I don't know much about the technical side of computers, so I hope someone can help me... I just bought a new computer with Windows XP... All I want to do is transfer files from my old computer that has Windows 98SE. First, I tried using a parallel cable to make a direct cable connection, but that didn't work. The two computers could never recognize each other, and in the end, the 98 just kept getting errors. So then I tried a crossover cable directly between the two ethernet cards... I set up the networks on each computer, used the network wizard from XP on the 98 machine, made sure the workgroup was the same, etc., but I can't get both computers to show up in the network. I've gone through all the possibilities in the help files on both computers, and haven't had any success. Is this a problem with XP/98 or am I doing something wrong? Is there something I can do to make it work, or another solution to transferring the files (besides taking the machines apart - I don't know enough to want to mess with that)? I really don't want to have to pay someone to do it...

you never gonna get that transfer, 'cause the file format for win9x es fat16 or fat32 (the last in most cases) and the format in XP is NTFS, Yes!! the same format of WinNT. And for that the pc's 'll never recognize each other. bye

So you're saying there's absolutely no way I can get my old files to the new computer? :-( What do most people do then?

Win98 machines can read files on other computers even if they are using NTFS. Here is a nice little artical about file sharing. Hope it helps. Check here

Computer does not care if the FILES are kept in the drive with fat16 or fat 32 or NTFS. The computer can read the files on other computer, otherwise how would you have an NT server running NTFS and the client machine running win98 can read the file on the server where the the file are kept (that is my setup). Go to www.duxcw.com on how to properly setup the networking between win98 and xp.

Here is another article about xp firewall. From what I hear, you need to DISABLE the firewall for local network filesharing. xp firewall

my XP pro is NOT ntfs, it's fat32.