Question

How do I establish a Laplink Switch & Sync, Laplink PCsync, or FileMover 5 connection using the Easy Transfer Cable (Belkin or Laplink)?

Answer

NOTE: This FAQ is for the Easy Transfer Cables (Belkin and Laplink). If you are attempting to establish a Laplink Switch & Sync, Laplink PCsync, and or FileMover 5 connection using a standard Laplink USB cable (NOT a Easy Transfer Cable), then see Article 1058 for assistance.

Did you install Laplink Switch & Sync, Laplink PCsync, or FileMover 5 from the small CD on both computers?
If not, then unplug the cable from both computers and install the cable drivers and Laplink Switch & Sync, Laplink PCsync, or FileMover 5 on both computers.

We recommend you follow the directions in the Quick Start Guide for your first connection attempt. If that does not work for you, continue following the directions in this document. You can find the Quick Start Guide on the CD or from the following web page:

Switch & Sync Quick Start Guide
PCsync Quick Start Guide
FileMover 5 Quick Start Guide

1. Close Laplink Switch & Sync, Laplink PCsync, or FileMover 5 on both computers,
2. Unplug the USB cable from both computers,
3. Swap ends of the cable,
4. Now plug one end of the cable into the computer you do not wish to work on (it doesn't matter which one this is). You should see the following screen (showing either the Switch & Sync, PCsync, or FileMover, depending on which you have). If you do not see this screen, then follow the directions in the USB Drivers section on that computer.
   
5. 
   
6. Select the Transfer Files and Synchronize Folders using Laplink Switch & Sync, Laplink PCsync (or FileMover) option,
7. Click Ok to launch Laplink Switch & Sync, Laplink PCsync, or FileMover 5 and just let it sit there.
   
8. Now plug the cable into the other computer. You should see the same screen (above) on this computer also. If you do not see this screen, then follow the directions in the USB Drivers section on this computer.
   
9. Select the Transfer Files and Synchronize Folders using Laplink Switch & Sync, Laplink PCsync, or FileMover option,
10. Click Ok to launch Laplink Switch & Sync, Laplink PCsync, or FileMover 5 on this computer.
11. 
    ---You may need to enter the Switch & Sync, PCsync, or FileMover username & password. This was created on the other computer when you first launched Switch & Sync or PCsync. If you did not set one, leave them blank.
    ---You may also be asked to save the connection, you can save it or not, as you please.
    
12. In the left hand window you should now see a USB Connection entry in the USB section as shown here:
    
13. 
    
14. Single click on the “USB Connection” entry and the File Transfer button at the top should light up.

You can either click on the File Transfer button, in order to copy individual files or folders via drag and drop, or (with Switch & Sync and PCsync) you can click on the New button in the Synchronizaion Jobs section (right side), in order to create a synchronization job for repeated use in the future.

USB Drivers section

If inserting the USB cable into the computer does not do anything then there is something wrong with the drivers for the USB cable. I would first unplug the cable and reinstall the drivers from the CD. You do not need to install Laplink Switch & Sync, Laplink PCsync, or FileMover 5 again, you can simply close the installation Wizard at that point. Once you have completed the installation again, plug the cable back in and see if you get the pop-up window now.

If the above step does not work, then you will need to open the Windows Device Manager (See Technical Document # 359: How to Open Windows Device Manager) and find out which item Windows is using for the cable. It may appear as the picture below. I would also look at items that have a yellow exclamation mark (!) and other Unknown Devices. To find the entry that needs to updated to the correct driver, unplug the cable while watching the Device Manager and verifing which item disappears from the Device Manager list.

When you have found the entry that Windows is using for the device, plug the cable back into the computer and update the driver following these steps:

1. Right-click on the entry and select Update Driver. This will Start the Hardware Update Wizard.
2. If it asks to connect to the internet, select the “ No, not this time” option and click Next.
3. Select the “ Install from a list or specific location (Advanced)” and click Next.
4. Select the "Don't Search. I will choose the driver to install" option and click Next.
5. This should give you a list of device drivers that are compatible with the device. Click on the Windows Easy Transfer Cable or USB Easy Transfer Cable entry to highlight it and click Next to install the correct driver.
   --- If it asks for a disk or shows a long list of devices, then click on the Have Disk button and point it to the appropriate location depending on the cable you have:
   Belkin Easy Transfer Cable: C:\Program Files\Microsoft\MigWiz\cable
   Laplink Easy Transfer Cable:

   Laplink Switch & Sync: C:\Program Files\Laplink\Switch & Sync\USB Drivers
   Laplink PCsync: C:\Program Files\Laplink\PCsync\USB Drivers
   Laplink FileMover 5: C:\Program Files\Laplink\FileMover\USB Drivers

Unplug the USB cable, plug it back in, and you should then get the menu pop-up asking you what you wish to do (see first screenshot in this article). If you do not get this screen, then you will need to contact Belkin support if you are using the Belkin Easy Transfer Cable or Laplink support for the Laplink Easy Transfer Cable for further assistance.

Product: PCsync
KB: 375  Last updated: Oct 26, 2010