Saturday, December 27, 2008

Transferring Files: Many Ways To Do So

Every once in a while you will find that you need to transfer a few files (or a shitload of files) from one computer to another. Depending on what you are transferring and the situation you are in, it can be a pain if you choose the wrong methods. Here is a basic list of common methods of transferring files. Please note that this list is just for reference. If you have no idea what to do, please read up some more on each topic.

  • Crossover cable: If you are transfering files from one computer to another, the most direct method is to use a crossover cable. This creates a connection between two computers through the Ethernet port. You should be able to pick one of these up at your local Staples or Officemax. If not, take a spare Ethernet cable and make one. After creating the connection, you need to set up an FTP connection or use some other file sharing program to transfer the files between the computers.
  • LAN: If you have a local area network setup, it is really simple to transfer files from one PC to another PC on the LAN. If you have windows, you can make use of the shared folders feature simply drag and drop. For Linux, setting up a Samba share on your host computer will allow you to transfer from Linux to Windows, Windows to Linux, or Linux to Linux.
  • P2P: If you need to transfer files over the internet to another computer(s), you could use a Peer to peer networking program. My program of choice for establishing P2P connections is µTorrent. Use your P2P program to make a torrent file (basically a text file) and send it where you need to (via Email, IM, etc.) The receiving computer(s) can open that file and start receiving the file from your computer. Please note that your computer must still be on for it to work, but all downloads can be resumed.
  • IM Clients: Alot of IM clients allow you to send files to other users. If your IM service supports this feature, you can send your files using your IM client. Quick and easy.
  • Email: Many email hosts nowadays give users tons of storage space. Consider emailing someone else or yourself the files as an attachment (don't forget to put them in a single archive file if there are alot of them) and then downloading them when you need too.
  • Storage Websites: Sites like RapidShare, SendSpace, and Megaupload allow you to upload files and generate links to download them later or send to friends. However, these sites tend to have lots of restrictions (file extensions and size) and will delete files that have not been accessed in a certain amount of time.
  • Burning to Disk: If you need to transfer a file (and would like to have a nice copy to save as a backup) between two computers that are easily accessible, burning the needed files to DVD or CD (or Blu-ray if by some chance you have two computers that have Blu-ray readers and one with a writer) would be the easiest. Just make sure before burning the disk that the recieving computer can read the media that you intend to write it on.
  • Portable Storage Devices: Portable storage devices (Pen drives, USB sticks, SD Cards, Portable Harddrives) work really well for quick and easy file transfer. Depending on the files you need to transfer, it could take multiple transfers to get what you need moved. Personally, I use an 8gb Flash Drive that has always been enough for me to transfer.
I hope this helps the next time you need to transfer some files.

2 comments:

  1. Great blog....lots of useful info...I was reading about Aviary and Splashup in an earlier post....had,nt heard of either before...thanks for the heads up!

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  2. hi, thank you for this informative post. I hope your readers will benefit more in this regard. More power.

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