Can't make a guest Direct Cable Connection in XP

[Hawks]

Current developments:

I have a Direct Cable Connection set up on the 98 and it works. I can't set up a guest direct connection on the XP desktop, only a 'incoming connecitions' connections (ie host). If I try to set up the connection 'backwards', the 98 can't find the XP computer. I have both a serial cable and a parallel cable, from the LapLink thing, but the XP comp doesn't recognize the serial cable. I've gone into the bios and changed the parallel port to EPP and ECP to no avail.

 

I have reached a problem. The Laptop, as far as I know, does not have an Ethernet adapter. It doesn't have a slot for the cable, so I can't go the easy way and simply put both comps on the same network, and I can't just stick a network card in it, even if I had one. I do have a serial cable and a parallel cable; I have 'LapLink V' which will not even install on Win98 (98 is too new for it... :P) and thusly I need to network somehow with a parallel or a serial cable. Are there any free programs that enable me to do so between Win98 and WinXP?

 

In regards to LapLink: Their website says the V version I have is DOS and runs under 95/98 but won't install. DOS Command Prompt under XP is not applicable to DOS, so the installer won't work there either. I am going to attempt to copy the files to a directory on both machines and run in MSDOS mode to see what happens. My simpler question of a free app that works on 98 and XP still stands. LapLink's instructions on how to get around this problem give me 404 errors so the page doesn't exist on their end.

 

Or am I setting up the network the wrong way? I have both comps in MSGROUP and have [both] a parallel cable and a serial cable hooked up. I used the wizard in XP to set it up, it finds MSGROUP but doesn't find LAPTP, the other comp. I don't remember the path to get it to go directly there, either; I tried msgroup\\laptp and that didn't work, nor did \\laptp. I tried finding both computers on either (with 'Find Computers') and failed, so I guess I haven't got the right setup, because I'm pretty sure I've got the right cables.

 

Also editing first page to reflect this development.

 

 

[hide=original info]I have a 14yo laptop, with Win98 (not SE), a 6.8 GB mini hard drive, a floppy drive, and a CD drive (128MB RAM ftl). My grandmother is insane, and she would very much like to have some 8 years of emails taken off of it [it is her laptop, currently in my possession]. She uses Outlook Express as her email client, as her email is provided by her ISP.

 

So far I have achieved:

Export emails from Outlook Express to Outlook

Export from Outlook to a Personal Folder File (.pts? Dunno if this is right filetype)

Copy those files to another folder in preparation for removal to another computer

Find settings folder for Outlook Express and decide it would be good to copy that as well

STOP. Can't get files off comp, too big for a floppy, I can't burn a CD or use a flash drive. The settings/pst files are like 150MB. I may try to copy the entire program to ensure working order though. At the moment I am unsure which program her computer has, and/or which she's using for her email atm.

Quick Google search later; her current comp (win xp pro) has Outlook Express on it.

 

So questions:

1. Anyone know about compatibility of Personal Folder Files with Outlook Express and would it be possible to simply copy those files/import them into Outlook Express?

2. If not/otherwise are there other filetypes shared/compatibile between Outlook and Outlook Express or old Outlook Express to newer Outlook Express (I think it's v6 on the XP)

3. Is there a way to transfer those files without removing the HD? I can't put them on a floppy (too big), I can't load flash drive drivers, and I can't burn a CD.

----3a. Anybody know how big the file for WinZip is, or know a more compact file archiver/compressor? This is the best way I can think of at the moment to get this off.

 

Additional information:

Everything will come out of this computer, the floppy, the CD, the battery, and the HD. It's about the size of the floppy drive, says 6.8 Gb on it. It's in a weird harness that enables it to plug right into a slot in the computer, but it says it's an ASA/IDE drive. I have access to a number of machines with Win98SE that I could theoretically put the laptop HD into, copy (even the entire contents of the HD probably) on to a flashdrive, and be done with it. However, the HD may have viruses on it. The Win98SE comps have old AVG on them, that run a bootup scanner. Would this probably find any viruses on it? She has dialup, and for the time it was able to connect to the internet, it had Norton AntiVirus 2004 (which I uninstalled because it ate RAM). Or is it [this is more likely] that the OS is just a piece of crap, the HD is totally fragmented, and there's so much crap on it it runs freakishly slow? (I thought so).

 

Thanks for helping with my crazy old slow computer problems.[/hide]

[Sy_Accursed]

The laptop can recieve emails ergo it is on a network.

Copy across the network?

[Guy]

Maybe play around with WinRAR and see what kind of size files you get by compressing into .rar, .7z etc?

 

Or just remove the HDD and stick it into your desktop if it's got an IDE slot/you have an IDE cable.

[Hawks]

The laptop can recieve emails ergo it is on a network.

Copy across the network?

Not currently on a network, network was dialup anyway.

 

Going to try to stick it in a comp with IDE cable tomorrow.

[Basmans]

Just mail the mails? That would be my idea. Hope I didn't miss anything here.

[Sy_Accursed]

The laptop can recieve emails ergo it is on a network.

Copy across the network?

Not currently on a network, network was dialup anyway.

 

Going to try to stick it in a comp with IDE cable tomorrow.

 

But you have the laptop;.

You are online.

 

Ergo you have a network and a laptop that can use it.

[Hawks]

Ergo I have another computer on the network that is online.

 

Laptop is crap. I don't have a cable to directly connect laptop to router. Does not have a wireless card. Is not attached to internet.

 

Currently archiving file to see how big it is, per Guy's suggestion.

[lordkafei]

You can use WinRAR to split to volumes of various sizes - including 3.5" floppies. You can take the archive off in pieces that way.

 

It's on the General tab when you create your archive.

 

You may end up with a few hundred pieces, but at least you can get them off the laptop.

[Hawks]

Yeah 222 floppy sized archive pieces. Not worth doing when there's only 3.05 Gb of stuff on it anyway. I took it apart, and tried to IDE it but it's not IDE, I think it'll fit on the floppy cable though, which is smaller (duh). I was worried about getting power to it but I think the floppy power will work too. Didn't get a chance to discuss it with my teacher today as he was gone, so I gutted another computer which is now not even turning on; going to replace PSU and hope it works. It's the most convoluted PC design ever; they tried to cram as much stuff in as little space as possible, I think.

[lordkafei]

If you are willing to spend money, you could always go the Laplink route, though that's a bit pricey for a 1-time use. But if your grandmother is writing the check, hey.

[VARN]

You could use a null modem cable if you have a serial ports, a DirectParallel cable if you have parallel ports. Then just use windows to set up the network.

[Hawks]

You could use a null modem cable if you have a serial ports, a DirectParallel cable if you have parallel ports. Then just use windows to set up the network.

 

Sounds like a plan. I'll have to try that, I believe I've got both on the laptop, one or the other on other comps, plus spare cables around. :thumbup:

[Hawks]

I have reached a problem. The Laptop, as far as I know, does not have an Ethernet adapter. It doesn't have a slot for the cable, so I can't go the easy way and simply put both comps on the same network, and I can't just stick a network card in it, even if I had one. I do have a serial cable and a parallel cable; I have 'LapLink V' which will not even install on Win98 (98 is too new for it... :P) and thusly I need to network somehow with a parallel or a serial cable. Are there any free programs that enable me to do so between Win98 and WinXP?

 

In regards to LapLink: Their website says the V version I have is DOS and runs under 95/98 but won't install. DOS Command Prompt under XP is not applicable to DOS, so the installer won't work there either. I am going to attempt to copy the files to a directory on both machines and run in MSDOS mode to see what happens. My simpler question of a free app that works on 98 and XP still stands. LapLink's instructions on how to get around this problem give me 404 errors so the page doesn't exist on their end.

 

Or am I setting up the network the wrong way? I have both comps in MSGROUP and have [both] a parallel cable and a serial cable hooked up. I used the wizard in XP to set it up, it finds MSGROUP but doesn't find LAPTP, the other comp. I don't remember the path to get it to go directly there, either; I tried msgroup\\laptp and that didn't work, nor did \\laptp. I tried finding both computers on either (with 'Find Computers') and failed, so I guess I haven't got the right setup, because I'm pretty sure I've got the right cables.

 

Also editing first page to reflect this development.

[VARN]

When you get to the network connection type screen in XP select, set up an advanced connection; then connect directly to another computer, then select guest. That should make XP the guest. I do not know of any free programs, I have always just used windows to network all my computers.

 

EDIT: I found this, it may do what you want.

[Hawks]

When I get to the advanced connection selection screen, the 'direct connection to computer' option is always grayed out, I don't know why. My only available option is 'Allow incoming connections' which doesn't work.

 

Going to try that program and see if it works.

 

Otherwise: any suggestions on forcing a computer with one serial port (with BIOS options Auto, COM1, and COM3) to become COM2? I got LapLink to work in DOS but it needs to open COM2, which the computer doesn't have. I've tried adding a COM port in the BIOS but it was COM3 by default and had some issues...