When you buy a new computer, you’ll want to transfer most of your existing files over to the new computer. A lot of people, who spend their time gathering vacation pictures and family videos, will want to make a big move leaving nearly nothing behind. Others, like myself, only keep the essential stuff; some documents they’re still working on and a few application installations they’ll be needing shortly.
No matter how much you plan on taking along, you want to do it quickly. Spend the minimal amount of time before you can cut that old hardware loose. There are a number of ways to do this, and we’re taking a look at five of the ways to transfer files from one computer to another. Depending on what you’re working with, some might be better than others.
Use an External Storage Media
Obviously, this is the way most people do it. Stick a USB flash drive in one computer, copy the data. Stick the same drive in the other computer, paste the data. Simple. Or you could use an external hard drive if you have more data than can fit on a flash drive.
If both computers have USB 3.0 ports, you might want to consider investing in one of the fastest flash drives around. When you have a lot of data to move, speed becomes important! 5 Of The Fastest USB 3.0 Flash Drives You Should BuyWhich are the fastest USB 3.0 flash drives you can buy, without having to spend a small fortune? We've covered five of the fastest, ranging in price from $20 to $200.READ MORE
There’s one quicker way. Check if the computer you want to move data to has an eSATA port or available SATA slot. If it does, disconnect the hard drive from the original computer and just connect it to the new computer. Boom, it’ll show up as another drive on the target PC. You can transfer data over SATA, which will be faster than USB.
Share Over LAN or Wi-Fi
For computers close to each other, there are two main ways to share files and folders. The first is to set up a local area network (LAN) so you can use one PC to browse the other’s hard drives. The second is to use software to transfer files over Wi-Fi.
Share Your Drive
All the major operating systems have a built-in option to set up a home network. This lets devices on the same router (connected via Ethernet or Wi-Fi) recognize each other permanently. So when you need to transfer files between computers, you don’t need to set up a new connection each time; it’s always on, as long as both computers are on.
We have a simple guide for you to set up a home network between Windows and Mac. The process also works with Windows-to-Windows and Mac-to-Mac. If you’re on Linux, the menu system depends on your operating system. But once you’re in network settings, you’ll find that it’s similar to how you set up a home network on MacOS. Easily Share Files Between Windows 7, 8 and Mac OS XCross platform file sharing sounds complicated, but it doesn't have to be. Here's how to get a PC and and a Mac to share files with each other.READ MORE
Share With Software
If both the computers are on the same Wi-Fi network, you can transfer files with some simple software. It’s the easy way to share without setting up a home network, and ideal for temporary networks. There are several apps to share large files instantly. The best, in our opinion, is Send Anywhere.
Send Anywhere has an app for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It even has a web app and a Chrome extension, so you can use it on Chrome OS. Send Anywhere just works, and it’s fantastic how little setup it needs.
You can also use it to transfer files from one computer to many others, or to phones and tablets. The kicker? It’s completely free.
Download: Send Anywhere for any operating system (Free)
Send Anywhere does not work if your internet connection isn’t active. In such cases, use Snapdrop, a free browser-based app. Plus, that means no-installation file transfers for both parties. 5 No-Installation Apps to Copy-Paste or Transfer Files QuicklyInstalled file transfer tools may be better for sending heavy files from one device to another. But here are five solutions when you need something simpler without installing anything.READ MORE
Use a Transfer Cable
For computer-to-computer transfer, there are some basic cables you can rely on. It’s faster than using drives, since the copy and paste is happening simultaneously from computer to computer. When using external drives, you are basically transferring between three drives; cables reduce that to two drives.
Windows to Windows: If you’re primarily a Windows user, and you usually work with other Windows computers, get an EasyTransfer USB cable, like Belkin’s F5U279.
It lets you connect two Windows PCs with a USB-to-USB connection. It’ll work faster if you use USB 3.0 ports on both PCs. USB 3.0: Everything You Need to KnowUSB 3.0 beats USB 2.0 in so many ways. Here's everything you need to know about why you should always pick USB 3.x when possible.READ MORE
Mac to Mac: Apple has its own proprietary port, Thunderbolt, that lets you create a daisy chain and transfer files between Macs. So get a Thunderbolt-to-Thunderbolt cable and it’s as simple as transferring files from a USB flash drive to the hard drive.
Windows/Mac/Linux to Windows/Mac/Linux: Use an Ethernet cable to build a local area network without a router. Make sure it’s a crossover Ethernet cable, i.e. the color patterns on one end don’t match the other. Set up network sharing on both computers, and you’re good to go.
Connect the HDD or SSD Manually
If you’re transferring from an old computer to a new one, your old PC might not be functional any more. Or you might want to install a new hard drive to replace an old one. How do you get your old data then?
Hard disk drives (HDD) and Solid State Drives (SSD) use standard SATA cables to connect to the motherboard. If you have a spare SATA or eSATA (external SATA) port, connect your old hard drive there. The operating system will recognize it as a new drive. Then start transferring. It’s the fastest of all solutions.
Unlike a PC, finding a spare SATA port on a laptop is hard. It’ll be much easier to use a simple SATA to USB converter, like Anker’s USB 3.0 to SATA adapter.
You might want to turn the old hard drive into external storage. Investing in an external case for the old drive will let you copy all the data from it, and after that, you get to use the old drive as portable external storage.
Try Cloud Storage or Web Transfers
The final option is to use the internet. It’ll mean uploading and downloading files, but hey, now you don’t need the computers to be nearby.
Email is always the easiest of these, or you can use one of the several cloud storage providers like Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, or others.
Cloud drives are an excellent option since the size of the files is virtually unlimited, as long as you have enough storage space. Plus, if both the computers are syncing folders locally, then as one uploads files, the other will download simultaneously.
If you don’t want a cloud drive but want to upload large files, try PlusTransfer. You can upload up to 5GB in one transfer, and you don’t even need to register for an account.
If speed is what you want though, then try FilePizza. It’s one of the easiest tools to share files with friends. What makes it special is that it’s a peer-to-peer app. So as one computer uploads the file, the other downloads it immediately. There is no waiting between the two. And you don’t need to be subscribed to the same cloud drive. It’s all in the browser. 5 Super Easy Tools to Share Files with Friends or Your DevicesFile sharing is more than just a shared folder in the cloud. When you need the right apps to make it happen, try these online instant file-sharing options you may not have heard of.READ MORE
What’s Your Preferred Method to Transfer?
Usually, I like to use Send Anywhere to transfer files between computers these days. If it’s not installed, then I’ll use Snapdrop. A Wi-Fi connection can be found almost anywhere these days, after all.
What’s your preferred method to transfer files between two computers?
Source: www.makeuseof.com
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