How to Connect Two Laptops
Whether you are setting up a new laptop or trying to send a file to a friend, you might come across a situation in which you want to connect two laptop computers. To do this, set up a local network between the two systems with an Ethernet cable or use a specially designed USB transfer cable. To send files between any two laptops, both computers must have file sharing enabled.
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Instructions
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Using an Ethernet Cable
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1
Disconnect both laptop computers from any local network connection.
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Plug one end of a standard CAT5 crossover Ethernet cable into the Ethernet port of one of the laptops.
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3
Connect the other end of the crossover cable into the Ethernet port on the other laptop.
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4
Go to the "My Computer" window, right-click on the files or folders you want to transfer between the two computers and choose "Properties" from the drop-down menu that appears. A window with various settings relating to the selected file or folder will open. Perform this step on both computers to properly set up file sharing.
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Go to the "Sharing and Security" tab at the top of the "Properties" window on each computer and select the radio button labeled "Share this folder on the network." Now that file sharing is enabled, data can be sent between the two laptops.
Using a USB Cable
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6
Plug the USB transfer cable into a free USB port on one of the laptop computers.
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7
Connect the other end of the USB transfer cable to a USB port on the other laptop.
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8
Install any software or drivers that came with your USB transfer cable to ensure that the cable will be recognized by both systems.
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9
Go to the "My Computer" window, right-click on the files or folders you want to transfer between the two computers and choose "Properties" from the drop-down menu that appears. A window with various settings on the selected file or folder will open. Do this on both computers to properly set up file sharing.
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Go to the "Sharing and Security" tab at the top of the "Properties" window and select the radio button labeled "Share this folder on the network." File sharing is now enabled; data can be sent between the laptops.
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Tips & Warnings
When using the USB method, make sure you are using a USB transfer cable and not a standard USB cable. Standard USB cables are not capable of data transfer.
