How can I share files on my network?

Question

Ok, so I just got a laptop with Windows XP Pro and everything has worked fine on it, except for some reason, I cannot access files on the network.

I checked to make sure the computers were in the same network. I made share folders on my desktop computer and my laptop. I changed the settings on both so that all files could be accessed by anyone on the network. What's really weird is that when I go into My Network Places on my laptop, it doesn't show any of the other computers in the network, however when I go into My Network Places on the desktop computer it shows my laptop, but it will not allow me to access any information on it. If I attempt to, a pop up appears that reads:

\\NameofmyComputer is not accessible. You might not have permission to use this network resource. Contact the administrator of this server to find out if you have access permissions. The network path was not found.

Yeah, I checked with my dad, the administrator and he's about as baffled as I am.

Can anyone tell me what I need to do to enable file-sharing on my network? I have a lot of data to transfer and it will take way too long by just using my memory stick. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Answer 1

Check that your laptop is not running Norton Firewall. My Dell came pre-installed with Norton Firewall that blocked my Workgroup setup. I uninstalled it and fixed the problem.

Answer 2

Check Sharing permissions (separate from NTFS permissions).  By default, they are read-only.  If the Windows XP firewall is enabled, disable it or allow access to the network share.  Good luck!