Transfer Files Computer – to Computer Among Your Windows PCs

How to transfer files between two or more computers with Microsoft Windows operating system you ask? Some computer users like to transfer files between two computers with Microsoft Windows operating system using “Files and Settings Transfer Wizard”. This often requires using a direct cable connection between the two computers with a serial cable.

Both computers must have a serial port and transfer times can be slow, especially when transferring larger amounts of data. Another option with quicker data transfer rates is using the universal serial bus ports on the computers and with the help of a special transfer cable. This might not be as straight forward as you think as you might have to use Microsoft Window’s easy transfer tool, which has since been deprecated and is not available in Microsoft Windows ten operating system.

Some other options would be to transfer your data with a universal serial bus flash drive, external universal serial bus hard drive, or setting up a simple home network with your source and destination computer(s) plugged into a hub, router, or switch. Looking into what hardware or software is needed before attempting to transfer your data is highly recommended. This could come with additional obstacles such as trying to transfer data from a desktop computer to a laptop computer.

If you have time, I think it would be more productive if you plan this project ahead of time. There are many factors to take into consideration. To me as a computer technician, using a small local network is the easiest and least time consuming actually.

However, now that Microsoft corporation likes to create changing operating systems, this can at first seem daunting. If you are in a quick bind, then using a file transfer cable or other type of storage device might save you time. In cases of an emergency where your computer is having problems then a file transfer cable might be advantageous.

If you are facing an emergency like a failing hard drive, then mucking around with a file transfer cable might put your data at risk. This is the type of situation where a universal serial bus flash drive or external hard drive could be the quickest and safest option. If you are not facing a quagmire, then I would choose the home network route, pun intended, each and every time.

A small Microsoft Windows domain network is suitable for around twenty five to thirty computers. All you have to do is place them all on the same work group. You can use Microsoft’s default “WORKGROUP” name or choose your own.

For example you could name your work group “apple”. You would just change the work group to “apple” on each Microsoft Windows computer from the default “workgroup”. Now you just need to make sure that each computer receives an internet protocol address on the same sub network.

Need Online Computer Technical Support? Ask a Computer Technician Now and Solve Your Computer Problem.

For example you have five computers with the following Internet protocol addresses:

192.168.1.1
192.168.1.2
192.168.1.3
192.168.1.4
192.168.1.5

Now they can all talk to each other on the same small computer network. You can designate one of them as a file server, if you choose. This next step requires more technical knowledge. Depending on what operating system you are using, you need to make certain that “File and Printer Sharing” is enabled.

I would advise against using the newer Microsoft Windows “HomeGroup” networking feature. My experiences with this newer way to create a home network have been nothing short of a disaster. I have setup successfully small Microsoft Windows networks with just file and printer sharing enabled.

I have had a network where I had Microsoft Windows two thousand, Microsoft Windows eXPerience, Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows seven, and Microsoft Windows ten computers all networked and able to access files. I made the changes to each computer outlined earlier in this blog post and made certain that file and printer sharing were enabled. I could view every other computer on this small network.

Finally, you may want to take security into consideration. You may not want read and write abilities on each and every computer. This is where a small file server to me becomes advantageous.

Even two computers with one dedicated to storing files to me is productive. You want to just share the hard drive or just one folder on your file server. Then you can allow read only access or write access to just this one file folder or hard drive.

The other remaining computers on your network would then have access to this file server share. Also, you can share printers in this same manner. As a matter of fact I have a Dymo Label Writer 450 printer networked in this manner.

Another advantage to creating a home computer network is that you can even remotely connect to each computer using Microsoft Windows remote desktop connection software. You can even copy files over this remote desktop connection. Now that you have your own network configured you can possibly spend less time worrying about your personal files.

Transfer Files Computer – to Computer Among Your Windows PCs Video Transcript

0:01

this is Aaron with anetcomputers.com with

0:03

another video for you today this one

0:07

pertains to how to transfer files

0:11

between multiple Microsoft Windows

0:13

computers now there are multiple options

0:16

I'll quickly go over two or three and

0:18

then I'll get to a more convoluted

0:20

complex one obviously with current

0:23

technology you could use a universal

0:25

serial bus flash drive copy the data

0:28

onto the flash drive from one computer

0:31

eject it install it into the next

0:34

computer and

0:37

then download the data that's one option

0:40

you could also use

0:43

a special cable now

0:47

the feature that was available with

0:50

Microsoft what Windows 7 and 8 is no

0:53

longer available there was a transfer

0:56

cable option where you would buy a

0:59

special trans transer cable and then

1:02

connect them to each computer and then

1:05

use the Microsoft tool that's been

1:08

deprecated there may be an option

1:10

similar to that there may be actually a

1:12

hardware cable that you could buy that

1:15

would allow you to connect two computers

1:17

to each other it may or may not come

1:20

with software that you would use to

1:22

transfer the data you know what I'm

1:27

saying a third option or another option

1:30

that actually was the most convolute and

1:32

complex out of these is creating your

1:36

own Windows Network your own computer

1:39

network now it also may depend on do you

1:43

need that data is it an emergency do you

1:45

need that data right away if you need

1:47

the data right away you may want to use

1:48

flash drive a third actually the third

1:50

option was an external hard drive if you

1:53

can connect with a universal serial bus

1:57

cable an external hard drive

2:01

copy your data onto that from one

2:03

Microsoft Windows computer then

2:05

disconnect it reconnect it to the other

2:07

Microsoft Windows computer and then

2:09

download the data you know what I'm

2:12

saying now the Microsoft Windows this

2:15

one is more convolute and complex you're

2:18

going to need some technical experience

2:21

you know what I mean basically what you

2:23

do is you create a Microsoft Windows

2:28

Network Microsoft from

2:30

probably Windows 95 I don't know about

2:34

Windows for work groups Poss well yeah

2:37

get it windows for work groups so

2:40

Microsoft has had the ability to

2:43

network that operating system with other

2:46

computers using the same operating

2:48

system for decades now at one time I

2:53

networked Microsoft Windows x

2:56

2000 Microsoft experience known as XP

3:00

Microsoft Vista Windows 7 and I think

3:04

Windows 10 I had all of those computers

3:07

with those for mentioned operating

3:09

systems and I created a Microsoft

3:12

Windows Network just a very basic

3:16

Network okay so let me go over some of

3:18

these instructions now this is if you

3:20

have plenty of time you have some basic

3:24

you know technical knowledge some

3:25

networking knowledge

3:28

and once you complete it once you're

3:31

successful you

3:34

may think that it's difficult once you

3:38

have the network working really it is

3:39

not it makes it can make things a lot

3:41

easier also you can Network printers too

3:44

that

3:51

way so you want to create a small local

3:56

network so newer Microsoft operating

4:00

systems have the home network what I'm

4:04

going to explain to you is different I

4:06

do not I never recommend anything I

4:08

never give out advice and I never

4:10

guarantee anything my experiences with

4:13

networking Microsoft Windows computers

4:16

and that includes different operating

4:18

systems they can all talk to each other

4:20

is that the the newer Microsoft home

4:24

network no I tried to set it up and it

4:26

was just a complete debacle and I just

4:28

gave up and I went back the old school

4:30

just create a work group now there are

4:33

also domains that that is way more

4:35

complex I'm not going to discuss that

4:37

but there's actually another way to

4:39

network Microsoft Windows computers that

4:42

happens in corporate environments where

4:44

you connect to a domain you use a active

4:48

directory server blah blah blah blah

4:50

blah blah blah blah blah this is just

4:52

for a small home network now the

4:55

built-in Microsoft workg group network

4:59

can support report I would say I think

5:01

up to 25 to 30 computers and you won't

5:04

have a

5:10

problem okay so what you want to do is

5:13

you want to create a Microsoft Windows

5:17

domain network but it's not a corporate

5:20

domain you don't have anet computers.com

5:23

no Microsoft has a local domain network

5:27

but all you do is you create a work

5:28

group now the default work group that

5:31

almost every Microsoft Windows computer

5:33

that I've ever looked at I don't know

5:34

about Windows 11 you know what I'm

5:36

saying the default name is work group

5:38

now you can certainly change that if you

5:40

want or you could just leave that alone

5:43

and it should still work but you as

5:45

example you could change the work group

5:48

the default work group name and then the

5:52

default is work Group which makes you

5:54

know logical

5:55

sense Apple Microsoft Google you know

6:00

AET computers whatever whatever you want

6:02

to choose you know what I'm saying you

6:04

can you can actually change the name and

6:06

choose your

6:08

own and now it's a default work group

6:11

now on every computer that you want to

6:15

network you have to set the

6:19

same work group so if you changed it on

6:23

one computer

6:26

to AET computers all all of the computer

6:31

that you want to talk to each other

6:32

would have to have the same work group

6:34

that's how they talk to each other okay

6:36

it's net bios but I don't want to get

6:38

into the technical details you know what

6:39

I'm

6:43

saying then every computer that you want

6:47

to talk to each

6:48

other has to become on the same sub

6:52

Network so here are examples of IP

6:56

addresses that are on the same subn

6:58

network

7:01

192.168.1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 so you

7:05

notice the first part of the network is

7:09

192.168.1 that's the same subnet the

7:13

last octet is the specific IP address

7:17

for each computer they have to be

7:19

dynamic so that they're different so

7:21

that they can talk to each other you

7:23

know what I'm saying that's that's all

7:25

you have to do so you're you would have

7:27

like a wireless router or Gateway router

7:30

or just any kind of router or even a

7:33

switch that would pass out IP addresses

7:35

a a lot of internet routers Comcast

7:38

Sentry Link you know blah whatever they

7:41

generally have DHCP will give out IP

7:45

addresses and you can configure it a lot

7:48

of times it's set by default you know

7:51

what I'm saying but the point of

7:58

the the point is is that they must be on

8:01

the same sub Network you you can now

8:04

it's very technical technically you can

8:06

be on different sub networks but then

8:08

you have to Port you to for the traffic

8:10

and get no no no that's I'm explaining

8:13

how to create a small basic home network

8:18

okay they will all be able to talk to

8:20

each other with a Internet Protocol

8:22

address you can ping each computer and

8:25

also they'll be able to talk to each

8:26

other with the same work group you know

8:28

what I'm saying

8:30

now what you want to

8:32

do is you're going to enable file and

8:35

printer sharing on every computer that

8:37

you want to connect what you could do is

8:41

also designate one computer as a server

8:45

a file server which I've done many times

8:48

it may make it easier so one computer

8:50

yeah you can actually convert an average

8:52

Microsoft Windows computer into a file

8:54

server yes you can because what you're

8:56

going to do is then you're going to

8:57

enable file and printer sharing

8:59

so if you want to just pick one computer

9:03

maybe the one with the largest hard

9:04

drive or the least amount of you know

9:07

disc space being used the most reliable

9:09

the fastest

9:10

whatever then enable file and printer

9:14

sharing now every computer has to have

9:17

file and printer sharing enabled

9:20

right now earlier in this video I told

9:24

you about the Microsoft Windows Home

9:25

Group when I tried to set up a home

9:28

group it was a debacle disaster and I

9:31

never ever tried it again cuz I was like

9:33

well I've been setting up Microsoft home

9:36

network well not hom group at Microsoft

9:39

you know work group networks with the

9:41

the default work group and and then just

9:44

enable file and PR sharing for decades

9:46

and I don't really have that many

9:50

problems so you just homeor group is

9:53

more complex I'm not going to discuss

9:55

that all you have to do is enable file

9:57

and printer sharing on every computer

9:59

that you want to access over the

10:02

network okay what

10:05

else I was able to view each computer by

10:09

just creating a a quick little

10:14

Network now you may if you have

10:17

technical abilities you may want to take

10:19

the security seriously you may not want

10:22

you know write abilities for every

10:24

computer what you can do again is that

10:28

is where to me a file server can be very

10:31

advantageous you just have one dedicated

10:33

computer that has all your data that you

10:36

share to the other computers on that

10:38

small little Network now on that one you

10:40

may want to enable read and write what

10:43

that allows you to do is obviously read

10:45

the data view the data copy it but you

10:48

cannot edit it you can't you can't

10:49

delete it now on that one server you

10:53

might want to enable read write write

10:56

allows you to write to it like a

10:58

document like a you take a pen and and

11:00

write on a piece of paper you know what

11:03

I'm

11:04

saying that allows you to edit it delete

11:07

files create folders you know Etc ad

11:11

nauseum and INF an item but you may not

11:14

want readr on all the

11:17

computers you know what I mean that's

11:20

what a file server is

11:24

for but they will still be able to have

11:26

access to it they'll still be able to

11:28

view the documents and the folders and

11:30

they'll still be able to copy them down

11:32

and download them you know what I'm

11:34

saying you can also share printers and

11:38

not just printers I've actually shared

11:40

this is old school a

11:43

compact disc readon memory also known as

11:46

a CD ROM that's what that acronym stands

11:48

for and what I would do is I was like

11:51

well inste you know instead of me having

11:53

to eject the CD or the even even DVD

11:57

drive Optical Optical media and then

12:00

have to install it on the other one and

12:02

then wait for it to load well I could

12:04

just share it over the network and you

12:06

can do that with other Hardware devices

12:09

printers Optical

12:11

drives I think probably flash drives you

12:13

know what I mean at one time I had a Dao

12:17

label writer 450 printer it's a label

12:20

printer I love that little printer it

12:23

made me a lot of money on eBay and

12:25

Amazon and blah blah blah blah and even

12:27

Craigslist well Craiglist I didn't well

12:30

Craiglist I didn't deliver so I don't

12:32

know what the I'm thinking but

12:35

EMA well did you know that what is it

12:38

what's what's that other eBay oh excuse

12:40

me Craigslist like anyways I'm digress I

12:42

shouldn't be digressing about that

12:43

there's another website that's similar

12:45

to eBay now that allows you to ship from

12:47

it not just sell locally okay that maybe

12:49

that's what I was thinking okay that's

12:51

all you do you know what I'm

12:54

saying now here's another Advantage you

12:58

can actually remote connect to each

13:01

other computer using the default

13:03

built-in Microsoft Windows remote

13:05

desktop connection software which I've

13:07

always thought was was pretty good I

13:09

would actually rate it excellent and I

13:11

almost never rate and it's not I don't

13:13

have it I'm not anti- Microsoft it's

13:15

just Microsoft creates a lot of problems

13:18

and then I make money you know fixing

13:20

them but no really the builtin the

13:24

remote desktop connection software that

13:26

Microsoft has probably send Windows XP

13:30

or Windows 2000 some somewhere around

13:32

there excellent what you can do is you

13:35

can remotely Connect into one of your

13:37

other computers maybe you have a large

13:40

house or you have a small business yes

13:42

I've actually worked at a Toyota

13:45

corporate

13:47

corporate office that had about what 20

13:51

employees and they used a basic

13:53

Microsoft Windows Network that I have

13:55

been discussing not the Home Group no

13:59

just the basic one they actually did you

14:03

know what I'm saying

14:05

and I didn't really need to I I wasn't

14:08

that lazy but let maybe your your your

14:10

house has multiple levels or whatever

14:14

and you want to remote Connect into each

14:16

other computer or you're lazy or

14:18

sometimes it's convenient sometimes yeah

14:21

or like what I used to do is I used to

14:24

live I used to video capture from one

14:27

operating system to another well let's

14:31

say I'm creating a video pertaining to

14:33

Microsoft Windows 7 but I'm using

14:35

Windows 10 but I would like to show

14:37

people in my screen capture in my video

14:40

for Youtube and other

14:42

platforms you know how you know de

14:45

demonstrating on Microsoft Windows 7

14:47

well unless I use Virtual box but this

14:51

was before virtual box and other virtual

14:53

machine software became you know

14:56

commonplace I would just remote into it

14:58

and then and demonstrate it and then it

15:00

would screen capture it and or you know

15:02

so sometimes it is convenient even if

15:04

you're in the same building or in the

15:06

same house to remotely Connect into each

15:09

computer I think that's it I covered

15:11

quite a quite a bit and you can always

15:15

investigate on your

15:17

own there may be some Microsoft

15:19

tutorials but I covered everything that

15:22

you need to know to how to transfer

15:27

files between multiple Microsoft Windows

15:31

computers you can always browse to anmp

15:33

computers.com to fix your most common

15:35

computer problems also you can find out

15:38

all of the platforms that I am

15:40

available Twitter Tik Tok Instagram

15:44

Facebook trouble. live twitch

15:48

youtube.com/ computers you can always

15:50

subscribe to my YouTube

15:51

channel also Rumble my videos are

15:54

actually available on Rumble

15:57

adios