New Computer--Best way to transfer e-books over

SlowRain · 08-15-2010, 02:24 AM

We're going to pick up our new computer tomorrow. I have my e-books on the old one, but I'd like to know the best way to transfer them over to the new one. The burner is toast on the old one, so I can't use CDs. I can zip and upload to the internet, then download, but I don't know which service is best/quickest for this. I don't envision a lot of internet file sharing after I'm done with this little task. Any suggestions?

Richard Herley · 08-15-2010, 02:31 AM

If you don't want to use email, and if your old machine has a USB socket, have you considered a memory stick? Ebook files tend to be quite small and modern sticks can have a capacity of 8 Gb or even more. They're getting much cheaper, too, and are generally useful things to have.

If you are a Mac user you may be able to Firewire the files over; otherwise you can set up a network using an ethernet cable, but that's all rather nerdy and beyond the likes of me.

SlowRain · 08-15-2010, 04:23 AM

Ah, yes, a USB memory stick. I'll see if I can borrow one from someone. Thanks.

HarryT · 08-15-2010, 04:25 AM

If both your machines are connected to the same router, you have a network. Why don't you simply share the drives and copy the files across the network?

Dark123 · 08-15-2010, 08:01 AM

If you zip all of your ebooks, what is the size? If it is not too big, you can upload it to Megaupload.com and then download it.
Or, if you connect the new machine to the network, you will be able to browse the old machines hard drive from it.
On the old machine do this:
Go to start, run and enter cmd.
Type in ipconfig
You will see the IP address, go to the new machine
Go to start, run and enter this \\IPOfTheOldMachine\C$\
It will ask you to enter the account info of the old PC.
The C$ will go to the C:\ of the old machine

GeoffC · 08-15-2010, 08:46 AM

Old computer >>> reader >>> new computer ..... use the reader as cheap usb memory stick !

Jellby · 08-15-2010, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeoffC

use the reader as cheap usb memory stick !

Cheap???

HarryT · 08-15-2010, 10:53 AM

Cheap if you already own it.

GeoffC · 08-15-2010, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jellby

Cheap???

I am making the logical assumption that the reader is already owned and available

Lady Fitzgerald · 08-15-2010, 11:33 AM

If you don't already have one, invest in an external USB hard drive. You should have one anyway (or a combination of several) that has a little bit more capacity as the hard drive in your new computer to keep back ups on. If you feel that is too expensive a solution, how much do you value what you have on your computer? Do you really want to risk losing it all to a crash, etc.?

Jack Tingle · 08-15-2010, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lady Fitzgerald

If you don't already have one, invest in an external USB hard drive. You should have one anyway (or a combination of several) that has a little bit more capacity as the hard drive in your new computer to keep back ups on. If you feel that is too expensive a solution, how much do you value what you have on your computer? Do you really want to risk losing it all to a crash, etc.?

Even better, buy a drive enclosure from New Egg or someone (mine's a $69 Rosewill USB/eSATA) and stick the HD from your old computer (mine was a nearly new .5 Tb--Curse you Michael Dell, and your cheap processors) into the enclosure.

Viola, instant backup. I've seen them as cheap as $20, but dude, it's a backup! I can move it from one computer to another backing up as I go. If it ever gets filled, by that time, one of the other machines may be dying and I'll buy another enclosure or a bigger drive for the enclosure.

As an aside, my work computer suffered a hard drive failure a while ago. The disk recovery company just stripped all of the readable data onto a 140 GB ext. USB drive and mailed it to us. I guess it was cheaper than making all those DVD+Rs. My question is, where did they find a USB drive that small?

Regards,
Jack Tingle

theducks · 08-16-2010, 11:37 AM

Pick Jack's solution.

Hard drives are way faster than Flash.
And you can use it for backup's later.

SlowRain · 08-19-2010, 05:59 AM

I used a USB memory stick. I only had about 7GB to transfer over, so it took just a few minutes.

GeoffC · 08-19-2010, 06:20 AM

.....

Sydney's Mom · 08-19-2010, 02:41 PM

If your ebooks are in Calibre, and Calibre points to dropbox, just install dropbox on the new computer, install Calibre on the new computer, and all your books will be there (takes awhile). This is how I did it on my new desktop.

08-15-2010, 02:24 AM	#1
SlowRain Addict Posts: 311 Karma: 9553 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: a Canadian expat in Taiwan Device: HTC 10, Asus Phonepad	New Computer--Best way to transfer e-books over We're going to pick up our new computer tomorrow. I have my e-books on the old one, but I'd like to know the best way to transfer them over to the new one. The burner is toast on the old one, so I can't use CDs. I can zip and upload to the internet, then download, but I don't know which service is best/quickest for this. I don't envision a lot of internet file sharing after I'm done with this little task. Any suggestions?

08-15-2010, 11:33 AM	#10
Lady Fitzgerald Wizard Posts: 2,013 Karma: 251649 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Tempe, AZ, USA, Earth Device: JetBook Lite (away from home) + 1 spare, 32" TV (at home)	If you don't already have one, invest in an external USB hard drive. You should have one anyway (or a combination of several) that has a little bit more capacity as the hard drive in your new computer to keep back ups on. If you feel that is too expensive a solution, how much do you value what you have on your computer? Do you really want to risk losing it all to a crash, etc.? Last edited by Lady Fitzgerald; 08-15-2010 at 11:36 AM.

08-19-2010, 02:41 PM	#15
Sydney's Mom Wizard Posts: 2,895 Karma: 6995721 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Idaho, on the side of a mountain Device: Kindle Oasis, Fire 3d Gen and 5th Gen and Samsung Tab S	If your ebooks are in Calibre, and Calibre points to dropbox, just install dropbox on the new computer, install Calibre on the new computer, and all your books will be there (takes awhile). This is how I did it on my new desktop. Last edited by Sydney's Mom; 08-19-2010 at 04:44 PM.

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08-15-2010, 02:31 AM	#2
Richard Herley Author Posts: 203 Karma: 1164907 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Norfolk, England Device: Kindle Oasis	If you don't want to use email, and if your old machine has a USB socket, have you considered a memory stick? Ebook files tend to be quite small and modern sticks can have a capacity of 8 Gb or even more. They're getting much cheaper, too, and are generally useful things to have. If you are a Mac user you may be able to Firewire the files over; otherwise you can set up a network using an ethernet cable, but that's all rather nerdy and beyond the likes of me.

08-15-2010, 04:23 AM	#3
SlowRain Addict Posts: 311 Karma: 9553 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: a Canadian expat in Taiwan Device: HTC 10, Asus Phonepad	Ah, yes, a USB memory stick. I'll see if I can borrow one from someone. Thanks.

08-15-2010, 04:25 AM	#4
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	If both your machines are connected to the same router, you have a network. Why don't you simply share the drives and copy the files across the network?

08-15-2010, 08:01 AM	#5
Dark123 Zealot Posts: 112 Karma: 105 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Kindle 3 WiFi	If you zip all of your ebooks, what is the size? If it is not too big, you can upload it to Megaupload.com and then download it. Or, if you connect the new machine to the network, you will be able to browse the old machines hard drive from it. On the old machine do this: Go to start, run and enter cmd. Type in ipconfig You will see the IP address, go to the new machine Go to start, run and enter this \\IPOfTheOldMachine\C$\ It will ask you to enter the account info of the old PC. The C$ will go to the C:\ of the old machine

08-15-2010, 08:46 AM	#6
GeoffC Chocolate Grasshopper ... Posts: 27,600 Karma: 20821184 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Scotland Device: Muse HD , Cybook Gen3 , Pocketbook 302 (Black) , Nexus 10: wife has PW	Old computer >>> reader >>> new computer ..... use the reader as cheap usb memory stick !

08-15-2010, 10:53 AM	#8
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Cheap if you already own it.

08-16-2010, 11:37 AM	#12
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 29,779 Karma: 54830978 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	Pick Jack's solution. Hard drives are way faster than Flash. And you can use it for backup's later.

08-19-2010, 05:59 AM	#13
SlowRain Addict Posts: 311 Karma: 9553 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: a Canadian expat in Taiwan Device: HTC 10, Asus Phonepad	I used a USB memory stick. I only had about 7GB to transfer over, so it took just a few minutes.

08-19-2010, 06:20 AM	#14
GeoffC Chocolate Grasshopper ... Posts: 27,600 Karma: 20821184 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Scotland Device: Muse HD , Cybook Gen3 , Pocketbook 302 (Black) , Nexus 10: wife has PW	.....