Connecting XP Professional with 98

I just got a new PC with XP Professional without a floppy drive and need to connect to my older PC with 98. All I want to do is be able to access the files in the old PC. I read I have to use a Crossover Cable and use the Wizard, but it did not work......

I need detailed instructions, becuse I'm not very good at this...

Thanks

 

Whats your budget? If you can afford it, go out and get a Linksys router, connect your broadband modem to the appropriate ports, and each PC to its each port (Router manul will have instructuons). Then, you can just adjust the settings of you network card and your computers network settings to work on your network. If you need help, try annoyance.org . I may write you a short tutorial if i have time.

 

i had a similar problem and managed to solve it by installing Netbui go to this link I am sure it will help you http://www.windowsbbs.com/showthread.php?t=38090

 

I'm pretty new to networking but a friend just connected a computer running windows XP home to a computer running windows 98 with just the cable for the ethernet cards ( he did have to install a ethernet card in the 98)
But other than that no other hardware. The only problem he had was after a week of trying to set it up, He found out he had the wrong cable. He got the right cable and it works good. He can access files on the 98 and the 98 can access his files and music on the XP. He is having a problem accessing the usb printer off the XP from the 98 though. I would think XP pro would work if not even be easier.. Hope this helps, Again this is not from personal experience, But I know it's acurate..
Chip

 

Thanks very much for the attempts at helping me......

However, I need a bit more assistance.....

 

You spoke of trying a crossover cable so I'm assuming you have ethernet network cards in both PCs. If not, none of this will work. I'm also assuming you don't have a hub/switch and that neither PC is also using the network card for internet access via broadband of some sort. It could still be done but differently.

The XP networking wizard seems to do well for setting up other XP systems but I rarely ever hear good things about using it for 9X/ME systems so lets look at doing the whole thing by hand.

- do make sure the cable you have is 'crossover' since that's what you gotta have to connect two PCs together. Look at the cable ends and make sure a pair of the wires do cross. They are color coded so it's easy enough to tell. If they all go straight thru (pin1 <-> pin1, pin2 <-> pin2, etc.) you have the wrong kind.

- On both PCs in the network card settings, install TCP/IP, Client for Microsoft Networking, File & Printer Sharing.

- In the TCP/IP properties set values as follows after ticking the circle to set the values yourself:
.. XP: IP address 192.168.0.1 subnet mask 255.255.255.0 and the remainder blank.
.. 98: IP address 192.168.0.10 subnet mask 255.255.255.0 and the remainder blank

- in the network cards, configure button, advanced tab, set both to the same speed and duplexing. Depending on the age of the cards, you can hopefully use 100Mbps Full-duplex but any combination from 10Mbps Half-duplex (slowest) to 100Mbps Full-duplex (fastest) is fine as long as they match. Depending on the card, this may be a single combined setting or two different settings.

- give each PC a different name. Doesn't matter what but 15 characters or less and all alpha-numerics or - or _ and no spaces. My-xp and My-98 will do fine.

- put both PCs into the same workgroup. Same rules for workgroup name but use the same one for both machines.

- set at least one folder to be shared. Easiest on 98 to share the root of each hard drive so share C:\ and D:\ and so on. You might want to have share names that specify which machine so maybe share c:\ as C-98 and d:\ as D-98 and so on. The drives are already shared on XP except that the share name is set and should not be changed from C$, D$, etc. Note that a $ share is hidden so when you look in network neighborhood, you won't see them.

- set both PCs to have a logon username and non-blank password. Easiest to just use the exact same one for both.

- in windows explorer, 'map' your network drives and set it to remember them. That way you can just use a drive from one PC as if it were a local drive on the other. This is done as follows:
.. windows explorer, tools, map network drive and from the XP PC using the names as above, pick the drive letter you want for the 98 C drive and on the line for folder, put in \\My-98\c-98 and repeat this for all drives. From the 98 PC it will be \\My-xp\c$ and so on.

That should about do it for you. If not, post back.

 

Thanks very much Newt!

The network cards are being used to connect each PC via cable modem to the internet, but I don't need to be both connected to the internet and have the PCs networked..... I just need to get the files from one PC to the other..... cheaply....

 

Not ignoring you. Just having a busy night at work and no time to work up a coherent reply. Maybe later tonight or tomorrow unless someone else jumps in and give you decent instruction.

Meanwhile - another question.

For about $10 (to buy another network card) you could have XP connect to the modem and 98 connect to XP and be able to share files as well as share the internet. Would that be of any interest? It's no harder than setting up the direct PC < -- > PC connection.