Be careful if Dell sends out a tech because it is not Dell. We were contacted to do setup and data transfer for new Dell systems and it was not Dell that contacted us it was a third party company.  And they wanted to pay us $50 to setup the new systems and $75 for setup and data transfer.  We told them to get real if someone can't plug in the color coded cables how are we going to just walk in plug in then leave. With techs you get what you pay for. And like the previous post you will need to reinstall your programs.  Just hope that they will run on XP.  Tetris still runs so if Tetris is the program you are in luck.

Does it make any difference to re-install the new and old programs before the data transfer is done or afterwards? The same question regarding the partitioning the 60 into two 30 GB logical drives?

 

Thanks Again.

 

 

Thanks!

   There are several possibilities.....

 

   MY first choice in advice on this problem is to take your old computer and your new computer to a local Mom & Pop type tech store (NOT a CompUSA or Best Buy) and let them do what needs to be done.

 

       Sounds like you want to have the hard drive partitioned into two partitions (most new mail order computers come with one huge C: drive), so you will either have to destroy what comes from the factory, partition it yourself, and then reinstall Windows and the drivers, OR you will have to buy some software such as Partition Magic and partition what comes from the factory.  Mom & Pop should already have this software tool.

 

     DATA transfer:   Once again Mom & Pop are most likely the best choice.

 

      My first choice would be to put a network card into the old machine (install the drivers, establish a workgroup, setup static TCP/IP 192.168.1.10, subnet 255.255.255.0, put in a dummy gateway of 192.168.1.1, ignore DNS) and then on the new machine give it the same setup except use 192.168.1.11), then connect the two computers using a CROSSOVER cable (or a cheap hub, or a cheap router), and copy/past through the 'network neighborhood' in Windows Explorer.

 

       IF your new machine has so-called 'legacy' ports of serial or parallel variety, THEN you can use a program such as Lap Link or PCAnyWhere to connect the serial ports or the parallel ports on the two computers together and let the programs transfer the data across.

 

       OLD PROGRAMS:  WinXP and old DOS and Win95 programs do not play well together a lot of the time.  They will usually 'install' just fine, but they just will not run (even in 'compatability mode').

 

       I also fear that the OLD DATA FILES of the old programs from say 1993 will NOT be recognized by the 2005 versions of the programs.  You MAY be better off 'exporting' the data to some common file format such as ASCII comma-delimited files, and then importing those resulting files into the new programs.   Another alternative is to PRINT out reports of all the old data and then hire some high school kid to retype it all in for you

 

     This sounds more and more like the Mom & Pop Tech store will be the cheapest, fastest, most reliable, and least blood-pressure raising solution.

 

   GOOD LUCK!

 

   06 March 2005

  

I can see why you would recommend Mom&Pop to do all of that work to transfer data files. I wonder if the process can be simplied. For example, I get M&P vendor to copy  all 2 GB of my files to a DVD. It seems then I could use this DVD to copy the files to I6000. I could do something simpler by uploading files to some online storage web site from which I can then D/L the data files to the I6000 HD and then copy them to their respective folders.

 

Any problems with this approach?

Burning to a DVD sounds fine.  The web storage is also a good idea; just have a fassst internet connection for the uploading of 2 GB.  The easy way would be to put the HD in a modern machine and burn your own DVD/CD.  But you have a SCSI hard drive and it is old, so finding a machine to handle it would be difficult.  You keep talking about 2 GB of data; all you need are the data files not the programs.  Before you trash your new system with old programs check on the internet if the programs are compatible and if the have any updates or patches.  I just purchased a I6000 also with almost the same comfig as you.  When it arrives I will boot it up to be sure it is not DOA then I reformat, partition and install XP Pro fresh {my copy}.  This gets rid of all the ads, dribbleware and trialware that Dell gets PAID to put on our systems. I could build gaming rigs cheap if I had all the paid ads, excuse me I  believe it is called  trialware .

I rather capture the whole SCSI HD with files and data then pick only the data files to transfer. you never know when you want something until you needed.

 

I re-configured my I6000 today on Dell.com.  Dell has discounted the same congifuration for over $200 less. Dell appears to re-configure their costs within a week and pass it on to customers, ASAP. If my I6000 was not ready to be shipped I cancel the order and spend extra $200 on upgrading the MP and RAM.  I have cancelled two priors orders trying to get it right.

 

I am not ready to reformat the HD.

The first reformat is the hardest.  I do an image and restore a fresh image ever month. The I keep a log of any changes like new software, so when I restore my image I know what I liked and did not, I am a geek and own two desktop computers that I built, one Dell notebook and two PDAs all used for gaming.  Well good luck to you.

FYI to you and other buyers that I hit a dead end with the Dell install and file transfer because they do NOT do W95 file transfers.  Would it been so hard for Dell to mention or ask that question up front! I could have spent that $200 on some good I6000 stuff . I am very unimpressed with Dell services.