Best way to get data off a computer with no support for USB or Ethernet?

A customer has a computer running Windows 98 (I know, cringe) and needs to take some data off the computer to put on a new laptop.

I've tried using USB, but Windows 98 doesn't have USB storage drivers. I thought I'd transfer the data via Ethernet instead, but the computer doesn't have an Ethernet port.

I then decided to try and burn the data to a CD, but we only had blank DVDs on hand. And of course, the drive doesn't write to DVDs.

The only way I can think of getting the data off the drive now is by taking it out of the computer and using a USB cable to connect it directly to the laptop, but I don't really want to poke around the insides of that PC.

Does anyone have any better ideas to get the data off the computer?

To be honest, taking the drive out would take about 30 seconds, it's probably the easiest way.

Go buy some CDs at the local supermarket or computer store!

download Ubuntu Linux CD or USB, boot from there and it will support USB

using serial port will take forever (depend on the data volume)

there are also DB25 Male / DB25 Male 15C Parallel Data Transfer Cable (norton commander or Windows 'Direct Cable Connection.")

boot Linux from floppy - but it is not GUI :)

DVD - KNOPPIX this GUI is very lightweith no problems even with 128MB

you also can do a backup of user's data if HDD dies (it is about a time)

Hyperterm file transfer with a null modem cable? Odds are good the old box has one and cheap USB ones can be used on the new laptop. Even for a CDROM of data it should complete overnight.

Or you could even do full PPP over the serial port to another PC running a pppd.

Find, buy or scrounge a PCI network card.