Digital Cameras

[John Boggiano]

ORIGINAL: kevin


As for file transfer, all I do is to slave the old drive onto the new system and pull all the files across.

Kevin.

How does someone with reasonable intelligence (!) and a reasonable grasp of computers, for a novice, go about this?

Also, I' m sure many will be pleased to know that I' ve finally settled on a system from Dell!

Edit:Here' s the spec.

Standard Features: Intel 845GL Chipset
Midnight Grey Micro-Tower Chassis with 6 USB 2.0 Ports (2 at front) and 4 PCI Slots
Onboard Sound: Integrated AC' 97 Audio
Integrated Intel Extreme Graphics
Integrated 10/100 Ethernet Network Card
3.5 inch 1.44MB Floppy Drive
Norton AntiVirus 2003 (with 90 days free virus updates)

Enhanced Support Packs: 3 Year On-Site Next Business Day Service Support

Processor Upgrade: Intel Pentium 4 Processor 2.0GHz

Memory: 384MB DDR RAM (1x256MB + 1x128MB DIMM)
Hard Drive: 60GB IDE Hard Drive (7200 rpm)

Monitor: Dell 17" (17.0" VIS) Analogue Flat Panel Monitor

Optical Drives: 48x CD-Rewriter

Speakers: Harman Kardon 206 Speakers

Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition

Modem - UK: Dell 56k Data Fax modem

Software: Microsoft Works 7.0

Keyboard: Dell Standard PS2 Keyboard

Mouse: MS PS/2 Intelli 2 Btn Whl Mse

 

[kevin]

Hi John,

It should be easy, though complications can arise. You should
1. Make the old drive a Slave using the configuration pins on the back.
2. Fit it to the 80 pin connector using the Grey(slave) connector, not the blue(motherboard) or black(master).
3. Make sure the BIOS has auto detect enabled
4. If the O/S asks for boot info because of duplicate O/S' s then choose the latest which should be XP Home
5. Boot into windows and check to see if it has been picked up correctly.
6. If it has not then use the Admin tools, and computer management to check disk management section, use this to enable the drive, and check for FAT32 or NTFS capability.
7. Simply Drag and drop files that have no dll' s into the folder of your choice, or use XP files and settings transfer capability to move them.

This is pretty much shorthand, but it should work ok, the main difficulty will be if XP sees two boot sectors, and if the disk management section fails to identify the disks correctly. Installed programmes that you want to transfer is not one of my areas of expertise, I usually just re-install these, its easier and less troublesome long term.
What ever though ther' s a lot of forum' s out there that can help if you can' t get it to work, Cheshire is just not around the corner otherwise I' d be on your doorstep right now.
Oh one last thing, make regular backups, don' t just think about it. Do it, you never know.
I have just crucified 3 IBM deskstars (we call them deathstars for obvious reasons) in 15 months, I could have lost a lot of data.

 

[Guest]

ORIGINAL: John Boggiano

Also, I' m sure many will be pleased to know that I' ve finally settled on a system from Dell!

Good choice,
Hope you are as satisfied, as I am with mine. The Flat Panel Monitor is super to use, worth the extra money.

Cheers
Ken

 

[John Boggiano]

ORIGINAL: kevin

1. Make the old drive a Slave using the configuration pins on the back.
2. Fit it to the 80 pin connector using the Grey(slave) connector, not the blue(motherboard) or black(master).

So, if I understand this correctly...

I open both computer casings.
Disconnect the hard drive from the old PC and connect it to a grey ribbon cable in the new.
Boot up the new PC.
If it all boots up, go into My Computer (?) in the new PC, open the ' old' hard drive and drag and drop files from it to wherever I want.

Is that basically correct, or a disaster waiting to happen?

TIA

 

[Guest]

Possibly, disaster waiting.....

Kevin mentions an 80 pin connector. That would be a SCSI SCA or SCA-2 connector. You are buying a system with an IDE drive which have 40 pin connectors and a separate power connector. (Let' s ignore serial IDE.)

1 IDE cable can work 2 hard drives; one end of the cable has a socket to connect to the motherboard and there are 2 sockets at the other end (one set a few cms from the end). Usually, there are 2 IDE connectors on the motherboard so allowing 4 devices to be connected.

Looking at your spec, the hard drive will probably be on the Primary IDE and the CD-RW on the Secondary IDE. (Note: they may have cut costs by putting the drive & CD-RW on one cable so there may not be a second IDE cable. If so, use the IDE cable from your old PC to connect the old drive to the new motherboard.)

If the drive & CD-RW are on separate IDE cables, you could remove the old drive and put it in the new PC as a slave on either IDE cable. You would need to set the drive to Slave.

If the CD-RW is on a separate IDE cable you could disconnect the CD-RW and connect the IDE and power to the old drive. If this is the Secondary IDE (it should be) then the old drive can be left as Master. Your Primary IDE/Master is used to boot before the Secondary IDE/Master.

All this before we even get to mention the BIOS.

And, please remember that you probably invalidate your warranty just by opening the case never mind connecting another drive.

You might consider:

if you have a CD-R on your old PC write the files to CD

if you have a fast internet connection put files on the net temporarily

buy/borrow a network card for your old PC and transfer PC - PC

forgetting floppy []

Regards

Bob

 

[John Boggiano]

Thanks, Bob.

When you say ' set the old drive to ' slave' ' , how do you do this?

 

[Guest]

John, at the back of the drive where the connector and power supply go, there should be a group of pins. Some of these will be bridged by a couple of small rectangular connectors. These connectors each join 2 adjacent pins.

There is often a small diagram on the drive showing the pins which need to be connected to make the drive Master or Slave. If no diagram, try the manufacturer' s website.

You may need to delve into the BIOS to allow the new PC to recognise the old drive.

Are you going to have a go at this then?

Regards

Bob

 

[John Boggiano]

It depends how brave I feel!

Another option I thought of (which would leave my warranty intact!) is to send my old hard drive to one of you friendly, useful types and have you transfer the contents of ' my documents' to CDs for me.

My new PC has a CD rewriter, but (obviously) not my old. If I whittle down the contents, what I really want comes to only 574 MB.

Edit: I' ve become an enthusiast and developed a third blob!

 

[kevin]

John,

If you want to send the drive to me, I' ll burn them to CD for you, its a hobby of mine.....[] assisting good folks.
Otherwise, you could find someone who has a USB HD or CDR and use this, or go for a parrallel port or LAN transfer if bothe P.C.s support this. Laplink being teh software to use on Parrallel port transfer, the downside being this is horrendously slow, and I mean really slow. Teeth pullingly slow.
Just for info, 80 pin connectors are standard fare on ATA 100/133 ide connectors, I use them here, not just the reserve of the SCSI fold. If the old 40 pin connectors are used then the drive reverts to ATA66/33 spec or worse still PIO mode, yeuch. Bob is essentialy correct though, now I guess the decision is yours....

Kevin

 

[John Boggiano]

That' s another drink I owe you, Kevin!

I' ll be in touch when my new Dell arrives - probabaly about 10 - 14 days.

TYVM.

[]

 

[Guest]

ORIGINAL: John Boggiano

Edit: I' ve become an enthusiast and developed a third blob!

I didn' t get any extra blobs for reaching a hundred postings, do you think that I have blown the system ?[:-]

 

[Guest]

Kevin, the IDE/ATA standard uses 40 pin connectors. However, the UDMA specs require an 80 way cable for UDMA mode 3 and above. The 40 way connectors are still used but the cable has 80 conductors.

The additional 40 conductors are all grounded and lie between the signal conductors. 1 pin tells the system it' s UDMA (don' t remember which offhand).


Regards

Bob

 

[kevin]

Hi Bob,


You are quite correct. Meant conductors, said connectors, Must get a typing spell check, and grammer check for the fingers.................


Kevin.

 

[Guest]

Kevin, I think we both know (knew?) what we are talking about.

The big question is... Will John have a go and dive into his new PC?

[:-][:-][:-][:-]​

 

[John Boggiano]

I' m really tempted to, but the thought of touching something I shouldn' t puts me off!

Also, even if it all went to plan, the casing probably has some sort of tamper-evident seal on it - breaking this may come back to haunt me if I have a problem in the future that needs me to call upon the warranty.

 

[John Boggiano]

I should have called this thread ' Technology' ...

Update on the Dell situation -

I ordered the system online on Saturday, giving my business address for delivery.
I called the credit card company to ask them if this address would be OK and they said ' No - we can only log one address for you' . I couldn' t change the address they have logged because I also had some other stuff on order, heading for the home address.

I called Dell on Monday morning to ask them, therefore, to change the delivery address. I also queried why I had received no confirmatory email. I was told that changing the address was tricky and would have to be done when the PC reached ' dispatch' . I was told the ' Internet Team' would contact me. Since then - nothing.

I called Dell again today and after moving through umpteen menus (where the voice was almost inaudibly quiet - AND THEN WAY TOO LOUD), found the order had been cancelled!

I have now reordered, but am not a happy bunny - Dell had two phone numbers for me, a fax number and my email address - but nobody bothered to tell me my order was cancelled or, in fact, contact me at all!

Edit: You have to laugh! I have now received umpteen emails from Dell. Who knows which order they relate to?!

I have a Customer Number, a ' Dell' Customer Number, an Order Number, a ' Dell' order Number, a Tracking Number (but no ' Dell' tracking Number!), an Internet Receipt Number...

[]

 

[Guest]

I can' t let this thread finish without at least a mention of Nikon! I use a Nikon D1X (see the results at www.porschepictures.net) - the D1X is pricey but well equipped - the new D100 is cheaper and has pretty much the features any keen amateur would need. Both are SLR and both take Nikon F-fit lenses.
Happy to share any digital photogeaphy experiences (including info on extensive software library) if anyone is interested.

 

[Guest]

RE Dell.

Hi John, sorry to hear your problems. I seem to remember, I had some trouble over the credit card. Gave them the number of a card that have been re-issued or something like that. But I had a nice young lady dealing with my order, who follow the progress, right up to delivery. Don' t you have a " name" to contact.

Hope it' s sorted now.
Best wishes
Ken

 

[John Boggiano]

ORIGINAL: Ken

RE Dell.

Don' t you have a " name" to contact.

No. Ironically, I DID have a ' name' when I started the process, as I used telesales. That person wasn' t available when I made the decision to buy - on Saturday, so I ordered over the net and am without a named contact as a result.
It looks as if it' s going to plan now, fortunately.

Also, my camera - [] I was promised in an email I would have it on Tuesday. needless to say, it hasn' t arrived yet! I forget where that' s coming from as the details are on my PC at work.

Ho hum.

On a similar note... and going even further off topic...

I have been trying on and off for six months to get an autotrimmer (recommended by Southbound) to recarpet my 964. He won' t ring back, won' t give me a quotation...

I have even said - ' Forget the quotation, just do the job' and he still doesn' t give me a date! It is quite local to me and would use SB parts, so I am reluctant to go elsewhere, but it' s a farce! He tells me rubbish like ' I' ll do it for the same price as Southbound, but I' m waiting for them to get back to me with a price...' .

I call SB and get a price instantly!

Then he tells me ' OK - I' ll fax you a booking form right now' but... well you can guess the rest! []

 

[Guest]

ORIGINAL: John Boggiano

Also, my camera - [] I was promised in an email I would have it on Tuesday. needless to say, it hasn' t arrived yet! I forget where that' s coming from as the details are on my PC at work.

Hi John, has your camera arrived yet and which one did you decide to order?

Look forward to seeing some pictures.
Ken