I'm trying to share files between my two computers, my laptop and the other desktop.
I've read stuff over the internet where they just say to go to properties and change the sharing options for the folder I have the files in and then go to the other computer find network places and the files should be there, however, they were not.

Here's what I did, I have a folder full of >.> photographs of a pinata party, for whatever reason, my sister cannot extract the photos from the camera to the desktop, so I copied the photos to my lappy in a folder in my computer's desktop. Went to the internetz and found what I just told you, so I went to folder properties, and changed the permissions to accept the user my sister was logged on in the dektop computer.
Went to network places on the desktop and files weren't there.

Tried poking stuff around in the XP desktop but nothing happened, I tried adding new users to the network but adding my laptop just made XP yell at me "USER ALREADY ADDED PICK AN UNIQUE COMPUTER NAME" and I was like wut.


I'm asking for help on how this is done, or what could be preventing it and so on.
The Desktop computer connects directly to the router and the lappy connects wirelessly

A simple solution would be to pull your desktop cable out of the wall and stick it directly into the laptop.

Make sure both computers are under the same workgroups. Vista has a different default workgroup than XP. If you've never changed them, which you likely haven't, they'll be different.

My vista workgroup says WORKGROUP

Thanks, I'll try more poking around.

My XP workgropu says MSHOME. See?

EDIT: I assume you tried the "Set up a home or small office network" under Network Connections with the XP computer first, right?

Post has been edited 1 time(s), last time on Jan 24 2010, 10:43 pm by dumbducky. Reason: add more

Yeah, umm... nothing.

I did try the setup home or small office network, though, I didn't run the network setup wizard on vista since... there basically isn't one. Maybe I should try making a disk, XP gave me that option. And anyway, I keep changing my workgroup on XP to the vista one and nothing.

That only works with crossover cables, rather than a straight through cable, which most people use to connect to the internet, or a hub/router.

Have you turned on Network Discovery for the Vista machine? After that you just do the Set Up Home or Small Office Network on both computers and that should configure it. Another problem on the Vista may be that your network security is set to Public Area, which blocks sharing, to change it, go to Control Panel>Network and Internet>Select Network and Sharing Center>Customize option next to your network connection, and from there pick your location to be something other than Public, preferably the least secure one.

Post has been edited 1 time(s), last time on Jan 25 2010, 12:45 am by Falkoner.

Having cables between the two computers is not an option. The only cable that is allowed to be plugged in to my laptop is the power one.

Network discovery is on.
I did do the setting up of a small office network on the XP one but I'm not sure if I did it in Vista, though, I didn't exactly do it like in XP since I don't find such option in Vista.
Network is set to private and it says that'll show people in my network.

Some newer computers automatically detect what type of cable is connected so either type of cable can work. I don't really know whether this is or is not a common feature on new systems, though. Sometimes it also may not be enabled by default. Some network switches also have this feature, and thus have no need for special "uplink" ports for connecting straight through cables between switches. Sometimes you may only be able to find out what network devices have this capability by trying it out or by finding information from others who have tried it.

Switch to Linux and you wouldn't have this problem at all

Best option would be to (as many have mentioned) setup a Small Office or Home Network in both Operating Systems and then set the folder options to have it be shared on a network and it should work properly if configured correctly.

There's some settings hidden in XP (and I'm assuming the rest of windows) which make it very difficult to share. I'd like to believe it has to do with your router too, as my desktop/laptop used to do fine before I switched to another router. The way I usually get it to work is play around with settings and google.

What's strange is that my desktop can connect to \\bill, another computer on the network, but my laptop can't. Neither can see each other either.

Right click folder, set as shared.

Or put files in Shared folder.

Linux + Windows Networking =

You've installed this update on the XP computer, right? If I recall correctly, Vista has a new networking stack that is incompatible with XP unless you have that update.

Is this update automatically done through Windows Update? When I tried to install it I got a message saying my service pack was newer than that update, so there was no need to install it, so I'm just wondering if you know offhand when it was released.

Not if you eliminate the windoze part entirely ;]

I support this statement

NFS is actually pretty difficult to use compared to windows networking >_>

Just because something is easier, doesn't make it better

Yes... But when it's already so difficult that he can't get the easier one to work, people should be recommending the more difficult one to him.

I've had issues with networking laptops wirelessly to XP, for me it seems like the shared folder randomly shows up, and sometimes it doesn't, don't know if it's a Vista to XP networking issue, or if it's secluded to wireless sharing, since I've never had an XP laptop on my network.