Vista, XP networking

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb727037.aspx

Have a read of the above link re Vista File and Printer Sharing.

Permissions/Share info is there as well.

If using Norton, McAfee, Trend Micro or Kaspersky I.S., make sure File and Printer Sharing is enabled in THEIR firewall (or LAN allowed, depending on how their Exceptions are worded in their Firewall)

1 thing to do is make sure that the Workgroup Name of ALL the computers is the SAME.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/125089-workgroup-name-change.html

Above Tutorial is how to change Workgroup Name in Vista

http://www.home-network-help.com/set-computer-name.html

“How to Set Computer Name and Workgroup in Windows XP”

In Vista Network and Sharing:

Network Discovery: ON (So it can see the other computers)

Network set to Private (Public is for hotspots, airports, etc)

File Sharing: ON

Public Folder Sharing: ON (Vista’s Public Folder is the same as XP’s Shared Docs)

Password Protected: OFF (unless you want to set up identical usernames and passwords on ALL computers in your Network) If you have it ON, and no identical usernames/passwords set up, you will be asked for a username and password when you try to access a Vista computer from an XP computer, or a Vista computer.

XP File and Printer Sharing info:

Also, run the XP’s Home or Small Office Network File and Printer Sharing Wizard on the XP Computers, even if you had an XP Network set up prior to adding a Vista computer to it(redoing the Wizard seems to work for XP machines!).

In “My Network Places”: “Set up a Home or Small Office Network”

OR under Accessories > Communications > Network Setup Wizard > Allow File and Printer Sharing.