On Saturday, my old laptop quit working. I think that the video is shot. The startup screens flicker a bit, but then go black. The Win 7 four tone startup sound that you hear at the login screen plays, though. But the screen is black, so I can’t log in.

I bought a cheap new laptop (which I’m on now). I need to transfer files and such. I have one of those file transfer cable thingies somewhere if I can find it.

So, how do can I log in on my old computer w/o being able to see anything?

If remote desktop is enabled you could use that from your new laptop
(Start>type Remote Desktop and open the programme)
then type the name of the old machine and using your old username/password. If your in you should be able to set the folders you want to copy as shared on the network or plug in an external drive to copy them.
If they are both on the same network you may also be able to see the files when it’s turned on.
Other options is to try a video out cable to a TV the cables to the screen can fail rather than a video card. This should let you use it to transfer stuff.

Once you have everything back up and running have a look at Google Drive/Dropbox and the like for some cloud backup.

No network per say. But I can connect the 2 computers to each other, right? Using a crossover (not regular LAN) cable IIRC. I think I have one around somewhere…

You’ve still got to log in though… 😕

I’d pop the drive from the old machine in a USB caddy. Cost you about £10 from Ebay. It should then come up as a removable drive.

USB caddy sounds like a cheap thing to try.

Slightly of topic, but you don’t need a cross over network cable if one of the lap tops is fairly new, it’s done in the connector (see auto MDIX)

Probably won’t work if the video hardware is bust, but its worth plugging into your TV, probably got two or three options cable wise.

You’ll need to work out the external display shortcut, i.e. (fn) key and F4.

I think the easiest option would be a USB caddy and take the drive out of the old laptop.
Then just drag and drop the files you want one it’s plugged into the new laptop.

I’d pop the drive from the old machine in a USB caddy. Cost you about £10 from Ebay. It should then come up as a removable drive.

This. Then you also have, post document rescue, a backup drive so you don’t get into this situation again ( or much worse if the hard drive of the new machine fails at some point ).

Can you connect an external monitor of even a TV to the laptop to Rukeyser out whether the problem is just with the LCD panel. Knight just be a cheap inverter that needs replacing.