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Connecting Old Laptop On Win 98 To My XP Pro Desktop

H

Harvey

Administrator<br>Elite Member
A friend is coming over in a few minutes with his lappy on Win 98. He may need a complete reinstallation of the OS. All I know is, it's not powerful enough to consider putting it on XP.

I haven't seen it, yet, so I'm not sure of the interconnects, but he says it has a USB port and a PCMCIA card slot. I don't know if it has an ethernet port.

If I have to re-install Win 98, I'd like to be able to access the web to do all the necessary security updates, etc. through my DSL connection. Questions:

1. Can I boot that machine to Win 98, connect it through a USB cable to my desktop and access the web through my NIC?

2. I don't expect his machine to be able to read my NTFS drive, but will I be able to read his machine and transfer files to it through the USB port.

Alternative suggestions welcome.

TIA. :beer: 😎
 
Originally posted by: Harvey
A friend is coming over in a few minutes with his lappy on Win 98. He may need a complete reinstallation of the OS. All I know is, it's not powerful enough to consider putting it on XP.

I haven't seen it, yet, so I'm not sure of the interconnects, but he says it has a USB port and a PCMCIA card slot. I don't know if it has an ethernet port.

If I have to re-install Win 98, I'd like to be able to access the web to do all the necessary security updates, etc. through my DSL connection. Questions:

1. Can I boot that machine to Win 98, connect it through a USB cable to my desktop and access the web through my NIC?
Click to expand...

You will need to set up a USB network between the two machines, I think windows XP has drivers for this, but '98 probably doesn't. You also need the right cable.

2. I don't expect his machine to be able to read my NTFS drive, but will I be able to read his machine and transfer files to it through the USB port.
Click to expand...

Yep, if you get a USB network going, you will be able to transfer files both ways regardless of the file systems used.

 
Originally posted by: Harvey
1. Can I boot that machine to Win 98, connect it through a USB cable to my desktop and access the web through my NIC?
Click to expand...
No you can Not. Regular USB Cable would connect 5V to 5V and Ground to Ground of the two computers and might Fry one or two Motherboard (Potential differences 101).

Networking through USB needs a special USB Cable that has a USB Buffer Interface in the Middle.
2. I don't expect his machine to be able to read my NTFS drive, but will I be able to read his machine and transfer files to it through the USB port.
Click to expand...
You would be able to read and exchange Files, Ethernet Networks do Not care what type of FAT is on the Win OS.

If you do not have a Router this page would help, Direct Connect.

If you do have a Router, get a USB to Ethernet Device and keep it Handy. Using this Device, you can turn any Computer?s USB port to an external Ethernet port and plug it to your Router.

Example: http://www.buy.com/prod/Trendware_USB_T...rnal_TU_ET100C/q/loc/415/10352459.html

OS Selection.

For Internet security purposes, if the Laptop is better then P-300 (300MHz) and has 128MB RAM (or more) you night be better of updating the OS to Win2000.

:sun:
 
I wouldn't spend the money on a license for any other OS with an older laptop. 98 should be OK for this.
 
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