To the computer boffins out there,

How do I connect two PC's so that I can copy files from one to another? Both connect to the same wireless network. Though as one of them is a laptop I can connect then via ethernet.

Plus, with regard to Remote Desktop, can files be transferred this way (drag and drop?) or is just to run the desktop of the remote PC? And yeah, how do I setup Remote Desktop. Both the computers are running XPpro so that is not an issue.

Basically, what I'm trying to do is copy files from the desktop machine onto the laptop (DVD writer is worn out!) and to monitor the desktop machine from the laptop.

Thanks for any advice, but please walk me right through it if you can, whenever I start creating network connections nothing seems to happen, when they're connected via ethernet both machines detect that they're connected to something.

Molina

Molina,
I have recently enabled file-sharing on my home network, so it can be done.

To let two computers communicate with each other (in Windows XP Pro), you will need to add a user account to each machine associated with the user account on the other machine.

Once each machine sees a request from the other machine as a “User” request, then you can establish a WORKGROUP.
(I have found that you really need to specify a workgroup besides the default (WORKGROUP) to make this work.)

To set up a workgroup click Start/Control Panel/System/Computer Name), and click the Change.. button..

Remote Desktop will not let you bring files from one PC to another, but you will have full access to the remote machine.

After the machine have unique names, and belong to the same workgroup, then you can enable folder-sharing. For security reasons, it is best not to share the whole C:\ drive. (Though that is possible.)

Simply right-click the folder and choose “Sharing”, and then select “Share this folder on the network”.

When this is set up properly, you will be able to see the shared folders in “My Network Places”, and be able to drag-and-drop.

To enable Remote Desktop: On the machine you will be trying to Remote Desktop into, you will need to enable it from the System Properties dialog.
(Start/Control Panel/System, then choose the Remote tab, and place a check in the “Allow users to connect remotely to this computer”.)
Be sure to password-protect this as well.

Please let me know if this helps, and if I need to flesh out any part of it.

I just have a folder on the desktop of each machine called "Share", and I can easily find any transferred files there.

Oh dear.
Probably not.

Do you have Administrator rights on that laptop?

No, I don't have admin rights to the laptop, but I should be getting the login in the next few days.

Molina