I'd say the easiest way would be to buy a external USB hard drive enclosure remove the drive from you old computer put it in the enclosure and plug it into your new laptops USB port and then just copy the stuff you want over.
If the old pc has a 9 pin serial interface you could transfer evrything from old to new with a null moden cable and the apporipriate software.
If your new pc is running Win XP that includes a useful utility called file transfer wizard which will take you throuhg the process step by step.
Null modem cables look like this, the 25 pin one is for older computers Maplins �9.99
Thanx for trying Mavis, but I don't think you fully understand the system - if it were as easy as that I wouldn't have had to post this question !! Thanx for taking the time to try and help anyway !