Question about connecting 2 computers w/ethernet cable

[Ken90630]

Hey, All,

A friend of mine has a P4 clone PC and a laptop. Several years ago, some computer tech set her up with a Netgear router to enable her to transfer files back & forth between the PC and laptop via an ethernet cable. An ethernet cable goes from the PC to the router, with another ethernet cable going from the router to the laptop. Sort of a basic home networking deal (I guess). There are folders on the laptop and PC with names denoting the shared files so she can move documents back & forth & organize them in the appropriate folders. You get the picture.

Now, I know zero about networking. 😱 I want to replace her HD and do a fresh install of Windows (for reasons unrelated to networking), but I have no idea how to recreate what the other tech did. Do any of you guys know if the File & Settings Transfer Wizard within XP will 'copy' the networking 'setup' or config (whatever you wanna call it)? I was thinking I could install her existing HD as a slave drive to copy files over -- including that networking conifg if possible -- or, if necessary, put it in one of my machines just long enough to connect the two machines together and do the File & Settings transfer.

I know my way around PCs very well, but again, I know virtually nothing about networking. Any suggestions/advice about how to go about this?

 

[amdskip]

Short answer: you cannot copy the configuration over to my knowledge.

Good link: http://www.practicallynetworked.com/sharing/xp/filesharing.htm

Basically put the 2 computers in the same workgroup name (usually MSHOME or WORKGROUP) and then setup folder sharing.

 

[kevnich2]

What your asking for isn't possible (you can't copy over the configuration) but what your wanting is VERY very simple to do, just enable file sharing and give it a name. It's like a 5 second process. Even though JackMDS is bound to post in here, here's his site with a step by step tutorial of this: http://ezlan.net/Installing.html Before you format, just write down the share names, then backup up the entire hard drive, reinstall windows, restore the hard drive contents and re-share out the files.

 

[Ken90630]

Thanks, guys. So basically what I want to do is accomplished by just setting up File Sharing within Windows? And I won't have to do any 'configuring' with the router itself, and its software (if there is any), to make this happen? I just have to have both computers connected to the router, then set up the File Sharing?