Ok tech experts on Fluther is this item as easy as it sounds?

That’s one way, although I am not familar with the company.

BUT if all it you want to do is transfer files, you have a couple of other choices.

[More Difficult]
Set up a local network between the two machines. There are several options, but setting up networks is a pain in the ass.

[Easy]
Install a free FTP Server on the machine with the files and a free FTP client on the one where you want to move stuff to. Setup time: 10 minutes

Then run the FTP client whenever you want to pull something over. Setup time: 2 minutes.

I have long used a device like the little Triangle to use old hard drives on new machines. It mounts the old drive as an external device, like using a thumb drive.

@elbanditoroso
Sorry don’t know what a FTP server means..not that tech savvay yet.
I presently had both computers side by side ( with monitors,tower etc) and noticed that my internet provider had “a network” listed and thus charged me a bit more but I have since unpluggged the old computer and only use one at a time.
The old one has old photo software that I can’t get online anymore and thus I use it for photo restoration .
I have other programs on it that my new computer will not take it anyways ( outdated)...so I keep it on that old computer whenever I need to use it.
Thanks for your answer to my question, will have my son look into that for me as he understands this tech language better than I do.

@Call_Me_Jay
Ok was worried that it might be a scam or something .
Is it easy to use and I hope tht it doesn’t have tracking or something on it like there company checking my computer information etc

That device is for you to plug the hard drive into directly. You would need to open the old computer and remove the drive. If the old computer is still vaguely functional there are probably easier ways I would probably look at something like a USB data transfer cable.

That device would work, but it’s overkill, more complex and not really the best way to just move files between most two working computers.

Unless you already have a network share set up either via local networking or using a 3rd file location on the Internet which you know how to use (which it seems like you don’t, or you wouldn’t be asking this), the next easiest way tends to be to use a physical USB drive:

Plug USB drive into first computer, put files on drive, move drive to second computer, take files off drive.

Here is a good example. Ranges from $7 to $30 at New Egg, depending on how much you want to be able to put on it at once (up to 256 GB for the $30 one).

I’m not very tech savvy so I just copy onto a CD and copy it from the CD onto the other machine.

@Zaku
@Lightlyseared
@SnipSnip
I wish that I could just plug into the two computers, but the old one has a different plug that cannot plus into the new computer slot.

@Zaku
Yes I use USB drives.
Will look at getting that 256Gb one and try and upload to new computer as long as I have no problems because of old software ( word perfect docs etc).
Thanks.
Also would had like to transfer old Photo software directly to new computer ? My new computer does not recognize it ( it no longer is available online anymore).

If you can find the old photo software on the old computer, and move its entire folder to the new computer, and then run it from there, it’s possible it might just work there. It might not, though.

What is the old photo software called?

(Old Word Perfect docs should be importable by most newer word processors. Well, you might need an extension for some of them, but surely there are ways. What version of Word Perfect were the old docs saved by?)

@Inspired_2write USB has been the standard PC connector since about 1998 so if the old conputer is so old doesnt have USB ports then you wont be able to use USB drives and 2, realisticly, the chances that any of the files on it are rea\dable by the new computer is slim.

@Lightlyseared The old computer I think is from 2007..I can use the front l am able to use the slots for usb but the back ones have old connections rather than slots.

@Zaku
The old photo software is called “Picture It” and I cannot get a updated version.
I like it becsue the newer photo software programs presently only have a fraction of the tools available as this original one does.
The new photo software programs only allow minimal tools and one has to upgrade ( pay more) to obtain use of ALL the edit tools that were available on “Picture It”.
It seems that all new software have that caveat($$$$).

Oh one other thing I still hade the original CD for Picture It..but my new computer willnot recognize it.

Weird. Will the new computer not read the CD? Or it reads the CD but won’t run the installer?

(If it won’t read the CD, you could copy the CD contents to a folder on a thumb drive.)

What version of Picture It do you have? I see downloads available for it.

@Zaku
I think its this one, can’t find the disk.(one only in original package)
Picture It! 2.0 and Picture It! 2.0 Express (part of Microsoft Plus! 98) (1997)

Problem is that I have to download Microsoft Plus 98 ?
—
Also perhaps why it never downloaded on new computer was a messege about “Driver”

So I think to access it on my newer computer I HAVE to get Microsoft Word which is costly.

I have Windows 10 system on new computer.
Also tried to download my old word files and Microsoft Word blocked that on the old computer saying that I am using Windows 7 Xp that is outdated.
I tried to use usb to download copies of all my writing projects and its BLOCKED until I agree to Word Perfect software and thus charged monthly for it not to mention scams online?

LibreOffice is a free alternative to Microsoft Office and includes a Word equivalent. It reads all Word files and I assume (have not checked) Wordperfect files, too. There will be a learning curve.

The Picture It! 2.0 CD image is available here: https://winworldpc.com/product/picture-it/20

I’ve also found people who have posted that they have successfully used Picture It! 2.0 on Windows 10. One of them commented: “During install it will tell you that you have a newer version of (movie something) just click ok that you do not need to install…..after install right click on desktop icon and run as admin. Now, to make all your cd things usable/available right click over any of the options and click on “display” and that’s it! ”

I don’t think you need to buy Microsoft Word, nor Word Perfect. There are many free options you can try first. One is just moving your program folders from your old computer to your new one.

(For example, I can run Word 98 that way (copied the program folder from an older computer) on my Windows 7 computer – it gives a warning, but it works.)

@Call_Me_Jay‘s suggestion of using LibreOffice is also something I do, which as he said is free and can load at least some versions of Word Perfect files.

I definitely do not recommend signing up for ongoing subscription versions of Word or Word Perfect – those would be my last resort, may not do what you want (or not any better than free LibreOffice).

@Zaku
Ooo Thanks vey much i will try that.
Will let you know here whether it worked or not.
I appreciate all of your advice.

Let us know if/where you get stuck, and we’ll try to walk you through any issues.

It all depends on what connections are on the old computer.
Can the old one connect to the internet, WiFi, local ethernet or is it strictly standalone.
Even in the early 90’s there was technology or cables to move files from one computer to another via a cable if they were each standalone.

@Forever_Free
I do not connect it to the internet as then the internet provider will charge me ( and did ,until i disconnected it) as a network.

@Zaku
Sure thanks for the excellent advice.