How to Use FireWire Cables

FireWire cables are high-speed cables used to transfer large amounts of data between multiple devices such as two computers, or a camcorder or external hard drive to a computer. FireWire cables are capable of transferring data much faster than a traditional USB cable. This makes FireWire ideal for working with video and other large files.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• FireWire cable
• Computer

1. Connect the smaller end of your FireWire cable to your camcorder, hard drive, or other FireWire device.

2. 
   PCI FireWire Card

   For most computers, connect the larger end of the FireWire cable to the appropriate port. If your computer does not have a FireWire port built in, then purchase a PC card that adds a FireWire interface to your computer.

3. Click on the icon that appears on your desktop for your device. If an icon does not appear you can typically find your device by going to "My Computer" on a PC and by opening a finder window on a Mac.

4. Transfer data to your FireWire device (or from it) by simply dragging and dropping files. Your device will act as though it is a part of your computer while it is connected.

5. When done, safely eject your device from your computer before disconnecting the FireWire. You can eject a drive on a Mac by dragging and dropping it into the trash can, and on a PC by right clicking on the device's icon and selecting "Eject."

References

• Obsessable Definition of FireWire
• FireWire Products on Amazon