Considering that it sounds like you can't get the machine to work at all, you should just remove the drive from the old machine, put it in the new machine as a secondary drive, and copy the files over.

I got the computer hooked up, mouse/keyboard, internet working... just need walked through what cables are needed and hoping that there is not special software that I need...or if there is, it is free.

Hey guys, But I still couldn't understand why don't you just take HDD from old PC and plug as slave to the new one? :rolleyes:

Did you transfer the old hdd to the new machine? If this is the case then attach the second IDE (middle) connector to the old hdd, you will also need to change the jumper position on the rear of the old hdd from the master position to the slave position. You may need to change the BIOS to recognize the slave unit.

You know what? You all have been great, but this is WAY out of my league. I have installed new video cards, and upgraded memory...but never tried to install a slave drive... I am getting confused with all the acronyms... IDE, BIOS... I don't know where to begin to do the changes you all suggested, let alone where to plug everything in.


Thanks for all your information though. :o

Edited, because, dammit, I am a smart girl, I should be able to figure this out!!! /end rant.

Our suggestions were just to see if you wanted to use that avenue or a different one. If you would like to try the drive swapping idea, we can walk you through the process. I know the terms and names are scary sounding, but they are just words. The actual process is quite simple.

If you don't want to do that, the easiest way to transfer the files is to either burn them onto a CD/DVD or connect both systems to a network and transfer the files over the network. From your original post, these options didn't seem to be available to you. Please correct us if we are wrong.

I would welcome being walked through this!
Question... I have both computers hooked up to the internet, through the same modem... can that be a type of conduit with which to transfer these files? If not, then I will have to put the old drive in the new computer.

Answering the following questions will help me give advice that is tailored to your setup:

Do you use a dialup connection or a broadband connection (DSL, cable, etc) to access the internet?
Do your computers connect to a router, hub, switch, or other networking device?
Do you have a Yahoo!, GMail, or other email account that has at least 1GB of storage space?

If you need any clarification on what I mean by any of the terms I used, feel free to ask.

Answering the following questions will help me give advice that is tailored to your setup:

Do you use a dialup connection or a broadband connection (DSL, cable, etc) to access the internet? DSL
Do your computers connect to a router, hub, switch, or other networking device? Router. I am going to sound dumb, but just want to make sure that I have this right. The router is what I connected to all my phone lines, right?Do you have a Yahoo!, GMail, or other email account that has at least 1GB of storage space? Yahoo!

If you need any clarification on what I mean by any of the terms I used, feel free to ask.