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Transferring Documents From PC to Mac

anirban

anirban

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jan 9, 2007
689
0
Houston, TX
Hello!

I just purchased a new MBP, and I like it so much that I am assigning it as my prime machine, retiring the HP Pavilion to limited duties.

But I have tons of files in the HP machine (Running XP) which I need to transfer to the MBP.

I do not have an external hard drive to transfer files, and I am not on a network. The only way I see to transfer files are by hooking the two machines using an ethernet cable. The trouble is, I dont know how to go about it, so if anyone can point me in the right direction, it will be great!

I don't really want to burn over 20CDs to transfer the files!

Thanks!
 
Oh jeeze. An ethernet cable won't do you any good. That's only for the internet. You could take a USB cable and hook it up between them. That would do the trick and presumably what you thought would happen if you linked an ethernet cable between them.
 
Direct connect

To move files by connecting your Mac directly to your PC:

1. Connect your Mac to your PC using a standard Ethernet cable.
2. Make sure that both computers are turned on.
3. In the Finder on your Mac, choose Connect to Server from the Go menu to open the window.
4. Type your PC's network address in the Server Address text box using one of these formats:
* smb://DNSname/ShareName
* smb://IPaddress/ShareName
5. Click Connect.
6. Follow the onscreen instructions to enter your PC's workgroup name, user name, password, and the volume or folder you wish to access.
7. Your PC volume should appear on your Mac Desktop.
8. Open the volume and drag and drop files directly from it to anywhere on your Mac.
9. When finished, drag your PC volume to the Trash to unmount it.


More
 
Mitthrawnuruodo said:
Direct connect

To move files by connecting your Mac directly to your PC:

1. Connect your Mac to your PC using a standard Ethernet cable.
2. Make sure that both computers are turned on.
3. In the Finder on your Mac, choose Connect to Server from the Go menu to open the window.
4. Type your PC's network address in the Server Address text box using one of these formats:
* smb://DNSname/ShareName
* smb://IPaddress/ShareName
5. Click Connect.
6. Follow the onscreen instructions to enter your PC's workgroup name, user name, password, and the volume or folder you wish to access.
7. Your PC volume should appear on your Mac Desktop.
8. Open the volume and drag and drop files directly from it to anywhere on your Mac.
9. When finished, drag your PC volume to the Trash to unmount it.


More
Click to expand...

Hey thanks a lot for the detailed response. I will try it out.

And I do know that you can definitely use the ethernet cable for more than just internet.
 
anirban said:
Hey thanks a lot for the detailed response. I will try it out.

And I do know that you can definitely use the ethernet cable for more than just internet.
Click to expand...

What's even better is that you don't have to make/buy yourself a crossover cable anymore since the mac has an autosensing port, yee haw.
 
ridiculously easy solution

i bought my 2.4 15.4" macbook pro at an apple store, and they transferred my music, pictures, videos, and documents from my dell to my mac for free. just ask a genius at an apple store for a free transfer.
(the only negative is that it after dropping my mbp off, i had to wait two days to retrieve it).
 
Mitthrawnuruodo said:
Direct connect

To move files by connecting your Mac directly to your PC:

1. Connect your Mac to your PC using a standard Ethernet cable.
...................................................................................................................................................


More
Click to expand...

As far as ive been told and after over a day of asking the same damn question this is WRONG WRONG WRONG !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!It leaves out a very important detail..THERE MUST BE SOME TYPE OF ROUTER in the conection!!!!!!!!!

Please folks if you are going to give advice at least be specific about IMPORTANT details(all of them!!).... this poor guy is going to do what i did until some one tells him...

I' may be wrong..because i haven't proved it needs a router yet but ..sheeesh get your fact straight or these forums are useless.!!!....

this is something Apple should know about but they don't.I talked to a tech for 10 minutes and not once was this suggeested as a possible problem/soulution.I told her EXACTLY the proceed down to the ethernet connections.....clueless....it's not in the apple tutorial (that i can see either)



thanks sorry for the rant. I hope yours goes smoother than mine hasn't.

bp
 
bprice said:
As far as ive been told and after over a day of asking the same damn question this is WRONG WRONG WRONG !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!It leaves out a very important detail..THERE MUST BE SOME TYPE OF ROUTER in the conection!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...

BPrice. Calm down.

Every Mac made since approximately 2001 has had an autosensing Ethernet port which automatically changes from straight to crossover. Therefore you do not need a crossover cable OR a router.

Just to prove it, I hooked up a G4 and a Lenovo desktop with a standard cable - from scratch just now in under 5 minutes.

You do have to make sure that the Mac and the PC have IP addresses in the same network space (subnet) -- since there is no router assigning out addresses, you can manually input IP addresses in in the Network: TCP/IP: Properties on the PC and in the Network System Preference: Built in Ethernet: TCP/IP on the Mac.

Typical Self-assigned IP addresses would be like 169.254.196.1 - just make sure that both machines use the same first three groups: 169.254.196 with the last group being different
169.254.196.1 for the PC and 169.254.196.2 for the Mac for example. That will make sure they are participating in the same subnet.

Then you have to Share a folder on the PC. Choose a folder, right click, Sharing.

Then you log onto (Command K) the PC with smb://169.254.196.1, and enter the username of the user of the PC, and it will connect to your shared folder.


Bprice, I would really like you to stop double and triple posting your rants. I understand that you are upset at your own inability to understand this, but you are not serving yourself by telling other people to get their facts straight for attempting to help - especially when you yourself are dead wrong.
 
CanadaRAM said:
BPrice. Calm down.

Every Mac made since approximately 2001 has had an autosensing Ethernet port which automatically changes from straight to crossover. Therefore you do not need a crossover cable OR a router.

Just to prove it, I hooked up a G4 and a Lenovo desktop with a standard cable - from scratch just now in under 5 minutes.

You do have to make sure that the Mac and the PC have IP addresses in Ithe same network space (subnet) -- since there is no router assigning out addresses, you can manually input IP addresses in in the Network: TCP/IP: Properties on the PC and in the Network System Preference: Built in Ethernet: TCP/IP on the Mac.

Typical Self-assigned IP addresses would be like 169.254.196.1 - just make sure that both machines use the same first three groups: 169.254.196 with the last group being different
169.254.196.1 for the PC and 169.254.196.2 for the Mac for example. That will make sure they are participating in the same subnet.

Then you have to Share a folder on the PC. Choose a folder, right click, Sharing.

Then you log onto (Command K) the PC with smb://169.254.196.1, and enter the username of the user of the PC, and it will connect to your shared folder.


Bprice, I would really like you to stop double and triple posting your rants. I understand that you are upset at your own inability to understand this, but you are not serving yourself by telling other people to get their facts straight for attempting to help - especially when you yourself are dead wrong.
Click to expand...





Canada thanks for your attempt at helping but it's folks like you are whom I’ve been addressing .I admit I don't know what I’m doing that’s why I am asking but the EXPERTS keep on giving conflicting solutions always leaving out then ADDING important details like I should know that,,,, just like you just did,.

I sent this post to the guy who sold this to me and he is a tech and he didn't know this(and doesn't understand it).

I've been going on what folks here have told me ,apple and him......I just want it working...and hate to see other folks go through the same crap I have. it’s a waste of time ......if you don't like it don't read or respond. thanks.I apologize too everyone for the rants.

bp
 
bprice said:
Canada thanks for your attempt at helping but it's folks like you are whom I’ve been addressing .I admit I don't know what I’m doing that’s why I am asking but the EXPERTS keep on giving conflicting solutions always leaving out then ADDING important details like I should know that,,,, just like you just did,.
Click to expand...
Ya well, I responded in detail on your other post, and gave you four reliable links for further information, and you are still saying that I (and others like me) are the problem you are having. You persist in either not reading or understanding the material provided, or flat out disbelieving it.

That's your perogative. But when you come into someone elses thread and blast out incorrect information and dis the people who are trying to help that does not help the forum.

Rest assured I will no longer read your posts nor confuse you with answers.
 
bprice said:
As far as ive been told and after over a day of asking the same damn question this is WRONG WRONG WRONG !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!It leaves out a very important detail..THERE MUST BE SOME TYPE OF ROUTER in the conection!!!!!!!!!

Please folks if you are going to give advice at least be specific about IMPORTANT details(all of them!!).... this poor guy is going to do what i did until some one tells him...

I' may be wrong..because i haven't proved it needs a router yet but ..sheeesh get your fact straight or these forums are useless.!!!....

this is something Apple should know about but they don't.I talked to a tech for 10 minutes and not once was this suggeested as a possible problem/soulution.I told her EXACTLY the proceed down to the ethernet connections.....clueless....it's not in the apple tutorial (that i can see either)



thanks sorry for the rant. I hope yours goes smoother than mine hasn't.

bp
Click to expand...


Contrary to what you said, I did follow the ethernet connection instructions that was laid out in this thread, and it worked beautifully for me. I hooked up my HP pavilion to the new MBP. Setup a shared folder in the HP and dumped everything in that. Then I connected to the IP address of the HP- prompted for my username/password, and then it was just a matter of drag and drop. No router/switch/hub involved.


Thanks a lot for everyone's help! My HP has been officially retired now, and I am sporting a macintosh machine at my work place! (Its dang hard not take eyes of that thing... has been distracting me a lot!)
 
anirban said:
Contrary to what you said, I did follow the ethernet connection instructions that was laid out in this thread, and it worked beautifully for me. I hooked up my HP pavilion to the new MBP. Setup a shared folder in the HP and dumped everything in that. Then I connected to the IP address of the HP- prompted for my username/password, and then it was just a matter of drag and drop. No router/switch/hub involved.
Click to expand...

Yep, I've been doing this for years on PCs. Only thing is that I would have to make my own crossover cables as very few PCs had autosensing ports.

Glad you have joined the cause. I don't think I will ever totally give up my PC, but I have since relegate it to file serving duties.

anirban said:
Thanks a lot for everyone's help! My HP has been officially retired now, and I am sporting a macintosh machine at my work place! (Its dang hard not take eyes of that thing... has been distracting me a lot!)
Click to expand...

Just don't don't get frisky with it during work hours now!
 
bprice said:
As far as ive been told and after over a day of asking the same damn question this is WRONG WRONG WRONG !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!It leaves out a very important detail..THERE MUST BE SOME TYPE OF ROUTER in the conection!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...

Whoever told you this must have tried the process on non-autosensing ports and with a straight through cable. In this case the purpose of a crossover cable is to reverse the transmit and receive pairs, so transmit is attached to receive instead of transmit to transmit etc. Switches are already wired with this in mind, so computers to switches don't give you any problems. However, like computer to computer without autosensing ports, a switch to switch without autosensing ports will give you the same dilemma, the need for a crossover cable. Thankfully these days just about everything has autosensing ports.

There is some basic confusion in the consumer market about the differences between a router and a switch. Just about all home routers/gateways/firewalls have built in switches on the LAN side. The actual routing feature is only used when you are connecting two subnets, such as when you access the internet. Anytime two clients on the same subnet are communicating there is no routing taking place.

For a more detailed explanation I suggest looking into some additional reading. Microsoft used to have a network portion of their MCSE test that I took and gives a rather decent overview, nothing too detailed, of networking technology and how it works. They may still have it and it might be worth perusing the computer section of your local bookstore or library.
 
CanadaRAM said:
That's your perogative. But when you come into someone elses thread and blast out incorrect information and dis the people who are trying to help that does not help the forum.

Rest assured I will no longer read your posts nor confuse you with answers.
Click to expand...
He said the same thing over in his own special thread where he has still yet to provide any place to begin troubleshooting his issues. It's also where the whole misinformation about the router being necessary popped up.

https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/3785769/

Advice to you, bprice: be nicer to the people trying to help you - if you think we're being impatient and bitchy, maybe it's because you're doing the same to us and we're just returning the attitude. :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
 
CanadaRAM said:
Every Mac made since approximately 2001 has had an autosensing Ethernet port which automatically changes from straight to crossover. Therefore you do not need a crossover cable OR a router.
Click to expand...

Wow, who knew (you, obviously). I had no idea you could do that. I just put a cable between my MacBook Pro and Mac Pro, and it works! Wish I'd known that when I moved everything over from my Windows boxes a few weeks ago. Thanks for the tip.
 
Hard-Hat-Mac said:
How do you locate the information to fill in this part of the step?

* smb://DNSname/ShareName
* smb://IPaddress/ShareName
Click to expand...

You find out what the hostname or the IP address is of the computer you are trying to connect to. You can gather this info from the computer you are connecting to by going to System Preferences...Network on a Mac or Start...Run...Type "CMD" and hit return... Type "ipconfig /all" and hit return on a PC. The share name is usually not necessary as once you authenticate it will show you all shares available. The other option is just to browse the network and find what you want to connect to.
 
I apologize to EVERYONE....it was a very very frustrating process.Contrary to what some may think I followed everyones the instructions to a "T" until Canada (thanks)provided the missing link (which i also found in another forum link to a tutorial..not apples btw). the subnet was necassary.

I corresponed with the guy who sold me this a (who is a comp tech) and after 2 hours of trouble shooting and HE told me I needed a router.thats when i posted this... my bad...

however i still think it's imporatant to list ALL of the details.The tech found how to do the subnet ...Canada you didn't explain it just said it needed to be done (just like the tutorial did) the tech had to tell me(after he researched it I suppose).

in other words it is simple if ALL the steps are present in detail.

After all this it still has a weird glitch (or maybe it's normal) even when the subnetting and everything is correct it gives me error -36 sometimes..but if i reboot both puters it works with no changes ....

again i apologize for all the hoo hah no excuse.except....A BAD DAY,..if no one hasn't ever had one of those I'd like to meet their shrink...Thanks

BP
 
Hi i also keep getting that -36 error when i try to manually connect. In my network folder I see my computer name "homepc" and also "workgroup" but it says there is nothing in the folders.

Should I just leave the settings and restart both computers?

Will Applecare be able to walk me through this if I call?

Thanks,

HHM
 
Hard-Hat-Mac said:
Hi i also keep getting that -36 error when i try to manually connect. In my network folder I see my computer name "homepc" and also "workgroup" but it says there is nothing in the folders.

Should I just leave the settings and restart both computers?
Click to expand...

That's always a good first line of defense when trying to solve these type of issues. I would also make sure any and all firewalls on the Mac and the PC are turned off.

Hard-Hat-Mac said:
Will Applecare be able to walk me through this if I call?
Click to expand...

No clue I have only ever called them for hardware issues, like the macbook mooing fan.
 
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