Do you have different computer names and the same workgroup name (Right
click My Computer, left click Properties, left click Change. Make sure the
Computer name is different between the two computers and the Workgroup name
is the same between the two computers. Reboot both computers once this has
been checked/changed.
Once both computers boot up, Double click on My Network Places, Double click
on Entire Network and then Double click on Microsoft Windows Network. You
should see the Workgroup name you created for the two computers. Double
click on the name. You should see both computers. If not you have a setup
problem.
If you see both computers, double click on one of them. You will see any
"visible" shares on that system. Unless you created a second share on the
XP Pro's C drive you will not see it since C$ (the default = $ causes the
name hide) causes the share to be hidden.
If you don't see any drives, start Windows Explorer. Right click on the C:
drive. Click on Sharing and Security. The Home Sharing box make sure both
boxes are checked in Network sharing and security and there is a name in the
Share name box.
The Pro Sharing box is different if you have turned off simple sharing. You
will see a radio button for Share this folder. Below that you will see a
button for New Share. Click this. In the resulting box, name the Share
name. Click Permissions. In the next box, Click Full Control (Allow) and
then keep clicking Ok until you are out of the window.
This will set up the shares on both computers.
To map a drive, Click on Tools in Windows Explorer. Click Map Network
Drive. There is a dropdown box arrow to the right of the Z: drive. Click
on it and choose any drive letter to assign the share from the other
computer to. Click Browse. If everything is OK up to this point you should
see My Network Places/Entire Network/Microsoft Windows Network/Workgroup
name open. Click the + mark next to the Workgroup name. You should see
both computers listed. Click the + next to the other computer (the one that
has the shared drive that you want to use on this computer) This will drop
down a list of all shares on that computer. Click on the drive share name
that you created earlier. This will fill in the information in the Folder
box like \\Computer name\X where Computer name is the sharing computer's
name and the X is the share name from the other computer. Make sure that
Reconnect at logon is checked and then click Finish. After a few seconds
you should see a window open with the contents of the shared folder/drive.
There are certain protected folders in windows XP that can't be accessed
with a share directly from the root of the drive. (Windows folder and some
information in Documents and Settings folder).
Good luck.
