help sharing files between my computers?

[minofifa]

topic got locked in general hardware, i'll try posting it here:

i just got my new dell laptop (and its awsome), and i have it plugged into teh same router as my desktop, they both can acess the internet fine. I want to be able to access files on my desktop from my laptop. I ahve run the home network setup wizard on both machiens (XP home on both), and have given them both the same workgroup name.

I get lost from here. I have selected the folder on my desktop that i want to share by going into properties and clicking on "share this folder". i cannot see this folder, or my desktop at all from my laptop. BUT, i can see my laptop from my desktop. what is going on here? what am i doing wrong.

is there anyway to know what workgroup my desktop is in? i tried this a while back, and both the new workgroup and old workgroup fro my deskop are showing up in my network places.

In general, how does one go about accessing a file on a another computer thorugh their home network, is it done by adding that folder to "my network places"?

thanks you very much for any help or advice

 

[minofifa]

nevermind... i didn't know you had to manually select the sharingprinters and files on each computer.