Cross-platform Windows XP File Transfer Software?

[FantasyAcquiesce]

Hello MSFN,

I am in search of an offline file transfer for Windows XP and Android platforms. Concurrently, I cannot transfer between computers or electronics without having to either use a USB flash drive or an online cloud drive like MEGA.nz, which has severely limited speeds (XP cannot use megasync). If the software can also transfer PC-to-PC, that would also be helpful.

Anything will help. Whether it's bluetooth, LAN, or a wifi transfer. It takes copious amounts of time to simply backup files into a small XP laptop containing a 1TB hard drive.

Thank you!

 

To save users time, here are a few methods of transferring from a Windows XP with an mobile:

• USB Cable
  • Dual-boot Linux with Windows XP, then transfer files via USB using MTP
  • Coolmuster for universal transfer
  • Debug to display phone as USB (many models cannot do this)
• FTP on WLAN
• Bluetooth devices (requires installing Bluetooth File Transfer on Android in order to copy files from Windows XP)

Edited November 13, 2022 by FantasyAcquiesce

[AstroSkipper]

12 hours ago, FantasyAcquiesce said:

Hello MSFN,

I am in search of an offline file transfer for Windows XP and Android platforms. Concurrently, I cannot transfer between computers or electronics without having to either use a USB flash drive or an online cloud drive like MEGA.nz, which has severely limited speeds (XP cannot use megasync). If the software can also transfer PC-to-PC, that would also be helpful.

Anything will help. Whether it's bluetooth, LAN, or a wifi transfer. It takes copious amounts of time to simply backup files into a small XP laptop containing a 1TB hard drive.

Thank you!

Hello @FantasyAcquiesce! If you want to transfer files from a PC to an Android device or vice versa, I can recommend the way via FTP using your WLAN. You have to configure an FTP server on your Android device by using an app like  Solid Explorer or Total Commander + its TotalCmd-WLAN-Transfer plugin and an FTP client on your PC as for example WinSCP whose latest version (I tested the portable paf version) is actually still compatible with Windows XP. WinSCP is open source and simply great. Furthermore, both devices have to be in the same WIFI network, of course. This kind of file transfer is absolutely great and fast. I never had connection problems anymore.  No more instable connections and fiddling with cables! And, the configuration of such a connection is very simple to perform.

Kind regards, AstroSkipper

Edited October 30, 2022 by AstroSkipper

[jaclaz]

As a windows XP FTP client I can suggest (good ol') LeechFTP (discontinued/not updated since many years, but simple and working):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LeechFTP

https://www.leechftp.de/index.html

don't worry, the program is in English by default, and it should work even on 9x/Me and NT/2K)

If you want a different approach (mounting the FTP server as drive)  I can recommend FTPuse:

https://www.ferrobackup.com/map-ftp-as-disk.html

jaclaz

[DrunkenTanker]

I did not undestand question. Why do you want internet services to transfer your files from Android to PC?
Also this question is more actual for Android forums.

[AstroSkipper]

2 hours ago, DrunkenTanker said:

I did not undestand question.

You can use a translation service like DeepL.

2 hours ago, DrunkenTanker said:

Why do you want internet services to transfer your files from Android to PC?

The OP does not want to transfer files from Android to PC via internet services but offline.

2 hours ago, DrunkenTanker said:

Also this question is more actual for Android forums.

No, it's the correct forum. The OP wants to transfer files to a PC with Windows XP installed.

[MikeyV]

https://www.coolmuster.com/android/transfer-files-from-android-to-pc-using-usb-cable.html

https://www.wideanglesoftware.com/support/droidtransfer/how-to-connect-your-android-phone-with-a-usb-cable.php

for PC to PC something like this

https://support.plugable.com/t/winxp-to-winxp-transfers-via-usb-2-0-windows-easy-transfer-cable/5359

[FantasyAcquiesce]

Thank you everyone! These are solid options!

I am wondering if a truly offline option using bluetooth is viable. I have a bluetooth adapter on me, so I am wondering if I could substitute a cable or LAN in the case I had neither?

I appreciate your posts!!

[Andalu]

Below is a screenshot related to PC-to-PC data transfer in XP using a USB3 bridge cable:

 

Unfortunately, the software does not transfer data from PC to Android.

[j7n]

I think that a FTP file server is the most universal tool compared to specialized cables or wireless transmitters. All devices today have a network interface. You can connect computers of vastly different generations. The application and driver talking over a USB cable or BlueTooth would require OS version from around when it was written, and you might end up with a situation where one is too old or the other is too young.

As the server, I like to use FileZilla Server. For WinXP you need an old version around 0.9.23. Even older exists for Win98. The author seems obsessed with the latest technology and only supports new Windows with SSL encryption now. In germany everyone has a computer from space.

You  should avoid copying many small files with FTP.

Edited November 1, 2022 by j7n

[jaclaz]

AFAIK transfer via Bluetooth is complicated and Bluetooth in my experience is unreliable (difficulties in pairing/dropped connections/etc.), there are built-in tools in both windows XP and Android (this may depend on the Android version and/or smartphone brand) and apps on the GooglePlay store, and if I recall correctly the XP built-in software allows one file at the time only

There is a software house that makes both a PC-side program (XP compatible):

http://www.medieval.it/blueftp-pc/menu-id-70.html

and an Android app:

http://www.medieval.it/blueftp-android/menu-id-68.html

jaclaz

P.S.:

@Andalu

Here is an article on transferring files from PC to ST via floppy disk:

https://www.jamesfmackenzie.com/2016/01/30/use-floppy-disk-to-transfer-files-from-pc-to-st/

and here is one on connectiing a floppy disk drive to smartphone:

https://liliputing.com/you-can-use-a-floppy-disk-drive-with-an-android-phone-if-you-really-want-to/

Unfortunately floppy disks are not easy to find anymore.

 

 

Edited November 1, 2022 by jaclaz

[RainyShadow]

For larger transfers i run Samba Filesharing Server on my Android devices and connect to them from my PC. It can be easily turned ON/OFF, so you don't expose your devices in untrusted networks. 

 

For smaller things, or when i can't be bothered to reach to the PC, i use the transfer functions in X-plore or FX on the mobile and connect to the Windows admin shares (C$, D$, etc.). Make sure to disable SMB2 when adding a PC running XP.

 

For transfers between my mobiles and foreign PC/mobile, i just use bluetooth (but it is slooow) or a flash drive through USB OTG.

Edited November 2, 2022 by RainyShadow

[Andalu]

@jaclaz

thanks for the links, I was not aware of these possibilities. There is always something new to learn.

However, I was referring to the software shown in the image (PClinq5) that does not allow data exchange between Windows and Android.

 

[artenox]

To transfer files between Android and PC I used Linux and the MTP protocol over a USB cable. However, I created a 7z archive beforehand, because MTP is a very capricious protocol. It doesn't show some files and skips copying them. This is very frustrating when it comes to captured photos and videos.

Sometimes I would transfer the archive via Bluetooth to a Nokia pushbutton (110 kbytes/sec speed), and then the Nokia would connect via USB to a PC (where the PC has full access to the FAT32 file system on the phone's memory card). But this is a very inconvenient way.

More precisely:
PC (USB) > Nokia (Bluetooth) > Android.
Vise versa doesn't work.

UPD: Once I transferred an archive from a smartphone to a tablet via Bluetooth. And then from the tablet to the Internet cloud (password protected). On PC I downloaded from the cloud.

Edited November 2, 2022 by artenox

[reboot12]

On 10/30/2022 at 2:17 PM, jaclaz said:

As a windows XP FTP client I can suggest (good ol') LeechFTP

As an Android FTP server, you can use Material Files 1.5.2 or FTP Server 0.11.5 and on WinXP for FTP Client (download/upload), you don't need anything more than built-in old Internet Explorer 6

Instead of FTP, you can use the AndSMB application via WiFi (download/upload).

Edited November 3, 2022 by reboot12

[SC7601]

On 10/30/2022 at 7:39 AM, FantasyAcquiesce said:

 (XP cannot use megasync).

Turns out you can use ProxHTTPSProxyMII  to be able to make MEGAsync work again.

Here's the proof:

My proxy settings:

And here's MEGAsync window:

Edit: I also tested uploading a file:

Edited November 4, 2022 by SC7601
Added a test upload screenshot