How can I connect my Windows 8.1 PC to my new Windows 10 PC, via WIFI?

MamaBear · 03 Jan 2022

I've had a Windows 8.1 PC and just got a Windows 10 PC. I want to connect them to each other, JUST to transfer data files, over our high speed home WIFI. How can I do that please? ( I'm PC experienced but by no means a networking tech.

)

I use Altap Salamander - a 2 pane file manager like Norton Commander used to be, but the PC's don't "see" each other on there. The Windows 10 PC is brand new and doesn't have much set up yet, but it does have connection to the same WIFI and the same version of Altap Salamander 4, 64 bit.

dalchina · 04 Jan 2022

Hi,
a. establish a local network
Share Files and Folders Over a Network in Windows 10
- for your Win 10 PC and see similar for Window 8 on eightforums.com

Somewhat time-consuming and tedious to set up, can be problematic

or (easier)
b. (if both PCs have Bluetooth)
Turn On or Off Nearby Sharing in Windows 10
- for your Win 10 PC and see similar for Window 8 on eightforums.com

cereberus · 04 Jan 2022

dalchina said:

Hi,
a. establish a local network
Share Files and Folders Over a Network in Windows 10
- for your Win 10 PC and see similar for Window 8 on eightforums.com

Somewhat time-consuming and tedious to set up, can be problematic

or (easier)
b. (if both PCs have Bluetooth)
Turn On or Off Nearby Sharing in Windows 10
- for your Win 10 PC and see similar for Window 8 on eightforums.com

Another easy method is to install Teamviewer on each pv and use its file transfer app.

MamaBear · 04 Jan 2022

dalchina said:

Hi,
a. establish a local network
Share Files and Folders Over a Network in Windows 10
- for your Win 10 PC and see similar for Window 8 on eightforums.com

Somewhat time-consuming and tedious to set up, can be problematic

or (easier)
b. (if both PCs have Bluetooth)
Turn On or Off Nearby Sharing in Windows 10
- for your Win 10 PC and see similar for Window 8 on eightforums.com

Thanks Dalchina.

The Bluetooth on my old PC hasnt worked in 3 years, due to getting wiped out by an update.

That list does look very tedious and time consuming.

What about an ethernet cable between the PC's? I just don't know how to set them both up, so they can see each other across that, but I have the cable and they're not far from each other.

dalchina · 04 Jan 2022

You would need a 'crossover' cable..
How to Connect Two Computers Using a LAN Cable in Windows 10 - Make Tech Easier

Have you looked at Teamviewer as suggested by cereberus? I know nothing about that.

Is your objective
- to be able to regularly transfer data but infrequently?
- as a one-off?
- to sync data between them?
- or something else?

Bluetooth dongles are cheap...

MamaBear · 04 Jan 2022

Thanks again Dalchina. I THINK I have both kinds, but will check. I'm a former electronics R&D tech, but from 1969-1995, so only intermediate with PC's.
...

Checked, and yes I do! Will try it tonight. Thanks!

Oh, my objective is to migrate all my data from the 8 to the 10 PC, then format the 8 PC and sell it. Maybe use the free upgrade to 10, on it.

The new 10 PC has: 2021 HP Pavilion Desktop PC AMD 6-Core Ryzen 5 4600G 20GB RAM DDR4 256GB M.2 NVMe SSD 1TB HDD AMD Radeon Graphics HDMI VGA Type C WiFi Bluetooth RJ-45

I'm not a gamer - just internet and home business user, but I like a fast PC.

dalchina · 04 Jan 2022

As it's a one-off transfer, you could simply image your Win 8 PC, then mount the image on your Win 10 PC and copy whatever you want from it.

Disk imaging is, as you probably know, strongly encouraged and recommended, so if you're already using disk imaging, whould be easy... e.g. Macrium Reflect. Your image files would be on a large enough USB external hard drive, for example.

MamaBear · 04 Jan 2022

dalchina said:

As it's a one-off transfer, you could simply image your Win 8 PC, then mount the image on your Win 10 PC and copy whatever you want from it.

There's part of why I got the new PC. The old drive got some OS damage and Idrive quit working. About 8 months ago. I bought this new PC about 6 months ago, but have been so deluged with work ( Home business ) that I had to wait for the December holidays to fire the new one up!

dalchina said:

Disk imaging is, as you probably know, strongly encouraged and recommended, so if you're already using disk imaging, would be easy... e.g. Macrium Reflect. Your image files would be on a large enough USB external hard drive, for example.

Actually thinking of Acronis Backup and Antivirus, which looks like it backs up instantly when files change, and clones too?

I actually have a BlacX drive dock for that, and a few 1TB drives for it, so I could do both local backup and online.

I made sure that the new PC was configured with a SATA port for that, too.

Yeah, you don't have to tell me - I'm tempting fate here, but have been so deluged with work that I was getting burned out by December 20th. But I know that I'd better get to work on this.

Berton · 04 Jan 2022

MamaBear said:

Actually thinking of Acronis Backup and Antivirus, which looks like it backs up instantly when files change, and clones too?
I actually have a BlacX drive dock for that, and a few 1TB drives for it, so I could do both local backup and online.
I made sure that the new PC was configured with a SATA port for that, too.
Yeah, you don't have to tell me - I'm tempting fate here, but have been so deluged with work that I was getting burned out by December 20th. But I know that I'd better get to work on this.

I replaced my BlacX USB 2 dock with the same but USB 3, helps when transferring data. Always thought about working with eSATA external drives but haven't gotten around to it yet.

MamaBear · 04 Jan 2022

Berton said:

I replaced my BlacX USB 2 dock with the same but USB 3, helps when transferring data. Always thought about working with eSATA external drives but haven't gotten around to it yet.

The eSATA is WAY WAY faster. Post the transfer rates. I tried a USB3 and think it took 19 hours, while eSATA took 2 hours? ( That was cloning the whole drive. )