Connecting Laptop to Desktop

[Bluejay]

Hi I hope someone can help................the DVD writer on my desktop packed up and seems to totally irrecoverable. I still have software that requires the CDROM or DVD to be in the drive yet it is not being read. One alternative would be to go out and buy an external portable drive which I will do when I can afford it, in the meantime however is there any way I can connect my Laptop in serial tomy desktop and utilise the drive on my laptop? The other reason I am hoping this is possible (and cheap) is that I want to store my music (can't rip CD's as the drive is shot!!) on the desktop for now as it has a much bigger hard drive than my laptop so I am hoping that there will be a single solution to both problems.

Many thanks in advance and Seasons Greetings

Bluejay

[jimtherev]

Assuming that you don't already have a network router, you can get a switch/hub to connect the two together, then use Windoz' Wizard to set up a simple network. You can buy a switch very cheaply - for example here: 5 Port 10/100 Fast Ethernet Network LAN Switch hub RJ45 on eBay (end time 09-Jan-10 15:10:36 GMT) (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/5-Port-10-100-Fast-Ethernet-Network-LAN-Switch-hub-RJ45_W0QQitemZ390129731752QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Computing_Ne tworkSwitches_RL?hash=item5ad58b48a8)

and lots of other places for not a lot more than a tenner.

[HandyAndy]

I just did this very thing yesterday. Not much help if Blue doesn't have a router but it was very easy with one. Laptop and desktop both on a network - shared laptops dvd drive and was able to access it from the desktop to install some software. I did it this way as the software disk was one of those mini disks and would't sit in the desktops vertical tray! Otherwise, jim's suggestion is a good one.:ok:

[P.Pilcher]

A routeror hub is not needed if a "crossover" cable is used to connect the two computer's LAN ports. I think that such cables are coloured yellow (mine is). As stated above, the Windoze wizard is used to set up the network once the connection is made.

P.P.

[Saab Dastard]

I think that such cables are coloured yellow (mine is).

Yellow plastic doth not a x-over cable make!

RJ45 Ethernet cables can be any colour under the sun.

The way to check is to look at the insulation on the individual wires where they are crimped in the transparent plastic terminating plugs at each end of the cable. If the colour sequence is identical at both ends, that's straight-through. If it isn't, then it's a x-over.

SD

[Whirlygig]

Can this be done via a wireless hub? I have a desktop connected to said hub with an ethernet cable and a lappy connected wirelessly.

Cheers

Whirls

[Cron]

Yes, go to windows explorer (right click start button > Explore. (Either machine)

Scroll down to My Network Places, expand all the tree branches, look for Microsoft Windows Network, can you see your 'other' machine listed?

[Keef]

You CAN do it that way if you have all the hardware etc.

But if the DVD writer in the desktop has packed up, the easier fix is a new DVD writer. Going rate is about £20-£25.

[Whirlygig]

Thanks Cron, but no, I can't. However, you have partially answered my question in that "I can" but just don't have the technical expertise.

I'll find a twelve year old to help me out. :ok:

Cheers

Whirls

[Jofm5]

Whirls,

Due to all the script kiddies windows no longer advertises its presence on the network, however it will have established a connection with your router so rather than refer to your machines by name use the ip addresses instead.

Check on your router what your dhcp range is and most will also tell you which machines have which IP lease. thus you can refer to each machine by its unique address on the network. If you dont have access to the router then you can open a command prompt in each machine and type

IPCONFIG

this will tell the address of that machine, most likely in the 192.168.1.x range (although belkins seem to prefer 192.168.2.x)

You can then share a folder on one machine and access from the other but rather than open that share to the public authenticate using the credentials of the machine you want to connect to. (sounds complicated but is easy)

For example if you create a share on mypc1 called myshare then from my pc2 you can open a dos prompt and type......


net use z: \\mypc1\myshare (file://mypc1/myshare) /User:mypc1\PC1User PC1Password

replace mypc1 with the ip address e.g. 192.168.2.1
replace myshare with the actual share name used
replace mypc1\pc1user with the windows name of the pc your connecting to followed by the backslash (\) and then the user name you normally log on as
replace pc1password with the password of the above account that you log on with.

z: could be any available drive letter that you wish to mount the share on.

of course this can all be done via the gui but its alot less intuitive.

Should you wish to unmount the share you can simply right click and disconnect or from a command prompt type

net delete z:


to share a folder or drive just right click in explorer on the item you wish to share on the machine in question and select sharing.

[bnt]

The bit that gives me pause here is this:
I still have software that requires the CDROM or DVD to be in the drive yet it is not being read.
i.e. it's one of those copy-protection things that requires a physical disc in a locally-attached drive. With that in mind, the best bet is almost certainly to replace the failed DVD writer with another similar one. You can e.g. share the laptop drive across a network, but that will not satisfy the copy protection stuff. Yes, there may be ways around that, but that's more complication.

[Whirlygig]

Thanks bnt, I'll give that a go over the hols :ok:

Cheers

Whirls

[Bluejay]

All thanks for your responses and help, I think best bet is to soldier on and get an external DVD drive when I can afford it

Thanks again

Bluejay

[Keef]

Just a wild idea ... you haven't been playing any games with Starburst (or whatever that "CD in drive" thing is called), have you?

[mad_jock]

Just take an image of the disk and copy it across as an ISO file.

Then mount it as a disk.

If you have an Internet search for disk images.

As far as the computer is concerned its an actual disk.

Some of the crappy software look for the disk to be mount on D: drive.

here are some links to get you started

http://myutilities.*************/2005/10/mount-iso-files-under-windows-xp.html

usual problem with b lo g spot. c o m with the ***********

How to Use ISO Files in Windows XP | PC Tips (http://www.pctipsbox.com/how-to-use-iso-files-in-windows-xp/)

This works with various games in my experience.

[magpienja]

So are you guys saying this can be done without probs if connected with an ethernet cable.

Nick.

[jimtherev]

Yup. But see posts 4 & 5 above. You'll prob. have to buy a crossover cable; they're not normally handed out with kit.

[magpienja]

Jimtherev so are you saying there is a Crossover cable and an Ethernet cable, and that they are not the same thing.

Nick.

[mad_jock]

No there not.

The cable is wired differently to a normal one.

a cross over cable is an ethernet cable. I wouldn't have a clue where you get them as I have always made my own so the length was correct.

Once you do mange to get the machines talking you are going to hit a heap of problems with resource sharing.

I would strongly suggest you make an ISO of the disk and transfer it across using a USB pen drive and then mount it as described in the links I posted.

Also to add an ISO of your music disks is also the way forward as the sound quality is kept as original. It means if later you want to burn a new CD it is exactly the same as the orginal. If you rip to mp3 then burn using that you will loose quality

[magpienja]

Hi Mad Jock,

I am puzzled now as you say,

"a cross over cable is an ethernet cable"

But it looks like you are saying they are different elsewhere ion your post,

I do have a few ethernet cables knocking about at home,

So could your clarify, is a crossover there same as an ethernet cable.

[green granite]

this will explain it for you: How to wire Ethernet Cables (http://www.ertyu.org/steven_nikkel/ethernetcables.html)

[jimtherev]

No, one of those knocking about will not do. Purists may stop reading here :) but to make it simple, what you need to do is to make the output from one computer talk to the input of the second computer, and vikki versa.
Maplins sell crossover cables like this one:
CAT 5e Cross-Over Cables : Network Cables : Maplin (http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=47616)

and if you want to read a rather more technical explanation you can find a Wiki entry here:
Ethernet crossover cable - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethernet_crossover_cable)

But, yup - I'd use the pen drive solution too in your situation, if you have one.

[green granite]

Obviously my post's invisible

[Jofm5]

Obviously my post's invisible


I sympathise GG, I dont bother anymore.

[jimtherev]

Obviously my post's invisible
Apols, GG - yes, I don't know how I missed it. Bad Jim!