Moving data off old Win 95 computer

[Orrie]

Hi,

I have an old Windows 95 computer that I want to get rid of. It has no USB
ports, no CD-Writer, no external tape or disk backup. Can anyone suggest...

1. The easiest way to get my data off the hard drive onto another computer
(I have a Windows XP and a Win 98SE computer, they are not near the Win 95
computer), or onto a CD-R or USB portable hard drive or thumb drive. I have
an old 100 MB SCSI Zip drive, but I don't know if it will work with Win 95,
and I don't have a vintage SCSI adapter.

Is there a way to use a USB connection; for example an adapter that plugs
into a parallel or serial port?

2. Is there any organization that can use an old, but working computer?
Alternatively, is there a way to recycle an old computer, so the parts can
be disposed of safely? I would hate to put it out in the trash. (BTW, I use
a data shredder that wipes data to U. S. DOD standards.)

Thanks.

Orrie

 

[Sjouke Burry]

Hi,

I have an old Windows 95 computer that I want to get rid of. It has no USB
ports, no CD-Writer, no external tape or disk backup. Can anyone suggest...

1. The easiest way to get my data off the hard drive onto another computer
(I have a Windows XP and a Win 98SE computer, they are not near the Win 95
computer), or onto a CD-R or USB portable hard drive or thumb drive. I have
an old 100 MB SCSI Zip drive, but I don't know if it will work with Win 95,
and I don't have a vintage SCSI adapter.

Is there a way to use a USB connection; for example an adapter that plugs
into a parallel or serial port?

2. Is there any organization that can use an old, but working computer?
Alternatively, is there a way to recycle an old computer, so the parts can
be disposed of safely? I would hate to put it out in the trash. (BTW, I use
a data shredder that wipes data to U. S. DOD standards.)

Thanks.

Orrie

Do the reverse. Put your the disk from your old comp.
in a 3.5 inch usb enclosure.
Then hook that up wherever you need to access it.

 

[meow2222]

Hi,

I have an old Windows 95 computer that I want to get rid of. It has no USB
ports, no CD-Writer, no external tape or disk backup. Can anyone suggest...

1. The easiest way to get my data off the hard drive onto another computer
(I have a Windows XP and a Win 98SE computer, they are not near the Win 95
computer), or onto a CD-R or USB portable hard drive or thumb drive. I have
an old 100 MB SCSI Zip drive, but I don't know if it will work with Win 95,
and I don't have a vintage SCSI adapter.

Is there a way to use a USB connection; for example an adapter that plugs
into a parallel or serial port?

2. Is there any organization that can use an old, but working computer?
Alternatively, is there a way to recycle an old computer, so the parts can
be disposed of safely? I would hate to put it out in the trash. (BTW, I use
a data shredder that wipes data to U. S. DOD standards.)

Thanks.

Orrie

Simplest way is take the hdd out of the 95 machine, put it in your
target machine. Safest way, since hdds are quite fragile, is to put a
2nd hdd into the 95 machine and copy across. That way you've left a
backup inside the old machine in case of any hdd problems. Beware of
the 2G bios limit, you may need a small old hdd.

Old computer reuse... depends what country youre in. Freecycle is one
option.

95 doesnt support usb, so no dice there.


NT

 

[kony]

Hi,

I have an old Windows 95 computer that I want to get rid of. It has no USB
ports, no CD-Writer, no external tape or disk backup. Can anyone suggest...

1. The easiest way to get my data off the hard drive onto another computer
(I have a Windows XP and a Win 98SE computer, they are not near the Win 95
computer), or onto a CD-R or USB portable hard drive or thumb drive. I have
an old 100 MB SCSI Zip drive, but I don't know if it will work with Win 95,
and I don't have a vintage SCSI adapter.

Easiest may depend on what you're proficient at doing,
whether you're going to take the system apart anyway, would
consider moving it closer to the others, and how much data
you need moved (and how quickly).

The generic answer is to just pull the hard drive and hook
it up on another system to copy off the files, whether it's
internal to the other system or connected by an external
enclosure.

Another option would be a wired or wireless networking
connection, that might be faster than CD-Rs if you can get
the network up quickly and had a spare network adapter.

Is there a way to use a USB connection; for example an adapter that plugs
into a parallel or serial port?

Not that you'd want to use, as you have to put the systems
next to each other still and then it's the slowest and most
crude method, particularly since you'd need to get the
hardware for that too and learn to do it.

2. Is there any organization that can use an old, but working computer?
Alternatively, is there a way to recycle an old computer, so the parts can
be disposed of safely? I would hate to put it out in the trash. (BTW, I use
a data shredder that wipes data to U. S. DOD standards.)

Doubtful that anyone wants it in a 1st world country, newer
systems are being sold for practically nothing or being
thrown away. You'll have to check with your local recycling
centers to determine if there is a good way to dispose of
it, but in general just taking it apart isn't of much
benefit and it isn't going to fit in your data shredder.
;-)

 

[Orrie]

Thank you all. It never occurred to me to take the HDD out of the computer
and install it in one of my other computers. I've installed one HDD on the
Win 98SE computer, so I think I can figure out how to do this changeover.

Thanks again.

Orrie

 

[paulmd]

Hi,

I have an old Windows 95 computer that I want to get rid of. It has no USB
ports, no CD-Writer, no external tape or disk backup. Can anyone suggest...

1. The easiest way to get my data off the hard drive onto another computer
(I have a Windows XP and a Win 98SE computer, they are not near the Win 95
computer), or onto a CD-R or USB portable hard drive or thumb drive. I have
an old 100 MB SCSI Zip drive, but I don't know if it will work with Win 95,
and I don't have a vintage SCSI adapter.

Is there a way to use a USB connection; for example an adapter that plugs
into a parallel or serial port?

There was in the win95 era, a Backpack CD burner, that plugged into the
parallel port. They're really pretty reliable, if ancient. But you can
still get drivers for them (even for XP). (There's a site, maintained
by ex employees that just hosts driver files) These old units turn up
from time to time.


Nowadays the easiest thing to is just yank the hard drive and plop it
into either an external enclosure, or straight into another computer.

2. Is there any organization that can use an old, but working computer?

In that vintage, probably not. But you never know. It'll take win98se
ok, which gets you to IE6, so it should have no issues online. Maybe
you can find a low income family that would otherwise not have a
computer.

Alternatively, is there a way to recycle an old computer, so the parts can
be disposed of safely? I would hate to put it out in the trash. (BTW, I use
a data shredder that wipes data to U. S. DOD standards.)

There is. I work at one. They're going to charge a disposal fee for the
CRT monitor. (It's hazardous waste)

I'm only familiar with Oregon, but there are similar centers around the
country.

In Eugene: Computer Reuse and Recycling Center
in Portland: Freegeek

also:

http://www.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/dell_recycling?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs

 

[paulmd]

Hi,

I have an old Windows 95 computer that I want to get rid of. It has no USB
ports, no CD-Writer, no external tape or disk backup. Can anyone suggest...

1. The easiest way to get my data off the hard drive onto another computer
(I have a Windows XP and a Win 98SE computer, they are not near the Win 95
computer), or onto a CD-R or USB portable hard drive or thumb drive. I have
an old 100 MB SCSI Zip drive, but I don't know if it will work with Win 95,
and I don't have a vintage SCSI adapter.

Is there a way to use a USB connection; for example an adapter that plugs
into a parallel or serial port?

There was in the win95 era, a Backpack CD burner, that plugged into the
parallel port. They're really pretty reliable, if ancient. But you can
still get drivers for them (even for XP). (There's a site, maintained
by ex employees that just hosts driver files) These old units turn up
from time to time.


Nowadays the easiest thing to is just yank the hard drive and plop it
into either an external enclosure, or straight into another computer.

2. Is there any organization that can use an old, but working computer?

In that vintage, probably not. But you never know. It'll take win98se
ok, which gets you to IE6, so it should have no issues online. Maybe
you can find a low income family that would otherwise not have a
computer.

Alternatively, is there a way to recycle an old computer, so the parts can
be disposed of safely? I would hate to put it out in the trash. (BTW, I use
a data shredder that wipes data to U. S. DOD standards.)

There is. I work at one. They're going to charge a disposal fee for the
CRT monitor. (It's hazardous waste)

I'm only familiar with Oregon, but there are similar centers around the
country.

In Eugene: Computer Reuse and Recycling Center
in Portland: Freegeek

also:

http://www.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/dell_recycling?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs

 

[Sonnich Jensen]

1. I'd usually take the HD out and put it in another computer, then copy it
to another drive. That is the easiest and fastest (asuming that it is an IDE
HD, then just find another computer

2. The should be places for recycling metal and electrnic equipment around.

S

 

[meow2222]

Orrie wrote:

In that vintage, probably not. But you never know. It'll take win98se
ok, which gets you to IE6, so it should have no issues online. Maybe
you can find a low income family that would otherwise not have a
computer.

While its probably a P1 or equivalent, it could be other things
besides.


NT

 

[paulmd]

While its probably a P1 or equivalent, it could be other things
besides.

Like a late model 486, or an early p2. That's probably the entire range
for a win95 machine.

 

[meow2222]

Like a late model 486, or an early p2. That's probably the entire range
for a win95 machine.

yes, which maks a big difference to its reusability. P2s are easy to
give away eg on freecycle, 486s almost impossible.


NT

 

[kony]

yes, which maks a big difference to its reusability. P2s are easy to
give away eg on freecycle, 486s almost impossible.

No USB ports though, any decent (even reasonable low-end) P2
box had USB... only the truely crap PCChips/other generics
lacked the physical USB ports by that era (but might have
the port header onboard). Thus it's quite doubtful the box
is of use to anyone as even if it's P2 era it'd then be junk
when new.

 

[CBFalconer]

(e-mail address removed) wrote:
.... snip ...


yes, which maks a big difference to its reusability. P2s are easy
to give away eg on freecycle, 486s almost impossible.

486's make quite adequate machines for many purposes. In
particular, hang onto any 5 inch floppy drives, especially if they
are the 360k type. These are very useful in recovering data from
old floppies.