Need help on making a computer a server: I ‘am hoping that I can get some help from Hog nation. I recently purchased a new desktop PC. The older one was custom built for me by a UUH...

sparkyv1

I ‘am hoping that I can get some help from Hog nation. I recently purchased a new desktop PC. The older one was custom built for me by a UUH member about 10 years ago. It still is running great but outdated for running the newer apps of today. The older PC has five internal Hard drives that I would still like to utilize.
My question is how I can go about making my new computer a server so I can go back and forth using the monitor, mouse, and keyboard for both.
Thanks

Toby

sparkyv1 wrote:

I ‘am hoping that I can get some help from Hog nation. I recently purchased a new desktop PC. The older one was custom built for me by a UUH member about 10 years ago. It still is running great but outdated for running the newer apps of today. The older PC has five internal Hard drives that I would still like to utilize.
My question is how I can go about making my new computer a server so I can go back and forth using the monitor, mouse, and keyboard for both.
Thanks

I have an interest but no advise. I will watch this request and learn

Shellback Loc: North of Cheyenne Bottoms Wetlands - Kansas

Here is an article that explains How to Turn an Old PC Into a Home File Server

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

That should definitely do it. Thanks for posting this link.
--Bob

Shellback wrote:

Here is an article that explains How to Turn an Old PC Into a Home File Server

Najataagihe

sparkyv1 wrote:

I ‘am hoping that I can get some help from Hog nation. I recently purchased a new desktop PC. The older one was custom built for me by a UUH member about 10 years ago. It still is running great but outdated for running the newer apps of today. The older PC has five internal Hard drives that I would still like to utilize.
My question is how I can go about making my new computer a server so I can go back and forth using the monitor, mouse, and keyboard for both.
Thanks

You don’t need to make the new one a server.

You have two options:

One, stuff the old drives in the new computer’s case and let the Operating System find them.

Two, use the Shared Drive feature, then map the drives in the older PC from the newer one, through your home network.

Server software is not required.

Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

sparkyv1 wrote:

I ‘am hoping that I can get some help from Hog nation. I recently purchased a new desktop PC. The older one was custom built for me by a UUH member about 10 years ago. It still is running great but outdated for running the newer apps of today. The older PC has five internal Hard drives that I would still like to utilize.
My question is how I can go about making my new computer a server so I can go back and forth using the monitor, mouse, and keyboard for both.
Thanks

Hey Sparky,

Not sure but I don't think you have to buy any special software as stated. All I think you need to get is a router though.
Check this out, https://www.techwalla.com/articles/how-to-turn-a-computer-into-a-server

Najataagihe

Fotoartist wrote:

Hey Sparky,

Not sure but I don't think you have to buy any special software as stated. All I think you need to get is a router though.
Check this out, https://www.techwalla.com/articles/how-to-turn-a-computer-into-a-server

Most home internet interfaces ARE routers.

If you have land phones, TV streaming services, cell phones or any other devices on “The Internet”, as well as your computer, you have a router.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Sever software might not be required but it runs this sort of thing more efficiently.
--Bob

Najataagihe wrote:

You don’t need to make the new one a server.

You have two options:

One, stuff the old drives in the new computer’s case and let the Operating System find them.

Two, use the Shared Drive feature, then map the drives in the older PC from the newer one, through your home network.

Server software is not required.

Najataagihe

rmalarz wrote:

Sever software might not be required but it runs this sort of thing more efficiently.
--Bob

If you have a high-traffic, multiple-user system, all accessing common files, yes.

A single user?

Not so much.

Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

I had it done once to my system by a tech guy and he had my two computers connected with an internet cable.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

I guess I'm more of a purist. I don't like the bloat that comes with a lot of operating systems. If one wants a server, use a server OS.
--Bob

Najataagihe wrote:

If you have a high-traffic, multiple-user system, all accessing common files, yes.

A single user?

Not so much.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Nothing special about a server except it may be optimized for multiple users hitting it simultaneously. In a commercial machine, that typically means 1 or 2 Xeon CPUs, RAID 5 or 0+1 disk, dual power supplies, Windows Server or Linux OS and often multiple IP ports.

To “convert” your old computer to a data or media server, you need to do nothing except map the drives as network drives on the clients as mentioned above. You can uninstall (to save disk space) or just not use any existing aps and make sure you don’t have unneeded aps running at startup. If you want a more robust OS and have the knowledge to administer it, you could substitute a disto of Linux for Windows and use the file system to create the RAID group. If you don’t want two monitors, keyboards and mice, just buy a KVM switch.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Under Win 7 I just set up our three PCs in the same home group and gave each access to the home group.
Any computer could see the hard drives of the other computers - Until one of the boxes was replaced with a Win 10 box. That one can't get to any other computer..... Haven't figured it out yet.
I don't need "server software".

misterzee Loc: N'Georgia Mountains

Server software makes everything cost more too, price Norton for server. Simple volume sharing will do, commonly called “NAS”, network attached storage. Do you have a scheme to protect the data on your shared discs? They will fail eventually.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I've thought about doing that many times, but the challenge and the lack of a real need have slowed me down. Lots of info below.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=make+a+computer+server

These are individual links I saved -

http://www.howtogeek.com/190835/how-to-turn-an-old-pc-into-a-home-file-server/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TDB75Xu0eg
http://www.komando.com/columns/453/3-simple-steps-to-create-a-home-media-server/all
http://home-media-servers-review.toptenreviews.com/home-media-servers-how-to-build-your-own.html
https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&rlz=1C1CHWA_enUS625US625&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=how%20to%20make%20a%20movie%20server