Computer to Thailand

[whitespider 1]

To any techies here

 

I am in the UK but return home to Bangkok early November and have now sold the house in the UK so no more returns except for holidays.

 

I have a PC at home with lots of stuff on it, emails, programmes, files and mainly my websites, etc that would be useful to me in Thailand.

 

I was just going to pack up the PC and take the whole thing in a box but it is using up a sizeable part of our luggage allowance (and the wife isnt happy about leaving her clothes behind lol).

 

I am toying with the idea of transferring the whole lot to a laptop which is much lighter.

 

Can anyone tell me how I do this - literally just transfer EVERYTHING from the PC to the laptop?

 

Alternatively any other ideas like remove the hard-drive etc would be appreciated.

 

I should point out that I am a complete novice when it comes to harware so I am looking for the "simple" answer if there is such a thing.

 

Thanks

[wacmedia 277]

Hi,

 

Yeah the quickest way is just to bring the hard drive with you. It can be connected to a new PC you get in LOS. You will retain all the progams etc which are stored on it. Or you can get someone in LOS to copy the data on to the hard drive within new PC and retain the other hard drive as a backup for your programs if the other drive crashes.

[MM 6,562]

Good luck, really!

 

It's a huge undertaking to transfer programs and such to your laptop...at least when I do it.

 

You will need to reinstall the programs you want to use on the laptop (generally from their distribution CDs).

 

For emails, internet favorites, desktop settings and your personal files, you can use (if using Win XP), Programs/Accessories/System Tools/Files and Settings Transfer Wizard. It sort of works. You'll need a lan connection between the two computers to share things.

Once you have that set up, you can copy any other files you like to your laptop.

 

I hope someone has a better and easier way to do it, because I sure would like to know.

[MrMango 672]

You might want to buy a laptop in your home country (Probably cheaper there) and then take your hard drive with to to Pattaya.

 

Here you can go to Tuk Com and for a small fee, you can have someone transfer your data to your laptop from your hard drive, and also they have available every conceivable program there.

 

Tekkies work for 1/10 the price here as Westerners, IMHO

[whitespider 1]

Thanks guys - I had spoken to my local computer shop in the interim and they said the best way is to take the hard drive and use an "enclosure" to make it an external drive to the Laptop. The download on a needs be basis to the laptop itself over time.

 

Plan (now) is to bring the laptop and HD from the com and sort out in Thailand. Yes, laptops are a lot cheaper here than Thailand.

 

I THINK this is what you have all been saying.

 

While I am digging around inside the PC getting the HD out - is there anthing else in there of particular value worth saving? It has a cd re-writer for example.

 

Any thoughts on the HD? Is it sensitive, does it need to be bubble wrapped etc? Most of the stuff I need was downloaded direct (XsitePro etc) etc so I don't have discs.

 

Finally are there any connection problems for a laptop inot the leccy suppy or do I just need a normal plug adaptor>

 

I REALLY appreciate your help - its just saved the missus half a suitcase so my life is bearable again :)

[Cennn3 0]

Well not knowing what's in your computer it is hard to say what to save and sell. You will have some RAM in there which just unclips and you can sell that, if you look on the motherboard for some expansion slots your RAM should be fitted into them, depending how much you have in there, could be one or two, take them out and sell them, the CD rewriter is probably not worth much as DVD rewrite are all the fashion now.If you buy a laptop it will come complete with all the electric cables you need, so no problem there. Bubblewrap the hard drive as well.

 

This is what RAM looks like:

 

http://www.overclock.co.uk/product.php?pro...95&view=rel

Edited October 6, 2006 by Cennn3

[wacmedia 277]

Hi,

 

If you had a spare hard drive to replace the one you are taking with you. you could sell it complete as a second-hand machine.

[cowboy 0]

whitespider,

 

even easier, much easier and you will never have to crack open the case.

 

Buy an external hard drive with automatic backup software.

 

Backup all your data to the external. Once it is working fine. Disconnect the external and pack it for shipping. erase your main computer drive and sell the computer. Chances are the new external drive is faster and better than the drive you have in your computer. I have pasted the link to once of the many possible vendors. If you think you will want a laptop in LOS then you might want to consider a laptop external that runs off the usb power. They copst a little more money for the sdame size but are smaller and lighter.

 

Note desktop usually have 3 1/2 inch drives. laptops usually have 2 1/2 inch drives

 

http://www.buffalotech.com/products/produc...p;categoryid=17

 

peace bro

[MrMango 672]

For your hard drive, I bought a USB enclosure for both a hard drive and a CD for 1500 Baht or so, and I use this for my backup of my laptop. This would work for you too.

 

Dump the rest of the stuff - It will be worthless in 6 months, IMHO.

[papillon 695]

Can anyone tell me how I do this - literally just transfer EVERYTHING from the PC to the laptop?

 

I can tell you how to do what you ask, the problem is that it would be a complete waste of time because Windows will not run on your laptop after you've done it.

 

Basically, what you're hoping to achieve can't be done.

 

As has been suggested already, rip the hard drive out of your old PC and bring it to Thailand with you.

 

A Techie will then be able to transfer the DATA to your laptop for you if that's what you want. The best thing to do is buy an external hard drive enclosure and transfer the data yourself.

 

You will have to install all your programs again on the laptop.

 

 

If I was moving to Los, I would remove everything from my PC and just buy a new case in Thailand. Once you dismantle a PC, the components take little space in your suitcase.

[farangkwaiyai 46]

Please remember that alot of the parts are static sensitive and need to be put in antistatic bags. Try not to slam the HD, laptop hd's are much more tolerate at being moved especially when running.

 

The RAM is more static sensitive.

 

Now for the geeky way of copying your hard disk. You can burn an image of your hard disk, this is the easiest way of changing your hard drive or when you do your 6 monthly reformat, you can burn a copy of the hard drive onto another harddrive.

 

I would get an external usb hard disk case (not much money) Get a 300 gig (279 gig) hard disk drive (£70 last time i got one) Then get this cloning software and copy straight onto the external drive, then the drive can be put straight into your new computer as a slave or master. Please remember to set the jumbers on the back of the drive.

 

Buying a case and drive is much cheaper than going to office world and buying it as one. And they simply fit together.

 

I cant be bothered to try and explain about the cloning so here is a link ... http://www.thefreecountry.com/utilities/backupandimage.shtml

 

 

To download the software and keygen you need to download www.bitlord.com then click download on http://www.torrentspy.com/torrent/810148/A...cl_Keymaker_ZWT

 

and the key gen is self explainitory. I have not tested this software.

Edited October 9, 2006 by farangmaikwai

[Cennn3 0]

To download the software and keygen you need to download www.bitlord.com then click download on http://www.torrentspy.com/torrent/810148/A...cl_Keymaker_ZWT

 

and the key gen is self explainitory. I have not tested this software.

 

Naughty naughty, that's illegal.

[farangkwaiyai 46]

Well i wont tell anyone if you dont... Its only illegal if you do it!! Of course I wouldnt dream of it.. cough cough

 

Ok £50 on software that you'll use once or a three hour gang bang down soi 6 for the same price.. I know what i'll chose.

[Cennn3 0]

Well i wont tell anyone if you dont... Its only illegal if you do it!! Of course I wouldnt dream of it.. cough cough

 

Ok £50 on software that you'll use once or a three hour gang bang down soi 6 for the same price.. I know what i'll chose.

 

They are overcharging you for the gangbang.

[mykl 72]

When you buy the laptop it will come with windows on it. Reinstalling your programs from scratch is probably better anyway so the only thing you need to worry about is your data files. Your website runs inside your browser. You will need any files (pictures, scripts, etc) that the site needs to run to be available on the hard drive which may entail some editing of the html code to make sure all your links lead to the correct location. Office files can be read by many different programs now so you may not even need to install Windows Office unless you have some macros installed that you just can't live without. If you know how to use the command line the xcopy command can be very usefull for simpleminded backups and it is included with Windows. The external usb drive is an excellent suggestion. Buy the kit and simply copy your data files.

[farangkwaiyai 46]

They are overcharging you for the gangbang.

 

Its not overchanging its FT - farang tax, of course NFT newbie farang tax is a higher rate.

 

The farang tax is a highly complex matter, sometimes it depends what part of farangland you come from, if its one end- america or the other japan, lol

Edited October 9, 2006 by farangmaikwai

[Cennn3 0]

Its not overchanging its FT - farang tax, of course NFT newbie farang tax is a higher rate.

 

The farang tax is a highly complex matter, sometimes it depends what part of farangland you come from, if its one end- america or the other japan, lol

 

Yes those tax collectors in soi 6 will literally screw you in the ass to get their money.

[dave_boo 0]

As others have suggested, simply buy an external enclosure. Pop the old harddrive out of your desktop, install it into your enclosure. Hook it up to your laptop. Assuming you keep everything organised, i.e. using your "My Documents" folder, simply copy that over to your laptops hard drive. Then use the "Start->All Programmes->Accessories->System Tools->Files and Settings Transfer Wizard" that Martin was talking about. The wizard will take you through some steps, and where you need to pay attention is when it gets to the "Do you have a Windows XP CD?" step. You need to select "I don't need the Wizard Disc. I have already collected my files and settings from my old coumputer". Select "Next". The next page will need "Other (for example, a removable drive or network drive)" "Browse" to where the external drive is. That should be it for you then. If you find any programmes/files missing, simply search for them on your external drive and copy them over to your new hard drive.

 

This should also allow you to keep all your bookmarks in Internet Explorer, and other settings. Technically you could ghost an image of your old hdd onto your new laptop, but that requires rebooting and changing all your drivers to generic ones, and is highly NOT recommended.

[papillon 695]

Making an image file and restoring it to the laptop WILL NOT WORK.

 

Windows will not boot on the laptop from the restored file because the hardware is different.

 

Ghost or XCopy is no good for what he wants to do.

[mykl 72]

Making an image file and restoring it to the laptop WILL NOT WORK.

 

Windows will not boot on the laptop from the restored file because the hardware is different.

 

Ghost or XCopy is no good for what he wants to do.

 

I beg to differ. I have used it (xcopy) for exactly this purpose. If you know what extensions you want copied it will move only files with those extension. It will even create the directory structure if you use the correct switches. It's a very handy command once you play with it a bit. Not sure about Ghost as I have not used it. I seem to remember it will back up only the files you tell it to.

[papillon 695]

I beg to differ. I have used it (xcopy) for exactly this purpose. If you know what extensions you want copied it will move only files with those extension. It will even create the directory structure if you use the correct switches. It's a very handy command once you play with it a bit. Not sure about Ghost as I have not used it. I seem to remember it will back up only the files you tell it to.

 

Whitespider has programs installed on his PC that he wants to transfer onto his laptop.

 

The majority of the programs will need to be reinstalled on the laptop.

 

Transfering the files using Xcopy will not install the files, it will merely transfer the files.

 

Xcopy is only good for transferring data in this instance.

 

Try it yourself and see.

[Odense 498]

I'm pretty sure that if he used Norton Ghost or Acronis or similar to ghost the harddisk onto a new (bigger) HD and then reinstalled just Windows XP - all the programs would work. Seems easier to me than having to reinstall a lot of aps.