Hi guys, I've got a laptop and a desktop. I have networked them with a crossover cable. Both are running XP. My main PC has an internet connection. I have setup the network using the network wizard. They are networked ok, because I can now access the net on my laptop via my desktop. But how do I access files from my desktop from my laptop? I have clicked on several directories and added file sharing, I can't get the sharing to work. To access the pc I want do I goto run and type //computername/ ? I can't get that to work either Thanks for any help given.

This has absolutely nothing to do with programming.

To share files, go to your "My computer" and right click on whatever folder/drive you want to share and click "Sharing and Security". Click the link that says "If you understand the risk...." then a box will appear and clikc allow sharing and allow users to change my files, or whatever.

Once you have shared your folder, goto your "My network connections" and on the left side(the 2 inch wide blue strip), there will be a "link" that says "Show icons for networked UPnP deviced" and enable that. If it's enabled it will say "Hide icons for networked...."

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Original post by Cacks Hi guys, I've got a laptop and a desktop. I have networked them with a crossover cable. Both are running XP. My main PC has an internet connection. I have setup the network using the network wizard. They are networked ok, because I can now access the net on my laptop via my desktop. But how do I access files from my desktop from my laptop? I have clicked on several directories and added file sharing, I can't get the sharing to work. To access the pc I want do I goto run and type //computername/ ? I can't get that to work either Thanks for any help given.

Try
\\computername

Also make sure windows firewall is disabled on the interface that the laptop will be connecting to.

Usually there's at the very least a "shared files" share that will show up. You'll probably want to create another network share on your desktop to access your files. Make sure that if you're not behind a NAT or anything else that will prevent the internet access to your shares that windows firewall is enabled for your internet connection.

He's talking about lan, firewalls and NAT don't come into play. Read the bottom paragraph on my first post.

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Original post by cherryhouse He's talking about lan, firewalls and NAT don't come into play. Read the bottom paragraph on my first post.

It has everything to do with firewalls. If the firewall is enabled on the connection between your laptop and your desktop then filesharing will not work, unless it has been explicitly allowed.

If you have filesharing enabled (and bound to TCP) and SMB traffic to the internet is not being blocked, then anybody on the internet could potentially connect to your shares.

This is not a Windows tech support forum; it's a networking software developer forum.