# Help me solve my computer hardware dilemma... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 12, 2004, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-solve-my-computer-hardware-dilemma/254747 "2004-07-12T18:20:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kung\_fu\_lola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f4b2a3/32.png) [@kung\_fu\_lola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kung_fu_lola)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-solve-my-computer-hardware-dilemma/254747/1 "2004-07-12T18:20:51Z")
… and I guarantee you will have good luck\* I have two computers at my house. One has a modem hooked up to it (modComp), and one has a printer (printerComp). Some of my friends on the ‘net created a kick-butt logo for putting on t-shirts via iron-on transfer paper. I can’t print it out, though, because I don’t have the software to install the printer on the modComp, which has the logo in it. This is because the printer and computer is a hand-me-down from our roomies’ brother. I have tried hooking up our modem to the printerComp, but it won’t work. I have tried putting the graphic on a floppy, but the A drive in the PrinterComp is busted and won’t work. WHAT THE HELL DO I DO NOW?!?!? \*[sub]not a guarantee.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Mort\_Furd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mort\_Furd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mort_Furd)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-solve-my-computer-hardware-dilemma/254747/2 "2004-07-12T18:44:39Z")
You might tell us what brand and model printer you’ve got. Then we could help you find the drivers to install on the PC with the modem, then you just connect the printer to it and be happy. The next solution is to put a new floppy drive in the printer computer. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-solve-my-computer-hardware-dilemma/254747/3 "2004-07-12T18:55:29Z")
[http://www.driverguide.com/](http://www.driverguide.com/) has usually had whatever driver I need. Sounds like it’s time to do some cut and paste on the old Compy 386 and build one usable box. ---
**Author:** ![duality72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duality72/32/3910_2.png) [@duality72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duality72)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-solve-my-computer-hardware-dilemma/254747/4 "2004-07-12T18:58:10Z")
Or you could copy the file from modComp to a floppy, move the good floppy drive from modComp to printerComp, then copy the file from the floppy to printerComp. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-solve-my-computer-hardware-dilemma/254747/5 "2004-07-12T18:58:40Z")
Borrow a portable CD burner from a friend. Email it to yourself and check your mail (like a hotmail account) at a copy shop like Kinkos. Print it there. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-solve-my-computer-hardware-dilemma/254747/6 "2004-07-12T20:30:09Z")
Direct connect the 2 computers via cables between the ports. If you want a faster version, get software like Laplink. (It comes with special cables to help it run faster.) But if you’re only doing this one time, you may not care about making it faster. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2004, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-solve-my-computer-hardware-dilemma/254747/7 "2004-07-12T23:55:41Z")
Change that l to an f and you’ll have a free gigabit ethernet network quick a s a wink. Re easiest. If they both have USB ports just get a little 64 or 128 meg thumbdrive for 20 bucks or so and sneakernet the files between PCs. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-solve-my-computer-hardware-dilemma/254747/8 "2004-07-13T00:07:54Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Re easiest. If they both have USB ports just get a little 64 or 128 meg thumbdrive for 20 bucks or so and sneakernet the files between PCs. “Sneakernet” has to be the best term I’ve heard in years. I’m buying a drink for whoever came up with that one. ---
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-solve-my-computer-hardware-dilemma/254747/9 "2004-07-13T00:49:06Z")
New floppy drive for printerComp: [$9.99 + S&H](http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduct.asp?submit=list&catalog=13&DEPA=1&order=price&sort=asc). I had a floppy drive go bad on me once, and just recently regretted not replacing it. I ended up having to buy a new floppy drive so that I could get the system back up on its feet – it turns out that WinXP will only accept some drivers when they’re in drive A:\ . This is a cheap solution that is also a sound long-term upgrade. If each machine has a USB port, you could get a USB PC-to-PC data cable for [14.99 + S&H](http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=12-116-125&depa=1), or a USB flash drive for [22.00 + S&H](http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=20-189-010&depa=1). These are each going to let you move much more data back and forth. And of course, there’s always the overkill solution: just move a [new hard drive](http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=22-144-323&depa=1) back and forth between the two. ---
**Author:** ![kung\_fu\_lola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f4b2a3/32.png) [@kung\_fu\_lola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kung_fu_lola)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-solve-my-computer-hardware-dilemma/254747/10 "2004-07-13T06:57:27Z")
> [@Mort Furd](#): > > You might tell us what brand and model printer you’ve got. Then we could help you find the drivers to install on the PC with the modem, then you just connect the printer to it and be happy. It’s a Canon i320. ---
**Author:** ![Mort\_Furd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mort\_Furd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mort_Furd)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2004, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-solve-my-computer-hardware-dilemma/254747/11 "2004-07-13T18:59:04Z")
OK. Here’s where you get the driver for Windows for the Canon i320: [http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=SupportDetailAct&fcategoryid=232&modelid=8045](http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=SupportDetailAct&fcategoryid=232&modelid=8045) Go to that address, and click on “Windows Drivers” in the download section. Install on the PC with the modem, connect the printer to same, and print irons to your heart’s content. I would have given you a link stright to the driver, but the stupid page won’t go any further without cookies, and I didn’t let it set any.