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Author Topic: transfering information from 1981 PC to a computer of today  (Read 9271 times)

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swalters

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I need to find two ways to transfer information from a 1981 PC to a computer of today.  So far I have possible ideas of using a serial data transfer and even focusing on the cassette tape used for memory at that time, but I have no idea how to do the actual work,  please help.

M1CH431



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    Re: transfering information from 1981 PC to a computer of today
    « Reply #1 on: May 09, 2007, 07:10:38 PM »
    Well we definitely need more information. Like What are the 2 Computers? What Operating Systems? Etc, Etc...

    Zylstra

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    Re: transfering information from 1981 PC to a computer of today
    « Reply #2 on: May 09, 2007, 07:14:00 PM »
    Any data on a 1981 computer has a good chance of being corrupted.

    Is this from a Lotus document system?

    Do you have it on a large floppy disk? Or is it on an actual hard drive?

    unlovedwarrior



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      Re: transfering information from 1981 PC to a computer of today
      « Reply #3 on: May 09, 2007, 09:14:47 PM »
      snap old school

      swalters

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      Re: transfering information from 1981 PC to a computer of today
      « Reply #4 on: May 10, 2007, 06:47:51 PM »
      The information is on hard disk in the 1981 PC with DOS, the current operating system is Windows XP - other than that, no other info

      Raptor

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      Re: transfering information from 1981 PC to a computer of today
      « Reply #5 on: May 10, 2007, 09:23:32 PM »
      Is it an IDE drive? Hook it up as a slave. Everything should be pretty much backwards compatible.

      2k_dummy



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        Re: transfering information from 1981 PC to a computer of today
        « Reply #6 on: May 11, 2007, 04:56:51 AM »
        It is seriously doubtful that the old drive can be slaved in a modern computer. Most likely it uses MFM or RLL encoding (pre IDE) and would need an adapter to work in a modern machine, if it would work at all. Floppy drives still use MFM encoding but the interface precludes connecting to a floppy controller. If a direct cable connection can be established between the two machines, it might be possible to transfer data. XP might balk, but it is worth trying if the data is valuable. You might also have to transfer the data to floppies.
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        GX1_Man

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        Re: transfering information from 1981 PC to a computer of today
        « Reply #7 on: May 11, 2007, 06:43:57 AM »
        2K and I are obbviously old school and he is absolutely correct. Does the old machine have a floppy drive? If so, what size?  How much data is involved?

        Raptor

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        Re: transfering information from 1981 PC to a computer of today
        « Reply #8 on: May 11, 2007, 07:25:28 AM »
        I was going to say i had an old HDD lying around that did work, but I looked up the specifications and it turned out to be from 1990'. Guess it ain't that old.

        ST175A  :)

        WillyW



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        Re: transfering information from 1981 PC to a computer of today
        « Reply #9 on: May 11, 2007, 12:19:55 PM »
        2K and I are obbviously old school
        ....

        I remember using something called LineLink or LapLink, or something like that - on DOS machines.    Used the parallel port, if I remember correctly.

        Googled, and found:
        http://www.laplink.com/llv/
        The description sounds like what the original poster is looking for.... but somehow it just doesn't seem like the software I once used. 
        Maybe it is just modernized.....


        Am I ringing any bells out there,  with the other old timers?
        Is there any potential to this,  as a solution for the original poster?


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        GX1_Man

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        Re: transfering information from 1981 PC to a computer of today
        « Reply #10 on: May 11, 2007, 12:24:29 PM »
        Laplink was available with some version of DOS and Windows 3.1, but I don't remember what version was required.

        WillyW



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        Re: transfering information from 1981 PC to a computer of today
        « Reply #11 on: May 11, 2007, 12:35:06 PM »
        It would be nice if the original poster could mention the version of DOS he is using.

        For what it is worth,  the software in that link I posted above says:
        " PC-DOS or MS-DOS 3.1 or higher, or DR DOS 5 or 6 "

        I see you've inquired as to whether he has a floppy drive.   If he does,  then the version of DOS becomes moot -  he could boot 6.22 if he wanted.   


        .



        unlovedwarrior



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          Re: transfering information from 1981 PC to a computer of today
          « Reply #12 on: May 11, 2007, 12:40:35 PM »
          i like this topic i can learn about old school stuff

          WillyW



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          Re: transfering information from 1981 PC to a computer of today
          « Reply #13 on: May 11, 2007, 12:46:42 PM »
          i like this topic i can learn about old school stuff

          My first computer:
          >Click here<


           :D
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          GX1_Man

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          Re: transfering information from 1981 PC to a computer of today
          « Reply #14 on: May 11, 2007, 12:54:28 PM »
          I'll wager he only has a 5 1/4" 360K floppy drive.