Don't put things in the public Dropbox folder.
Posted on 09/08/2010 8:15:38 AM PDT by Chickensoup
Remote access is for controlling one PC from the other anywhere in the world. You do not need or want that for this project.
You could also save yourself a LOT of heartbreak and just take the 2 PCs to BestBuy and PAY them to do this. It will take them a couple of days, and it isn’t CHEAP. But they DO good work.
Maybe where you are but the BB types out here in SC need a lot of help.
By far the easiest way to transfer files is via a USB memory stick. Networking 2 PCs can be problematic for non-techies. Just use the Windows Explorer (NOT the Internet Explorer) to find and drag copies of files to the stick, and then later from the stick to the other computer. Make a list of all the programs you actually use and determine where they store your data, because some data may not be located in the “MyDocuments” folder. Any programs that you want to run on the new computer must be reinstalled - you cannot simply copy them over.
Yeah, well, if not them, there are a dozens of little mom and pop PC guys trying to make a living who would be THRILLED to have a new customer.
Moving to a new PC is not for the faint hearted. And MicroSoft doesn’t make PCs so they don’t CARE.
1. Install Dropbox on each computer.
2. Put files in directory you want to sync.
3. Done!
Install Dropbox here:
http://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTY0NzY2OQ
DO NOT USE DROPBOX TO TRANSFER FILES BETWEEN HOME PCs IF ANY OF THE FILES HAVE PERSONAL IDENTIFYING INFORMATION AND OR BANK/FINANCIAL OR MEDICAL RECORDS.
You surrender your 4th Amendment rights when you use dropbox according to rulings in several Federal District Courts.
If you can move the PCs close enough together, use a CAT5 cable to create a wired network just between the two PCs.
Depending on the type of network adapter you have on each PC, this could transfer files at 10Mb/S or 100Mb/s , which should take you no more than a few minutes.
If you don’t have a cat5 ethernet cable, I’d suggest buying a USB external Harddrive or a USB thumbdrive. With the idea being after you finish this task, either of those will have continued value to your household and be used repeatedly.
Windows has an “Easy Transfer Wizard” that is made for migration to a Windows 7 machine.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/products/features/windows-easy-transfer
Pick your operating system from the downloa doptions and install on your old machine. Run the program, select what you need to transfer, and start building the transfer files. The wizard bundles all the files to be transfered into large compressed files that you can then copy to the new machine by your selected method of transfer. DO yourself a favor and make sure you select the correct size to create the transfer files.... i.e. size of a Cd, size of a DVD, etc.
On the new windows 7 machine... simply type in “easy transfer in the “run...” box in the start menu and the easy transfer wizard will be the first search result. RUn the wizard, point it toward your large compressed files you copied to the new machine, and you’ll be finished in 30 to 60 minutes.
Do you have an external hard drive you can transfer your old files to and then hook the drive to the new computer and download them or leave them all on the external drive. As long as it’s not a Maxtor, which has a high fail rate. Western Digital is pretty reliable. Also, get a computer back-up program, such as Carbonite.
Don't put things in the public Dropbox folder.
Dropbox corporation has by law to immediately hand over all files in any user account within 24 hours of a non-subpoena request from any of over a dozen Federal LEO Agencies.
With a subpoena, any LEO or prosecutor in the country can access all files uploaded to Dropbox.
This is the law of the land. It has been tested in court at least three times in the last 2 years.
The datacenter management industry is fretting over this law so much so they’ve spent millions of dollars lobbying Congress to change the law, because cloud computing becomes an unacceptable security risk to large corporations.
I’m one of them and for some of the yo yos I have met at Best Buy, I wouldn’t trust any of them.
I’ve applied for those little tech jobs. They act like they want Bachelor’s in computer science with an MCSE. I’ve also overheard those guys push a lot of overpriced and sometimes unnecessary service.
You are “one of them”? Which? A mom and pop shop? And you don’t HAVE your MS Certs? I am not a shop and I have both MS and Apple basic certs. They don’t cost much to take a test for a couple hours. The Apple one costs way more than the MS though. Most of the senior BB Geeks have some certs too. Now the average bench kid doesn’t, but still, to copy files over is cake for BB and all profit.
So, I guess the user shouldn’t use the product if they have sensitive documents. Nor should they use Gmail, Yahoo mail, any web hosting service, any cloud service, MS office online, Google Apps, Remember the Milk, Evernote, etc.
Yes, the subpoena problem is a serious one.
However, Dropbox is an extremely useful tool and this is one of the legitimate uses of that tool. If the user doesn’t expect to be under any legal threat, it’s just fine to use Dropbox. I do think we have at least a few weeks left before Fedzilla is keeping tabs on all of our Dropboxes.
I’m just me who apparently does OK. Break/fix and other stuff is one thing I have going.
Ironically for a long time I carried MS certs and no one cared. After a long time I let that go and after that people would talk to me.
I need to get around to an Apple cert. Every now and then I see an Apple tech job out there. I’ve worked on some towers and a notebook in Apple land.
Just plug it in.... copy your files wholesale... eject the device correctly.
Plug it into the other machine... copy them from the portable HD to the main drive on the new machine.
Please keep in mind... this isnt a "back up"... you are using the raw [portable] HD space to copy your stuff... and move it to new [digital] environs....
I hope it all works out....
I did it ! I did it!!
1. Make sure that you have a username with the same password on each Windows system.
2. Turn on Windows File and Printer Sharing on the target Windows system. Make sure both Windows systems reside in the same workgroup. Make sure that the Windows firewall allows for Windows File and Printer Sharing.
3. Pick a directory and create a network share, making sure to set the proper Read-Write permissions for the username in (1).
4. On the Windows system that is the source of your files, go to Network Neighborhood (or My Network Places, or whatever it's called now), browse the network, double click on the other Windows system's computer icon, double click on the share, and then copy.
5. Turn off Windows File and Printer Sharing on both Windows systems if you intend to use either or both of them on untrusted networks.
* This procedure assumes you have a functioning, ad-hoc wireless network established between both Windows systems with static, private IP addresses set.
Congrats!!
I did it thank you and all!!
NOW to install the PROGRAMS!!!
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