Need help with a USB to USB transfer cable

Thorgrim · 03-21-2007, 08:30 PM

I can't seem to find one online, and the one that got recommended to me at an electronics store a few months ago only worked once

The situation is I have a laptop with only a CD writer but has access to download 20gigs or so of data I want to have on my much better desktop, I do this multiple times so writing dozens of CDs would be extremely stupid

I also do not want to buy 2 zip drives as that's prohibitively expensive, I just want a simple USB port at both ends to transfer data, the one I got was almost entirely in chinese and it failed multiple times then worked ONCE and now fails again and I don't even have the CD (even though the software is firmly on my computer) PC-Linq or something

So how do I get the data from the laptop to my desktop? A solid USB transfer would be recommended as that's easy to set up besides the software but if there was good software that wouldn't be an issue

JaJae · 03-21-2007, 09:11 PM

Newegg should have it. Another option is a network (possibly wireless if your laptop has the capability).

JaJae · 03-21-2007, 09:15 PM

You could also try a gender changer:
USB Gender Changer, USB Male to Male, Female to Female, etc.

JaJae · 03-21-2007, 09:16 PM

If you need a whole cable something like this should work:
Amazon.com: Cables To Go 6' USBA Male/USBA Male USB File Transfer Cable: Electronics

JaJae · 03-21-2007, 09:17 PM

Here's one from Newegg:
Newegg.com - Link Depot 6 ft. USB 2.0 Data Link Cable Model USB2-DATA - Retail

JaJae · 03-21-2007, 09:22 PM

This setup is often tricky. You're probably better off with a network to be honest. If you don't have a spare ethernet port from your desktop the PCI card is possibly cheaper than the USB cables.

Thorgrim · 03-21-2007, 09:24 PM

Wireless or any network is not an option

The one you posted last, it has some pretty bad reviews?

JaJae · 03-21-2007, 09:27 PM

Originally Posted by Thorgrim

Wireless or any network is not an option

The one you posted last, it has some pretty bad reviews?

A lot of these cables aren't reliable either because of drivers or poor windows support. Which is why networking is probably the best way.

JaJae · 03-21-2007, 09:29 PM

Here's another one..
Meritline USB Direct Link Cable, Data Transfer from USB to USB for PC use, Male to Male Connectors, Free STANDARD Shipping

They're not hard to find, but most don't work too well.

Thorgrim · 03-21-2007, 09:45 PM

It doesn't have to be like $6-10, i can pay more, I just didn't want to spend a ton of money, if there is like a $30 item that works great I'd love it

No networks, entirely different setups and the one time I did it it screwed things up so bad the IT guys at my school worked on it for hours before they could get my laptop to work again

I just have to believe that outside a network there is some other way, and there is at least ONE decent name-brand USB...like I said the last one I got it was like all in chinese and tech support was non-existant

lew · 03-21-2007, 10:23 PM

Mwave.com: Search Results

lew · 03-21-2007, 10:29 PM

Looks like you're going to have problems no matter what you do.

Good old fashioned networking is the best way to go.

6SpeedTA95 · 03-21-2007, 10:40 PM

No wireless or blue tooth?

So you need a USB cable with two host ends?

Thorgrim · 03-21-2007, 11:17 PM

Originally Posted by 6SpeedTA95

No wireless or blue tooth?

So you need a USB cable with two host ends?

I grew us with DOS and I generally build my own computers with the help of a friend usually, so I'm not bad with computers

However the last time I took anything related to computers was C++ in high school. im not a techie

no wireless, blue tooth?

i just have the same USB port on a laptop and a desktop, ive done the transfer before so I know it can be done, i just want something reliable and not in chinese...

Last time they had identical ends to plug in so I imagine the answer is "yes two host ends"

I remember before the internet was popular it was so easy to use serial cables to connect two computers and I'd play Rise of the Triad with my old best friend (before he went to Yale Law)

You are telling me in all that time they've made no reliable advancements in wire data transfers?

6SpeedTA95 · 03-21-2007, 11:22 PM

Well...let me see what I can turn up, if we can't find anything online I may be able to get you something from work, hopefully the cost wont be ridiculous. We've got some new equipment that uses USB as a result we've got a host of cables that might work...but let me see what I can find online.

6SpeedTA95 · 03-21-2007, 11:24 PM

Wait wait wait wait wwait.....

What OS are on these two computers?

Thorgrim · 03-21-2007, 11:24 PM

thanks, don't worry about it if you get busy, i just need to strangle some guy at radio shack

Thorgrim · 03-21-2007, 11:25 PM

XP Pro on both

JaJae · 03-21-2007, 11:26 PM

Originally Posted by Thorgrim

You are telling me in all that time they've made no reliable advancements in wire data transfers?

Yes. Well actually, ethernet is the advancement I guess.

USB to USB will work. But it's often buggy based on the hardware and Windows driver support.

6SpeedTA95 · 03-21-2007, 11:27 PM

I believe you can move just data with this and not the programs regardless of the OS but you mgith wanna call belkin tomorrow to make sure. But I used this all the time a few years back when I worked at bby...my guess is its the same thing with updated drivers for vista...
Newegg.com - BELKIN 8 ft. Easy Transfer Cable for Windows Vista Model F5U258 - Retail

Also if the PC's have win98SE or newer you can get a crossover cable (faster and probably more reliable than USB) and create a point to point network between the two devices.