...

 BK>>  Of course, you can get adapters for USB to Serial or parallel.

 ML> the problem, in many cases, is getting one that goes in the
 ML> direction one needs... i can easily find one that connects
 ML> a serial device to a USB port (they come/came with many
 ML> mice) but i can hardly find one that allows me to connect a
 ML> USB device to a serial port (ie: USB mouse or external USB
 ML> modem)...

 My problem is getting bi-directional connections for parallel
 ports.

 How long till PCMCIA is history? I have a lot of cards for that.
 Hmmm...wonder if there is a USB to PCMCIA adapter. Hmmm...

 BK>>  Many current laptops don't even have serial or parallel. Really
 BK>> don't much need them for a netbook.

 ML> agreed there... i had to really dig and be creative the
 ML> last time i had to rescue some data off of a XP laptop... i
 ML> was finally able to get it to boot off of a FreeDOS (IIRC)
 ML> floppy with NTFS drivers... then i had to really play
 ML> around to get a cable together so that i could connect it

 I have a USB to USB cable. Cost about $30.

 ML> between that laptop and one of my machines to zip (not
 ML> pkzip) and/or laplink the data across... getting laplink to
 ML> work was a real chore and as i recall, i ended up using a
 ML> very old serial transfer program called zip... i believe it
 ML> was out before laplink but i may be wrong on that... it
 ML> allowed me to transfer the data at 115200 with validation
 ML> to ensure that it was all correct on the receiving end...
 ML> as i recall, i did use my laplink cable as one of the
 ML> pieces of the total cable i had to come up with... it
 ML> wasn't pretty and it took some time but it worked and
 ML> that's what counted most ;)

 I also have USB to IDE adapters, and IDE 2.5 to 3.5 adapters. I
 usually try to salvage hard drives with Norton Ghost, the 2003
 version. Old, but it will copy even HDs that aren't even
 accessible to the OS under any circumstances. Ok, *SOMETIMES*.

 If they are completely failed nothing will read it. However, if
 just the boot sector is failed, the rest of the disk can be read
 bit by bit. Ghost will do it. Slow, but not unreasonable.

 Oh, I also have SATA to IDE or USB adapters.

 I have been doing this a lot and for a long time.

 I have a whole box just filled with adapters.

 I esp buy them when they go on sale cheap.

BOB KLAHN bob.klahn{at}sev.org   http://home.toltbbs.com/bobklahn

... It hung in the air in exactly the same way that bricks don't.
--- Via Silver Xpress V4.5/P [Reg]