Read Knoppix HD, write via LAN to Win HD - I'm newbie

[Sudan]

(read standard newbie apologies as a given along with a load of thanks)

Is it possible to do the following procedure?

1) I have an old computer with Win 2000 Pro installed, it has a NTFS formatted hard drive.

2) On this W2K computer, I have successfully booted and run Knoppix Live CD ver 5.1.1. I can read (but I don’t write) the NTFS HD. And the network card works (I can access the internet).

3) I have a new computer with Vista installed. It has a NTFS formatted hard drive AND it also has an external USB hard drive that is FAT32 formatted. This USB HD is set under Windows to share for everyone on the LAN.

4/MAIN POINT) From the old W2K computer running Knoppix, can I read the files on the HD and write them over the LAN to the FAT32 USB HD on the Vista computer?

This begs the following questions that as a newbie have me stumped.

A) How to “enable� the old computer running Knoppix to “see� the FAT32 USB HD on the Vista computer?

B) How to “copy� files from source to destination.

C) If this can’t be done, an alternative process is to boot up Knoppix Live CD onto the new Vista computer. I won’t touch it’s NTFS HD. Then copy the files off the old/W2K computer running Knoppix over the LAN onto the USB HD that is on the new/Vista computer that is running Knoppix. But I don’t know how to set “shares� on HD under Knoppix.

FWIW **** Here is the background of my situation and what I am trying to accomplish:

I am a complete newbie. I only yesterday for the very first time successfully and on the first attempt, easily booted a Knoppix Live CD (ver 5.1.1) on my Win 2000 Pro computer. I could then easily read the files on this computer’s hard drive, which is a NTFS formatted (under W2K) hard drive. I understand NOT to write to the NTFS HD while the computer is running Knoppix.

Previously, this computer has developed a problem loading W2K o.s. When I boot W2K from the HD, I get a
STOP: 0x0000007B (0xF741B84C,0xC0000034,0x00000000,0x00000000) INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE

error message. My work around is to load the Knoppix o.s. to access my files on the NTFS HD. But now I need to read the files off the NTFS HD and copy/write them to some other location.

This W2K computer is old and the bios does not support using external USB hard drives. My idea is to use my LAN to copy the files from this old W2K computer (while it runs Knoppix) onto a FAT32 formatted external USB hard drive that is plugged into a second computer that is running (please don’t groan) Vista.

Thanks.

[Harry Kuhman]

You can network just fine between Linux and Microsoft, although sometime for me it seems to work flawlessly and sometimes normal file sharing does give me problems. I have not used Vista this way, and because I've seem other things that Microsoft has done apparently to break Linux, I would not be shocked if it was even harder in Vista. What I do when I need to transfer files between the two, particularly a lot of files or large file, is set up a FTP server on the Windows system and use Konquror in Knoppix as the FTP client and transfer files back and forth with FTP. In addition to avoiding problems with Microsoft file sharing, it is much faster than Microsoft file sharing.

I would have also expected that you could put the usb drive directly on the Knoppix system, I would not have expected the BIOS to matter. But if you are certain that will not work then the FTP approach will certainly work and will be the fastest way to transfer a lot of data. Of course, when using FTP you could save the files directly to the NTFS drive if you wish rather than the slower usb drive, it will be Windows which is writing to the drive, so it is as safe as other times (I'll leave you to decide for yourself how safe that is with Windows).

[Sudan]

You can network just fine between Linux and Microsoft, although sometime for me it seems to work flawlessly and sometimes normal file sharing does give me problems. I have not used Vista this way, and because I've seem other things that Microsoft has done apparently to break Linux, I would not be shocked if it was even harder in Vista. What I do when I need to transfer files between the two, particularly a lot of files or large file, is set up a FTP server on the Windows system and use Konquror in Knoppix as the FTP client and transfer files back and forth with FTP. In addition to avoiding problems with Microsoft file sharing, it is much faster than Microsoft file sharing.

I would have also expected that you could put the usb drive directly on the Knoppix system, I would not have expected the BIOS to matter. But if you are certain that will not work then the FTP approach will certainly work and will be the fastest way to transfer a lot of data. Of course, when using FTP you could save the files directly to the NTFS drive if you wish rather than the slower usb drive, it will be Windows which is writing to the drive, so it is as safe as other times (I'll leave you to decide for yourself how safe that is with Windows).

I am using "Konqueror" ont eh Knoppix machine. It is not working correctly:

I can see the Knoppix machine HD files in a Konqueror window - source.
I can see the shared USB HD on the Vista computer in a second Konqueror window - destination
I drag/drop from source to destination. I got third window "copy file(s) in progress". It shows the correct source and destination accross the LAN. But percentage bar stays at zero %. The folders and file counts constantly tick upwards. But there is a "stalled" message displayed. Nothing is being written to the destiation USB HD on the Vista computer.

FTP: This sounds like a good idea, but I don't know where to start looking for info. Does this require a new third computer on my LAN? Or does "FTP server on the Windows system" mean I have to start some program running on the Vista computer?

Thanks.

[Harry Kuhman]

I am using "Konqueror" ont eh Knoppix machine. It is not working correctly...

As I said, I have not used Vista this way and wouldn't be shocked if Microsoft was doing things to make Linux not talk to it, but I've had on-and-off problems with filesharing this way even in older Microsoft OSs, that's one of the reasons why I suggested FTP and leaving fighting with Microsoft file sharing for another day.

FTP: This sounds like a good idea, but I don't know where to start looking for info. Does this require a new third computer on my LAN? Or does "FTP server on the Windows system" mean I have to start some program running on the Vista computer?

Third computer, no. Some program running on the Vista computer, yes. Any ftp client (including Konguror, most browers as well as dedicated FTP client programs) talks to another program called an FTP server. There are many FTP servers that run under Windows. Filezilla is a popular free one, although there are many others and many are free or offer a limited time trial. Use Google to look for Windows FTP server or servers to find and choose between them. Install and run the FTP server, then connect to it with the client. Be sure you have set up the server to let the client store files on the server.

Also, if running a local firewall (like the one in Vista) be sure that you allow the other computer to connect. I don't use the Microsoft firewall, so I don't know if Microsoft makes this apparent or not. The software firewall that I use pops up an alert whenever it blocks unrecognized traffic and lets me know about it, but that seems a lot to expect for Microsift.

[Sudan]

...and leaving fighting with Microsoft file sharing for another day.

Thanks for reply. I appreciate it. I will start work on FTP. Thanks for pointing me in this direction. This sounds like a good long term set up to having working for my home LAN.

But first, for the sheer hell of seeing what happens, I'm going to boot Knoppix on my Vista machine too. Then I'll see if I can copy files from the old/W2K computer running Knoppix onto the USB HD attached to the new/Vista computer running Knoppix Live Cd.

Thanks again!