# How do I transfer files directly between two computers?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-transfer-files-directly-between-two-computers/463722>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 15, 2008, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-transfer-files-directly-between-two-computers/463722 "2008-09-15T18:01:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-transfer-files-directly-between-two-computers/463722/21 "2008-09-15T21:41:15Z")

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Some options:

Share a folder on one of the computers, provided that you have a network. Generally, right click a folder and select “Sharing and Security” or something similar. It is also under “Properties.” This would be cheap but not terribly fast.

DVDs: Single layer DVDs are 4.7gb and as little as 20 cents per disc. Dual Layer is just around $1 per, and 8.5gb, so much less economical. However, you could use a program like WinRAR to compress your files, and you can even split a large file into parts which can be rejoined on the receiving computer.

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**Author:** ![Kiwi\_Fruit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kiwi_fruit/32/12_2.png) [@Kiwi\_Fruit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiwi_Fruit)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-transfer-files-directly-between-two-computers/463722/22 "2008-09-15T21:58:50Z")

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I did a quick google search for [windows file sharing](http://compnetworking.about.com/lr/microsoft_windows_simple_file_sharing/156946/2/). Check this out. If you have the right cable, then this way is going to be more convenient than using a USB memory stick.

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**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-transfer-files-directly-between-two-computers/463722/23 "2008-09-15T22:09:54Z")

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I am thinking about getting a new computer at some point, but I don’t want to transfer just files. I want to transfer the Timeslips billing application, if possible. However, Timeslips is licensed only for one machine.

Is this something that can typically be simply transferred from an old machine to a new one via file transfer methods, or would there be more to it… or perhaps even impossible without buying an additional software license?

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**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-transfer-files-directly-between-two-computers/463722/24 "2008-09-15T23:09:22Z")

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> [@Mince](#):
>
> Well, that doesn’t seem **too** bad. I was hoping for a quick, easy solution; but I guess that doesn’t exist. I really have no need for a large-capacity memstick (I already have one at 500MB)

If you’re patient (and cheap), you can glomp all your files into a series of zip packages that have been split to be 500MB each. If you have all of the series together on the receiving end, it will reconstruct them all again.

Just google WinRAR, and then fiddle with the settings to see how to do it. “Self-extracting archive” or SFX is the one you want, I think. And then you set the split size.

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