transfer data between laptop & desktop?

i was given a 486 compaq lite elite 4/40C laptop , it has a floppy problem “A\ not accesible” nor can I boot it from DOS emergency floppy-it just ignores the floppy,yet on system-it says device working? its running W 95,has no CD rom, so how can I set up software, exchange data?

can I use a CompactFlash card(type used digital cameras)with a PCMCIA adapter-as just a holder that the CM card fits into and then slides into the PCMCIA slot in the laptop. The OS detects them as a IDE drive – inother words, as a removable hard drive.?
Will this work on such an old 486 laptop? to transfer data between laptop & desktop?