I just bought a new PC & was wondering if I could connect them together via LAN card with one cable or even the FireWire ports to transfer all of my files. Do I need any special programs? Is there any harm in connecting them in this manner?
Thanks in advance for the response.
Wouldnt imagine there would be any harm in connecting them… unless one has a virus… as soon nas you connect the pc’s windows automatically detects a network connection. You can allow the other pc to link to the internet through yours by editing settings 
and a ethernet cable should be fine
You will probably need a crossover cable, though many newer Ethernet cards, on-board adapters, switches, and hubs automatically apply an internal crossover when necessary.
Like haveacigar suggested an ethernet crossover cable should be suffice. You haven’t said what OS you are using on the old and new pc but if they both are variations of Windows you should be able to easily transfer you files and settings. You can use the built in Files and Settings Transfer Wizard in Windows to transfer your files and settings (excluding installed Programs, Which must be installed from original cd/dvd’s or downloaded. Install programs before transferring your files and settings First!). Here is a Link that will help your migration of files and settings pretty painless.
Here is a list of transfer settings for third-party programs:
Programs Whose Settings Are Migrated
Program Name Version Program Vendor
Adobe Acrobat Reader 4 4 Adobe
Adobe Acrobat Reader 5 5 Adobe
AOL Instant Massenger (AIM) 4.3.2 America Online
Command Prompt 5.1
CuteFTP 4.2.2 GlobalScape, Inc
Eudora Pro 5.1 Qualcomm
FrontPage 4.02 Microsoft
GetRight 4.3 GetRight Software
GoZilla 3.92 Go!Zilla, Radiate, Inc
ICQ 2000b 4.60 b #3278 Mirabilis
Lotus Smart Suite 9.6 Lotus
Money 2001 9 Microsoft
MSN Explorer 1 Microsoft
MSN Messenger 3.5 Microsoft
MusicMatch Jukebox 6.00.0270 IDG
NetMeeting 3.01 SP2 Microsoft
Odigo 3 Odigo, Inc.
Photoshop 6.0 6.01 Adobe
Prodigy Internet 5 Prodigy Services
Publisher 2000 Microsoft
Quicken 2001 Suite 1 Intuit
Quicken Home and Business 2001 2001 Intuit
QuickTime 4.1.2 Apple Computers
Real Jukebox 2 Basic 1.0.2.340 RealNetworks
Real Player 8 Basic 6.0.9.450 RealNetworks
Roger Wilco Mk1c Mod1
Sidewinder Game Voice 1.1 Microsoft
Sonique 1.9 Sonique
Winamp v2.73 2.73 Nullsoft
Windows Media Player 8 Microsoft
Windows Movie Maker 1.1 Microsoft
Winzip 8 Nico Mac Computing
Word Perfect Office Office 2002 Corel
Works 2001 6 Microsoft
WS_FTP LE 6.6 IPSwitch
Yahoo! Messenger 3.5 Yahoo!
Zone None Microsoft
haveacigar did not suggest that, I did! 
i did suggest a ethernet cable… just not a crossover
I was just extrapolating on haveacigar’s suggestion of an ethernet cable, just incase the OP had an older pc without going into the details you have posted since it wasn’t there when I started to type it up. :o
Guess I will be stopping at COMPUSA on the way home tomorrow for a crossover cable. Gosh you mean I will finally be able to utilize more than 12% of the 10/100 LAN capabilities, how fun !!! (I am located 200 yards from the MAJOR internet backbone that runs directly into CENTCOM… I have a 7.5 MB download speed with roadrunner which is only 12% LAN usage. Should be pretty quick to transfer about 40 GB)
Thanks phitzer for the “painless” link.
Thanks all for your help !!!
BTW, Windows XP(old) to Windows Media Center(new). Both based on Windows XP I believe.
P.S. haveacigar make mine ARTURO FUENTE MADORO
BTW, I have a NETGEAR DS106 Hub. I plugged both PC’s Ethernet cards into this with RJ45 cables & powered it on to no avail. Does the hub require a router? manual was very vague.
see it here:
You have to configure both machines to be on the same network. Set up one machine with a LAN IP of 192.168.7.1 and the other with 192.168.7.2. If you don’t know how to do that, look up manual network settings in Google.
also make sure that the dns sever ip adresses are the same as well as the workgroup name
If you have Gigabit LAN or and small adaptor (to enable crossover’ing) then connecting via patchcable will easily work.