Old computer hard drive transfer

**laseranimal** · 09-12-2007, 03:33 PM

Ok here's the deal, the owner/executive director of the Center where I work passed away earlier this summer. Its been tough as she was pretty close to our family, and my wife has decided to step in an take over in her place. All of the daycare accounting software(8+ years of files) is loaded on a Gateway Astro

needless to say this is a HUGE amount of files and would be a MAJOR pain in the ass to have to to the data entry over, not to mention the downtime required to do it. Plus I'm not sure I want such important information loaded on such an old computer that could crap out at any time.

Ideally I'd like to move the entire hard drive over to our home computer. Its really tiny 3.99 GB so storage size isn't a problem, its just figuring out what kind of storage devices will work with it. I'm worried that I'm going to have a huge problem getting a new storage device to work with windows 98.

here are the specs
http://support.gateway.com/s/Astro/2...80002005.shtml

any ideas?

**focus** · 09-12-2007, 03:39 PM

4 GB USB thumbdrive?

**wi3dzmin** · 09-12-2007, 03:55 PM

Slave it and burn it to a DVD?
External HD?

<sigh>

nubz

**RShea** · 09-12-2007, 04:16 PM

It will be a hard one to probably take out of the system (if you know what you are doing it would be worth seeing how easy by opening it up and seeing if the drive is mounted so it can be moved over to the other system.

I'd also wonder how much data you are dealing with (go to the unit right mouse click on the folder and see what the size is) and then if it is under a gig the options would be:

Does the Gateway have CDR Burner in it? If so then burn the info to CDR for transfer- the CDR's are about $ .30 each so it could be pretty cheap for a 1 time data move (it does take a little extra time though sticking the disks in and burning)

Or as someone else mentioned USB Flash drives are 1 gig, 2 gig, 4 gig (4 gigs are now under $100) and really portable to carry data. But if the old unit still has Windows 98 installed on it you will need drivers to get the drive to work (many do not come with older OS drivers any more- but are available on the web sites)

If the 2 systems have a network card in each (again the specs of the Gateway linked do not mention any- but there could have been one added at some point if it was used for internet broadband or in a business setting) then you could wire them together and set up a little network to move the data across a cable (If you have no switch, router or anything else besides the Ethernet cards inside the systems- get what is called a cross over cable to connect them- a standard patch cable will not work at all so don't try it unless you have a switch or router equipment) It may take some time to do the full copy of the data, but many times you can start it and walk away - unless you get an error or something happens.

If there is a hugh amount of data (10 gig or more):
Finally there are USB hard drives (again one that supports Win 98 if it is still running on the Gateway) out there that could take all the data on a single transfer. If you shop there are from time to time deals with rebates for about the same as what you would pay for a high capacity USB Flash drive and it can then become part of the back-up strategy to copy the data regularly too. Prices should be anywhere from $80 to $200 depending on the size of the drive.

**laseranimal** · 09-12-2007, 04:24 PM

no network card we're talking dialup ancient

I figured I was going to need an external drive of some sort

my question is being that its SO old will newer drives work with it?

It does have a USB port so thats probably my best option right?

**PearlJam09** · 09-12-2007, 04:33 PM

Thats your best bet. Hopefully it has windows 98 or later and you can find the proper drivers. I'd have the drivers on CD or something for the thumbdrive, that'll make your life easier.

**RShea** · 09-12-2007, 04:57 PM

Many of the USB drives will have Win 98 drivers available for it- it will also be better if you have Win 98 Second Edition installed on it. The USB drivers usually have to be downloaded now- as an example here is a link to Memorex's USB Flash drive drivers:

http://www.memorex.com/html/download...ID=28&PID=1017

and I have edited my comments above after looking at the age of the system and specs on the Gateway link..)

**icanseeformiles(andmiles)** · 09-12-2007, 05:30 PM

crack open case of Gateway
remove hard drive
crack open case of wifey's pc
uplug CD (or whatever)
plug in Gateway HD
boot wifey's pc
copy files
have beer(s) while files are copying

**RShea** · 09-12-2007, 05:44 PM

Originally Posted by icanseeformiles(andmiles)

crack open case of Gateway
remove hard drive
crack open case of wifey's pc
uplug CD (or whatever)
plug in Gateway HD
boot wifey's pc
copy files
have beer(s) while files are copying

This is an all in 1 with monitor etc. so the drive could be hard to get to, but if they designed it right then your steps would work- after you change the jumpers for master/slave (or go to cable select) and the new unit has standard IDE cable connector or style plugs (and not the newest SATA for all the devices- they have SATA optical drives too out there now.)

**wi3dzmin** · 09-12-2007, 06:03 PM

Originally Posted by icanseeformiles(andmiles)

crack open case of Gateway
remove hard drive
crack open case of wifey's pc
uplug CD (or whatever)
plug in Gateway HD
boot wifey's pc
watch the box BSOD
???
...
FAIL

Fixed it for you.

**laseranimal** · 09-13-2007, 07:30 AM

can I download the drivers burn them onto a CD then install them on computer?

**Snow Dog** · 09-13-2007, 09:11 AM

I can't remember the name of the software but you used to be able to set up a network across a serial or parallel cable. It might even be built into Windows 98. Slow but better than nothing.

More importantly -- data alone isn't very useful. You still need the program to access the data. If the program is old and unsupported then starting over might be a better solution.

Most of that data probably isn't very relevant. Hook up a laser printer, print a big report for filing and start again.

(Microsoft has a File and Settings Transfer Wizard in XP and probably other versions of Windows.)

edit -- The program was called laplink. Originally it was syncing your desktop and laptop computers.
mroe edit -- kermit was a terminal emulation/file transfer program.

I miss the old days.

**RShea** · 09-13-2007, 10:42 AM

Originally Posted by laseranimal

can I download the drivers burn them onto a CD then install them on computer?

Yes, you usually can. And many of the drivers will fit on an old fashioned 3.5 inch floppy drive (that is what Windows looks at by default).

If you do the CDR disk you will have to tell it where to look and drill down to the folder etc. yourself with the have disk option. You want to point to the folder with the OS specific (Win 98 in this case) .inf file is located. You may have to extract the file- if that is the case then you can burn the file you downloaded to CDR and move to the Win 98 system and extract the files on the hard drive in a temporary folder (like drivers or something that you create and remember) - never use the default Windows Temp folder- people never find it since it is a few layers deep.

**Tuckerman** · 09-13-2007, 10:42 AM

Originally Posted by icanseeformiles(andmiles)

crack open case of Gateway
remove hard drive
crack open case of wifey's pc
uplug CD (or whatever)
plug in Gateway HD
boot wifey's pc
copy files
have beer(s) while files are copying

Or an external HD case w/USB? So it would go more like this. [*] crack open case of Gateway[*] remove hard drive[*] plug in Gateway HD Via USB[*] boot wifey's pc[*] copy files[*] have beer(s) while files are copying

**RShea** · 09-13-2007, 10:48 AM

Originally Posted by Snow Dog

I can't remember the name of the software but you used to be able to set up a network across a serial or parallel cable. It might even be built into Windows 98. Slow but better than nothing.

More importantly -- data alone isn't very useful. You still need the program to access the data. If the program is old and unsupported then starting over might be a better solution.

Most of that data probably isn't very relevant. Hook up a laser printer, print a big report for filing and start again.

(Microsoft has a File and Settings Transfer Wizard in XP and probably other versions of Windows.)

edit -- The program was called laplink. Originally it was syncing your desktop and laptop computers.
mroe edit -- kermit was a terminal emulation/file transfer program.

I miss the old days.

Laplink and a few others had a package and cable that would connect the systems via parallel or serial ports- but that was really slow for large data transfers (talking over night in some cases and still not finished in the morning)

That fact and also the fact that many new computers do not even have any parallel or serial ports on them (laptops in particular) and USB is the only option makes for this type of package really old school. Win XP OS and newer have a transfer utility for files and settings and it works across the network connection. So it would be better to get a USB network connection and a cross over cable than spend any money on Laplink transfer stuff.

**Odin** · 09-13-2007, 11:02 AM

If it has a network port, the connect another machine into a workgroup/IP range and share out a drive on that other new machine. Copy data, sit back and watch it flow. Crack beer.

edit - Rshea already said the above, save for the beer comment.

**Snow Dog** · 09-13-2007, 12:06 PM

Originally Posted by RShea

That fact and also the fact that many new computers do not even have any parallel or serial ports on them (laptops in particular) and USB is the only option makes for this type of package really old school.

I finally looked at the Astro specs and -- wow. No serial ports, no parallel ports, no network; just some USB 1.1 ports and a modem. Pretty minimalist for an old computer.

**Odin** · 09-13-2007, 12:07 PM

Astros where the nhilists of their era.

usb 1.1 works though, get it crunked or something.

**irul&ublo** · 09-13-2007, 12:42 PM

I was looking into nihilism, but realized I was too skeptical.

**laseranimal** · 09-13-2007, 12:50 PM

Originally Posted by Snow Dog

I finally looked at the Astro specs and -- wow. No serial ports, no parallel ports, no network; just some USB 1.1 ports and a modem. Pretty minimalist for an old computer.

yup it really is a dinosaur, which is why I'd like to just take the entire hard drives contents, that and the Pro-Care daycare accounting software we're using runs like $1,000

and of course we can't find the original disks to re-install, and its no good asking the previous owner where they are cause she's dead

**RShea** · 09-13-2007, 04:45 PM

If you can't find the CD's to install the software then you are going to have a harder time of it. Each software package as part of the install creates entries in the registry and each PC's registry is specific to that computer. It is very hard to extract and move all the registry entries. Are you sure it is Windows software ( and not some older legacy DOS software package you are dealing with?)

There are going to be more steps and hoops to jump through if you have no program disks. (Can you contact the software company to see about replacement CD's?) If not then you may need to purchase migration utility that will attempt to move the various files, folders, and install info over to the new OS and computer. Otherwise you could be stuck on Windows 98 for a long time (it could be a new computer with that same Windows 98 install moved over to a new drive- too many steps to go through right now if it comes down to this...)

Good luck.

**sammybk** · 09-15-2007, 10:35 AM

The way I would go about doing it is this - doesn't involve any taking apart of the computer.

Get a USB 2.0 external hard drive ~60gb or whatever is cheapest. These drives should all be backwards compatible with USB 1.1, so it will just take longer for the operation to complete. But hey, its not like you are transferring 100+ GB of data.

On your main PC create a partition slightly larger than the gateway drive (better safe than sorry)

Download a knoppix live CD (http://www.knoppix.org/) or Ubuntu live CD (http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download) and burn.

Pop ubuntu/knoppix into the gateway and plug in hard drive. Reboot.

If everything goes according to plan, the gateway should now be running linux happily.

run dd. Command will be something like dd if=/dev/hda1 of=/dev/hdb1. Where HDA1 is the data partition on the gateway, and hdb1 is the new small partition on the USB drive. This will make a bit-for-bit copy of the source hard disk partition to the new drive.

(you could also just create a dd image of the drive that you could mount at a later time: dd if=/dev/hda1 of=/mnt/hdb1/backup.img) <-- This would require you to have already formatted the drive (Fat32 if you want to be able to read in Windows and write in linux) and to have mounted it.

Once complete, plug the new USB drive into any other computer and all the files are there (ideally)