Which is the best way to connect a laptop to my pc (desktop)?
i have done google searches but haven't come accross some diagrams to show how it works. I had read that connect the two with a USB cable is very slow and you can do it by Ethernet cable (which is a crissover or something) or there is something about a card which i don't have in the desktop PC. i have a 2.5GB backup of my laptop's hardrive which has Windows, Office 2003 pro etc on it and i want to transfer that to my oc so i can burn it onto a DVD. Since my laptop can only read a DVD not burn i should go looking into getting a DVD burner for it. All i want is an inexpensive way to connect them both.
All suggestions welcome..

Izzy.

PS: i know it's easy just to use 4 cd-r but i prefer one dvd disc.

If you have a router, you can network them together and not need to directly link them. It may be slower than a direct link, but less complicated. you create a network on both machines, each with the same name and they'll be in the same network. For more help visit Microsoft.com or HERE. How it works is the file is basically shared on the laptop and not moved anywhere. You can access the file from your PC and it will take the file straight from you laptops HDD and put it on your PC. It's as simple as copying and pasting.

If you don't have a router another suggestion, if you have a CD burner, specify the size of the disk image and then burn them to CDs.

If you have ethernet ports on each machine that is the easiest. A crossover cable. If you plan on getting HSI in the futher, either DSL or cable rundown to Walmart nd pck up a $40 router and 2 ethernet cables. This will be the easiset way to network them. Plus you would be plug and play if and when you received HSI. A external DVD±RW or hard drive would also be a good altenative.

External Hard Drive

External DVD±RW

do i have to have the laptop and PC connected to the internet?
The PC is on the net but the laptop is not. would i need to have a virus program on the laptop?

I'm a little confused with the many ways on networking between 2 computers. I'm not really worried how long it takes to transfer a 2.5GB file to my PC so i can burn it to a DVD just something that will be inexpensive and detailed explanation on cords, conect to where to go to a to b and works. i thank you for suggestions i'm new to networking.

An ethernet crossover cable would be the cheapest. The easiest would be the router referred to. That would be effortless.
I menitioned DVD±RW or n enternal hard drive because of your comment botu DVDs.