what I mean. Help!

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    Ok, it's easy. You have an external hard drive. You connect it via cable to the USB port. You can tell which port it is on the laptop by the flat shaped end of the connector on the cable. When you boot up your old laptop it should automatically recognize you have a new USB device connected. Once the laptop has fully booted, click on the My Computer icon to open it up. You will see a listing of available drives. Your primary drive will be C: If you have a DVD or CD drive it will probably be D: If you don't have a DVD or CD drive then your external hard drive will probably be D: or E: or even F:.

    Locate the files you have on your old computer, highlight them and drag and drop them onto the drive letter that represents your external drive. Once you're done copying shutdown your old laptop, disconnect the external drive from your old computer and connect it via the USB cable to your new laptop. Boot your new laptop. Open up "My Computer" and find the drive letter that represents your external hard drive. Highlight that drive and drag it over to a your C: drive to copy all of the files over to your new computer. Or you can copy a few files at a time.

    I hope this helps. Good Luck.

  • 1 decade ago

    The first thing you should do is make sure both laptops can "see" the external hardrive. If it connect via USB, this could be pretty simple. The external drive will show up as drive D: or E: when you double-click on My Computer. You can then just click and drag all the files you want to copy off the old one, move the drive, and click and drag them to the new one. The same process would apply if you have or can borrow a USB flash drive. Using a USB device will be the easiest way to accomplish this.

    You can also connect both computer together over a network or null modem cable but this is too complicated to discuss here. The wizard can walk you through it. Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> Files and Settings Transfer Wizard.

  • 1 decade ago

    Well, there are a few ways to do this. But since you say that you have an external hard drive available, let's stick with that method since it's probably the easiest to explain.

    Hook up the external to the old laptop. Copy all files that you wish to transfer onto the external (make sure you put them in a file folder where you will remember they are)

    Hook up the external to the new laptop. Take all those files that you have saved and resave them onto the hard drive on your new laptop, and VOILA! your files are transferred.

    you could set up networks, and get cross-over cables, etc, blah, but this method is probably the easiest. Glad to help!

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    The external hard drive is what youll need. This is what you do:

    Connect the hard drive to the old laptop.

    "drag and drop" the files you want to move into the external hard drive.

    Connect the external drive to the new laptop and drag the files back into the music folder and etc.

    That should do the trick.

    Source(s): Im a nerdy computer store worker....Its my job.
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  • 1 decade ago

    Well it is possible to network them, but you probably don't want to set up a network to just send files one time when you have an external hardrive. Just connect the external harddrive. Open up the hardrive in My Computer, and just drag and drop files from your laptop's hardrive to your external harddrive.

  • 1 decade ago

    Use Windows "My computer" find the files and folders and drag them to the external drive...

    Then hook it to the laptop and drag them from the hard drive to your laptop.

    You can transfer files from PC to PC but it is more complicated than using an external drive. That you asked this question I'd say forget the PC-to-PC route.

  • 1 decade ago

    Honestly, the fastest way is using a jump drive or a flash drive - put it into your old laptop via the USB port, put it into your flash drive, then pull it out and put it into your new comp - it's pretty quick - as a matter of fact, if you have an ipod, you could use that - any flash based drive will be pretty quick.

  • shea
    Lv 4
    5 years ago

    there are multiple training on a thank you to pass records between computers; a million. upload the records to between the various on line storage centers, then receive onto the recent computing gadget 2. Use a USB flash disk 3. Burn the records to a CD or DVD 4. purchase a bypass over cable and connect the two computers jointly 5. enable report sharing for the time of a interior of reach community probable the least complicated is to purchase a bypass over cable.

  • 1 decade ago

    u need a data transfer cable which is similar to a LAN cable just attach it with both the laptops n u can go to work group computers and go into the other computer and copy stuff

    but first share the stuff to be copied

    hope it will be useful

  • 1 decade ago

    Go here and get ICE MIRROR: http://www.shareup.com/ICE_Mirror-download-15250.h...

    Then connect your external drive and copy all files to drive.....

    then install same program on new laptop and do the same to the new one.... i mean mirror them onto the new one.

    This program is also a good straightforward program to backup to your external drive. Check it out......

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