[Channeal]

Thanks Terry, I think I am fine now. I made a test file and enabled it for sharing on the network (when there is another computer to share with) and everything looks okay.

Something that hasn't been addressed here - but which probably should be - concerns the security implications of running a network for somebody like me who is living dangerously and still running XP I am guessing that it is most likely not exactly a good thing to do!

I have disabled file sharing again for the time being. It doesn't really matter to me tbh, it is not something that is vital for me to use. I just really wanted to know how it is done and whether I personally could work out how to do it! I just enjoy learning new things where the computer is concerned and it was great fun doing this on Monday. I won't be heartbroken though if I am told I should not use it at all!

Cheers,
Chris.

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switching it off is a good security measure if not using it but in all honesty doesn't make much of a difference if your not connecting to any other network except your own local network behind your modem/router.

 

using xp in the first place when connecting to the internet is your biggest security problem.

 

there are basically 2 types of networks a local network (lan) which is any computer/device that connects to your own router and has a local network ip address issued by your router usually starting with 192.168.x.x then there is the internet network (wan) that you connect to through your isp where you have another different ip address issued by your isp which could be anything.

you can find out what your wan ip address is by running a speedtest here :- http://www.speedtest.net/

 

more info in links about lan and wan

:- http://www.diffen.co...ence/LAN_vs_WAN

:- http://www.bbc.co.uk...worksrev1.shtml

 

nearly everyone runs their own lan network even if they don't realise it, especially if they have a modem/router with built in wifi capabilities.

 

so homegroup/workgroup file sharing works only for devices connected to the same local lan. (or is supposed to but you can set up file sharing to work across a wan too)

 

this link might interest you and give more info about network sharing of files. :- http://www.techradar...e-guide-1119901

 

[terry1966]

switching it off is a good security measure if not using it but in all honesty doesn't make much of a difference if your not connecting to any other network except your own local network behind your modem/router.

 

using xp in the first place when connecting to the internet is your biggest security problem.

 

there are basically 2 types of networks a local network (lan) which is any computer/device that connects to your own router and has a local network ip address issued by your router usually starting with 192.168.x.x then there is the internet network (wan) that you connect to through your isp where you have another different ip address issued by your isp which could be anything.

you can find out what your wan ip address is by running a speedtest here :- http://www.speedtest.net/

 

more info in links about lan and wan

:- http://www.diffen.co...ence/LAN_vs_WAN

:- http://www.bbc.co.uk...worksrev1.shtml

 

nearly everyone runs their own lan network even if they don't realise it, especially if they have a modem/router with built in wifi capabilities.

 

so homegroup/workgroup file sharing works only for devices connected to the same local lan. (or is supposed to but you can set up file sharing to work across a wan too)

 

this link might interest you and give more info about network sharing of files. :- http://www.techradar...e-guide-1119901

 

[Channeal]

Okay. Thanks very much for all the detailed info.

Chris.

[Channeal]

Hello again,

I have a strange problem with my computer (or at least, it seems strange to me!)

First of all, the HGST Touro Mobile external drive which I ordered arrived. I had big problems installing it on my computer; something went wrong the first time and I had to keep uninstalling it and trying again. It didn't help that the instructions are (as is so ofen the case with these things) almost non-existent!

I managed it in the end though and am really happy with my purchase. It is so much smaller than my old one (something which really surprised me), it looks good and does not have to be plugged into the mains (thus freeing up a plug socket). The software which came with it is great too: no more copying and pasting all my data files over and over again as I have done in the past, the software constantly monitors everything and automatically updates file back-ups as and when changes are made. Such an improvement!

There is however one problem. If I turn the computer off with the external drive still plugged into the usb socket at the back, then when I re-start the the next time the computer just will not boot up. It hangs on a black screen with just the cursor in the middle. If I then disconnect the external drive, the computer immediately goes to the blue 'Windows is Starting' screen and everything proceeds as usual.

I cannot work out whether this is normal behaviour or not. Is this problem my fault, because booting the computer with a device still connected via usb is something that should not be done anyway? Or is my computer misbehaving?

Cheers,

Chris.

PS Daughter has been given the old external drive now. It only remains to be seen how long it will be until she gets around to backing up all her files onto it.

[phillpower2]

Hello Chris,

 

Can`t say for sure what is causing this due to the presence of the cursor on the black screen** but it is possibly driver related, most if not all WD external HDDs do not have their own drivers and Windows own generic drivers are used instead, the tech specs here state that the drives are Windows 10/8.1 and 7 compatible and that they are USB 3.0 + backwards compatible with USB 2.0, perhaps XP is looking for boot drivers that it does not have or alternatively the external HDD is depriving the boot drive of power.

 

** Would normally suggest that the boot sequence be checked in the BIOS in case the computer was trying to boot from the external HDD, without the presence of a functional OS on the external HDD you would not even get the cursor etc.

 

JAFYI: You can connect and disconnect modern external USB HDDs when the computer is powered up as long as you follow the steps recommended by the drive manufacturer, see example here

 

No rush with the Daughters computer then 

[Channeal]

Hello Phill,

Thanks very much for your help with this. I managed to get the computer to start okay without physically disconnecting the drive by closing down the software and then right-clicking on 'Safely Remove Hardware' and removing the drive from there. The computer will then start up okay, after thinking about it for a minute or two!

It is a bit of a pain though, having to do that every time. Even if I remember to do it before shutting down (which is by no means a certainty), it is most unlikely that my husband will remember - and he is usually the one who shuts the computer down at night. Do you think that if we frequently forgot to do it - causing us to have to physically unplug the drive - it would be likely to harm the computer?

I know for a fact that the BIOS is set up to boot from CD first, as I changed it a few months ago when trying out Puppy Linux. From what you said about the cursor, I imagine that changing this would not make any difference?

With my old external drive, all I used to do was turn off the switch on the drive itself. Unfortunately there is no such switch on this new one!

Yes you are right, definitely no hurry in my daughter's eyes as far as moving files from her old laptop is concerned!

Thanks again,

Chris.

[phillpower2]

Hello Chris,

 

Checked the specs of the new external HDD and was aware that there are no buttons of any sort on the drive, not helpful but that is how the cost has been kept down.

 

I managed to get the computer to start okay without physically disconnecting the drive by closing down the software and then right-clicking on 'Safely Remove Hardware' and removing the drive from there. 

 

 

That is the correct procedure and needs to be done every time, this helps to avoid data corruption by the drive being suddenly disconnected while data was being copied to or from the device.

 

 From what you said about the cursor, I imagine that changing this would not make any difference?

 

 

The fact that you got the cursor means that an attempt had been made to load an OS and that something had caused it to hang, cursors are not available outside of an OS and that is why a keyboard is required to navigate the BIOS to change the boot sequence on older machines etc.

 

You are welcome btw 

[Channeal]

Hello Phill,

Thanks for that info. I never actually realised before that cursors are not available outside of an OS: one can learn something new  every day here!

Looking ahead to the time when I finally get my hands on the laptop and assuming that I  manage to sort it all out and eventually start using it (if I am not too old to operate it by then, that is ) , I am hoping to use the new external drive for backing up any files that are stored on there, as well as the data from the desktop. It is very light and easy to move around, but I cannot quite get my head around how this would work as far as the software it uses is concerned. For example, I have the contents on my second hard drive (drive M) backed up onto it. If I connect the drive to another computer and it tries to find drive M but cannot, what will happen? How do you back up two computers onto one hard drive when the software is constantly monitoring for new changes?

This might be a silly question (I am very good at asking those!) but I just cannot get my head around it at the moment. I think I could do with a new brain really!

Cheers,
Chris

[phillpower2]

Hello Chris,

 

Unless you manually allocate a drive letter to a device Windows will automatically do so when you connect a non bootable storage device that has data on it to the computer, the drive may be M: on one computer but allocated the drive letter G: on another, it depends on how many drives or partitions on any HDDs already present as to how far down the alphabet the drive letter allocated will be.

 

To avoid confusion you could rename the external HDD as HGST Touro "how to" here

 

What software are you using to back up.

 

Tip

Create separate folders on the back up drive and named after the relevant computer, Dell music and Sony Vaio music for example. 

[Channeal]

Hello Phill,

 

I am such a silly girl!

 

I got myself in such a muddle trying to rename files! The software (which is Touro Cloud Back-up and comes already installed on the drive) ended up backing up everything again to a new file (not quite sure how that happened, tbh, as I only renamed the file!). In the end, the only way I seemed to be able to proceed was to delete everything on the drive and start all over again!

 

Then I realised what I should have realised before: the software automatically saves the files under the name of my computer anyway (as in K:\Touro Cloud Backup\computer name\M\My Documents), so if I connected the drive to my daughter's laptop,  it would presumably only be interested in anything added under whatever name the laptop has been allocated.

 

So, I am happy again now! <big smiles>

 

Thanks as always for your help,

 

Chris.

[phillpower2]

Hello Chris,

 

You worked it out already but you are welcome in any event 

[Channeal]

Sometimes, just being able to tell somebody what the problem is helps make it all much clearer in your own mind.

 

Nobody in my house is really interested in hearing about computer stuff!

 

Chris.

[phillpower2]

Except for when they need your help to fix them 

[Channeal]

You are soooooh correct there!

 

Enjoy the rest of your evening.

 

Chris.

[phillpower2]

You too and thanks