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a bad idea?
Mr Whippy - 26/12/07 at 07:20 PM

Ok, so I thought I'd ask before I blow something up. Can I connect one computer to another with a USB cable?

I'm just wanting to transfer files between the two quickly. Should I get a fire extinguisher???

mookaloid - 26/12/07 at 07:24 PM

not really - all the USB cables I have seen have different ends - only one end fits in a pc.

You can use a serial cable or a crossover ethernet cable though.

Cheers

Mark

joneh - 26/12/07 at 07:27 PM

Crossover ethernet is the best way - if its just files have you thought about a 1gig usb stick? £7.99 from Comet

Mr Whippy - 26/12/07 at 07:44 PM

It's around 20 gb I need to move, the modem is kaput along with the disk righter, I've no serial cable with the same connection at each end. The hard disk is acting funny (about to fail!!), I've tried my memory sticks but they don't even show up..........what the hell am I going to do???

she's going down captain!!

David Jenkins - 26/12/07 at 07:49 PM

Move the hard disk into the new machine, having moved the link so that it's a slave, so that it becomes the secondary drive?

Mr Whippy - 26/12/07 at 07:52 PM

quote:
Originally posted by David Jenkins
Move the hard disk into the new machine, having moved the link so that it's a slave, so that it becomes the secondary drive?


link?

zilspeed - 26/12/07 at 07:55 PM

Wee jumper on the back of the drive, sets it to master / slave.

Mr Whippy - 26/12/07 at 07:57 PM

oh right I see, I'll give that a go thank's all

speedyxjs - 26/12/07 at 07:57 PM

I think you can get USB cables with the same end.

iank - 26/12/07 at 08:22 PM

quote:
Originally posted by speedyxjs
I think you can get USB cables with the same end.


I do USB for my day job (since Oct)

USB cables with the same (A ends) aren't USB cables by the spec and no-one at work has ever figured out what they are supposed to be used for since they can't do anything sensible according to the (rather thick) specification document.

A USB cable (that obeys the spec) always has an A end (the flat one) and the B end (the square one). USB is a single master multiple slave connection and the PC only has master software and takes A plugs, it will blow up (potentially) if you manage to get and A-A cable and plug it in to two computers since they will both be trying to drive 5v onto the bus and something will have to give.

Best way to connect two computers is via a cross over Ethernet cable (it will be much faster as well) or a USB hard drive - useful for backups as well. If it's only a few Gig you want to copy a USB flash drive is a handy thing to have for not a lot more cash than a cable and requires no computer fiddling to set up the network.

MikeR - 26/12/07 at 09:49 PM

As what ian said .....

if you want too, you can get USB computer to computer cables for doing what you want - but they have a special bit in the middle to make sure the computers don't go bang.

We've looked at them cause in shops its impossible to get to the back of the computer ..... but bought usb drives instead

Paradoxia0 - 26/12/07 at 10:54 PM

I have a USB A-A cable that came with a external hard drive - this is the only one that I have ever seen and I have never dared to plug it into 2 computers at once as I fear the 5v both machies will be outputting will fry the USB host controller on one or both machines!

Mark