Connect Laptop to Desktop

How can I use my laptop to connect to and check out a friend's desktop, suspected lightning strike? I tried a USB cable, my laptop doesn't recognize the connection. :confused

 

Greetings, FLYB412...

There are of course going to be tweaks due to different operating systems (if that's your case), but I'd guess the easiest way would be to set up a LAN with a router...

My question, though, is why are you wanting to do this? You should be able to troubleshoot the machine without introducing new networking problems - give us the desktop's symptoms, OS version and service pack #, and basic hardware specs, and let's see if we can fix this thing...

 

Many thanks, I just can't connect to his tower. I'll take it back out to his house, connect to his keyboard and monitor and check away. It' just a SUSPECTED lightning strike.

 

I think that's your best bet - make sure you bring your portable with you, so you can access us and the 'net...

Keep us posted with symptoms, procedures, etc., and good luck!

 

Wilco!

 

If the system has not been fried by a lightning strike, another way to retrieve files from a hard drive in a system that won't boot Windows for some reason is to put a Linux OS such as Ubuntu on a CD or DVD, access the BIOS on the ailing system and set it to boot from CD and then, with Ubuntu (or other Linux OS - would need to be one that can be run from a CD/DVD, which Ubuntu can do) in the CD/DVD drive and, by running the Linux OS from CD/DVD disc, retrieve files from the hard drive.