Parallel cable connection between Win XP Pro and Win 3.11

[Paul Hanson]

This thing has been giving me grief all day. I've got two computers: my desktop, which runs XP Pro, and my laptop, which is fast approaching 10 years of age and runs Win 3.11 for Workgroups. I use my laptop for typing, because it's convenient and frankly it'd be useless otherwise.

The problem with it is that it seems to require low-density floppies, and I can't for the life of me find any anywhere. I've got no way of getting files off the laptop otherwise, so it becomes pointless. So I hit upon a new idea: using Laplink to transfer the files from one computer to the other via a parallel cable. My dad had an old copy of Laplink for Win 95 which installed fine on the laptop, and after scouring Kazaa I managed to find a copy of Laplink Gold V11 for my desktop, because the Win 95 version won't work on XP.

The problem is that Win XP apparently doesn't have the necessary architecture to support parallel connections via Laplink, which is odd because I can set up a direct cable connection on XP using a parallel cable. The only problem with this approach is that the laptop isn't set up to receive parallel connections, and if it can be I don't have the Win 3.11 disks to install the files from.

Is there any way around this that I've missed? Neither computer has a USB port, so that's not an option.

[Edan]

Wouldn't it be easier to use a serial cable with a null modem connected to it? I think that would be a lot better supported. I think there's a program in windows and dos that supports copying files that way (at least windows up to 98, not sure about XP). Of course, if the old computer has a modem, uploading them via the net would be easy... And since you can't get anything onto that old computer it might be the easiest/only way.

[Edan]

I think the names of the program (that cam ewith windows and dos) were called interlink and interserve (or rather, 8.3 versions of those names )

[Kuciwalker]

The laptop is running 3.1?!

It might be best to let it leave this life...

[Urban Ranger]

You could try running laplink over serial cable. It's a lot slower, but should work good enough with small documents. You could also try networking the two computers by setting up a LAN.

[Edan]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
You could try running laplink over serial cable. It's a lot slower, but should work good enough with small documents.

Yeah, but wouldn't you need to get laplink software onto the laptop?

Also, if you cant get some communications method to work, I would think you could probably find some store online that would sell 5.25 disks, probably cheaply.

[Urban Ranger]

He already has Laplink running on the notebook computer.

[Edan]

Ahh, whoops. Misread the first post.

(Hey, if you got the software onto the laptop,couldn't you use those disks? )

[Paul Hanson]

Yes, that's what confused me. But every other high-density disk I try fails miserably.

OK, let's give this serial cable option a go. What does the cable I'm going to need look like and where does it plug into?

[Urban Ranger]

You should be able to buy one at the local hardware shop. Ask for a serial cable for Laplink, they probably know what it is. It's similar to a parallel one, but a bit thinner. I think you can make do with the 9-pin cable instead of the 25-pin one. I don't think they have 25-pin ones for Laplink, anyway.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Paul Hanson
Yes, that's what confused me. But every other high-density disk I try fails miserably.

3 1/2" or 5 1/4" ones?

[Paul Hanson]

3 1/2.

[Grrr]

You aren't plugging a parallel cable into a 25 pin serial port are you?

[MRT144]

id say go networking...

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Paul Hanson
3 1/2.

See if you can format a high density one to low density.