Can I access Desktop Harddrive with Laptop via Ethernet?

Nukawin · Dec 23, 2013

I apologise in advance if this is in the wrong catagory.

Long story short, we moved house and during the move one of our PC monitors got damaged. I loaned my own monitor (as my sister needed it for school work) and just tonight when I went to use it to get files moved onto my laptop, the monitor wouldn't pick up. I've tried two VGA cables, and tried swapping the ends, but I'm getting no results.

Both were working perfectly before my sister got it.

I've decided to try using an Ethernet but I'm not sure if it's even possible. I was going to attempt to use my Laptop as another monitor to access my files on the desktop hard drive, but my research said it wasn't really possible, especially if I didn't want to take my laptop apart.

Question is, if I use a ''two way'' Ethernet cable, CAN I access my desktops hard drive files and move them onto my laptop? Or is there another way? My desktop doesn't have wireless.

I can't afford another monitor right now, and I'd really like to get my files out of the Desktop.

My Desktop is home-built with OS Win Vista, and my Laptop is a Samsung with OS Win 8.

Thanks in advanced.

ronintexas · Dec 23, 2013

Best and least expensive way to do this is to get a hard drive enclosure (about $10 for a cheap one) or hard drive dock (around $20), and connect the desktop hard drive via USB to the notebook.

Where was the cable plugged in - the onboard graphics or a graphics card? Try reseating the graphics card if you are using that - sometimes it can be nudged out of place.

mbreslin1954 · Dec 23, 2013

ronintexas' solution is the best one. Another one is to Remote Desktop into your desktop from the laptop, but your desktop would have to be running either the Windows Vista Business, Ultimate, or Enterprise version, and you would have had to previously granted permission on the desktop to remote connections. So the easiest and best way is to remove the put the desktop hard drive into a docking bay and access it from the desktop as an external hard drive.

crookedmouth · Dec 23, 2013

Another way to achieve this is to get a USB - USB bridged cable. I saw one on Amazon for $16, so a little more expensive but a cool piece of gear to have anyway. Come' s in handy in many situations especially with a laptop. Something like this.
http

/www.amazon.com/Windows-Driverless-Data-Transfer-Cable/dp/B004GIGNVC/ref=pd_sim_sbs_misc_4

bryonhowley · Dec 23, 2013

crookedmouth :

That would work but if he would need to install drivers for the Desktop he would not be able to see anything to get that done. So in the end the Docking Station would still be the best solution.

One last question though have you made sure that your monitor is set to the correct input? Monitors with multiple inputs will usually have a button to select the correct input so unless your sister was using it with the same input type it might have got changed resulting in a no single since it would be on the wrong input. I have seen this alot. Most new monitors will auto detect but that does not hold true for all of them it is just a thought.

Tradesman1 · Dec 23, 2013

Might check your TVs and see if any have a PC hook up and temp use it as a monitor

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Can I access Desktop Harddrive with Laptop via Ethernet?

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