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Direct
Cable Connection!
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Direct
Cable Connection:
by Raymond Garcia
WebTechGeek.com -
I don't recommend ever directly copying
programs from an old hard drive to a new one because you'll
often leave key pieces of the program behind that reside
somewhere in the system registry. Without these pieces,
you'll find the programs you transfer won't run at all,
or at least not as smoothly as they did before. For this
reason, you should always reinstall all of the programs
you plan to run on any new machine.
To transfer files using the DCC method,
you'll need a USB, parallel port cable, or a null modem
serial cable. After you've tracked one of these three
cables down, connect the two computers together by inserting
the cable into the correct port connection. When using
a DCC, you must keep in mind which computer is going to
be delegated "host," and which is going to be the "guest."
Generally, if you were to connect a laptop to a PC, the
laptop would be considered the guest computer. But in
this case we'll be delegating the new computer you're
transferring files to as the guest.
The old computer will then be considered
the host. You now will need to see if DCC is installed
on either computer before you begin to transfer files.
Verifying DCC is installed To check if DCC is installed
on the host computer, follow these directions: Press Windows
Start > Settings > click Control Panel Double-click the
Add/Remove icon. Now, click on the Windows Setup tab.
Double-click the Communications icon. Check to see if
Direct Cable Connection is checked. If the box is check
marked, hit OK. If the box is blank, check it and hit
apply. Now, follow these same directions to verify DCC
exists on the guest computer.
Using DCC The DCC control panel is relatively
easy to understand. Basically, it uses a setup wizard
that guides you through the processes of the program.
To start using DCC, follow these directions: Access the
DCC control panel on both computers by clicking Windows
Start > Programs > Accessories > Communications > and
select DCC. Be sure to set the guest PC and host PC correctly.
Once you've finished with the setup wizard,
you now should be able to share files between the two
computers you just connected. Troubleshooting If for some
reason you're having trouble getting the two computers
to share files, try double checking to see if they're
correctly connected. Check to see if the cable you purchased
is inserted all the way into the slot where it belongs.
Check out Microsoft's support section to using a direct
cable connection.