Windows/Storage Question

HungryJoe

Okay, I know many of you will just ignore this but here's an old-man type question (I've tried looking for a solution on-line already, but didn't have any luck):

I have an old computer running Windows 98 at our house in Louisville. I don't have access to it very often. There are some songs that I'd like to copy so I could have them on my newer computer that I actually use. BUT: This weekend when I tried plugging in an external hard drive, my old computer didn't recognize it. It also didn't recognize a jump/flash drive. I don't have a CD burner on the old computer. The old computer has a floppy drive but my new computer doesn't. The songs would take up too many floppies to be practical anyway.

I've thought of using XDrive or some similar online storage, but I would have to use a dial-up connection for my Windows 98 computer. Is there anything else I can do short of taking out the hard drive, bringiong it back to Baltimore, and paying someone to copy the files?

Omnutia

You might want to look up your make of external drive. It might just be that you need to install the drivers.

Apreche

Windows 98 is only capable of handling a drive that is formatted with a FAT16 or FAT32 file system.

am_dragon

How is your external drive formatted? I'd guess it's NTFS and 98 won't read NTFS. You might want to see if you can format a jump/flash drive with fat32. That should be the reason the drives were not picked up. Is there a network card in the machine? You could use a cross over cable to connect it to another PC or laptop. If all else fails, just pull the hard drive put it in your new computer or in an external drive case and plug it in to your new computer.

HungryJoe

If all else fails, just pull the hard drive put it in your new computer or in an external drive case and plug it in to your new computer.

That's not a bad idea. . . I rarely even get to see that computer anyway. If I could just use it as another external drive, that would be great.

Apreche

If you really have to you can take a laptop and connect it to the computer with a network cable. Then make an FTP server or other file share to transfer the files.

spiritfiend

I've thought of using XDrive or some similar online storage, but I would have to use a dial-up connection for my Windows 98 computer.

If you really have to you can take a laptop and connect it to the computer with a network cable. Then make an FTP server or other file share to transfer the files.

I don't think hungryjoe can do that if the old computer doesn't have a NIC.

Apreche

I don't think hungryjoe can do that if the old computer doesn't have a NIC.

A NIC is stupidly cheap, effectively free.

Hey, here's another option. Does the Windows 98 computer have a CD-ROM? I bet it does. Put an Ubuntu Live CD in there and boot it. You will be able to mount the Windows partition to access the files there. Also, Ubuntu will support your flash drive, so you can transfer the files. Linux saves the day.

spiritfiend

Put an Ubuntu Live CD in there and boot it. You will be able to mount the Windows partition to access the files there. Also, Ubuntu will support your flash drive, so you can transfer the files. Linux saves the day.

I don't really have too much experience with the Ubuntu Live CD. But when I tried to install Ubuntu on an older machine (PIII era), Ubuntu didn't exactly work so great.

NICs are cheap and pretty easy to install, but make sure you buy one with 'Windows 98' drivers if that's the way you go.

Apreche

I don't really have too much experience with the Ubuntu Live CD. But when I tried to install Ubuntu on an older machine (PIII era), Ubuntu didn't exactly work so great.

Don't use Ubuntu then. Try Xubuntu, Knoppix, Damn Small Linux, Gentoo, etc. There are a zillion different Linux LiveCDs. One of them will work. You don't need to install, you just need it to boot.