I am due to install three p2p machines runing XP-Pro, to replace an existing 3 machines running Win95 at a clients premises. However, I wish to retrieve a large (~250MB) Customer database from one of the Win95 machines. Can anybody see any reason why I can't simply make the old Win95 machine a 'fourth' machine on the new network and copy the database across? If not, then how about removing the old HDD with the database on it, and putting it into one of the new machines? (I should add that the customer database has not been backed up because the old tape backup facility has failed, and an earlier attempt to install a CD+RW on the Win95 PC had to be abandoned when Nero failed to install)

If the PCs are networked you could copy the DB over to another PC first and then test that it runs ok on the new machine. Copying 250mb over a LAN at 100mbps will not take too long at all. And rightly as you have guessed, at least this way the file is safe on the '95 machine until you are sure its ok on the new PC. Best get some regular backup mechanism working soon too!

Thanks, The company that supplies the database software used on these machines, have written it to work such that it looks for a tape backup device and nothing else! The intended users are used to one click and the backups' done. Unfortunately, CD+RW will involve them first locating the 4 folders needed for backup before writing to CD. As I need it to be simpler than this, I'll have to scratch my head for a while yet!