DO I need internet access

A router would be a better choice than a switch and would be my recommendation if you were going to buy one or the other. Your basic switch won't do DHCP, a router will. With the router doing DHCP there is no need to setup an ad hoc connection. You just leave you NIC settings on the default automatically acquire a network address and let the router dole out the IP address's.

Thank you for all you suggestions.

I dont have a router or a switch, all I have is a USB Wireless Adapter for the PC Deskop running XP. And the Laptop has a built in wireless chip. Would I be able to share files using ONLY this hardware?

I've tried that tutorial with no luck but ty for suggesting it. I've tried several with no success. Pls help

Did you setup a shared folder on each PC?

I'm sure I did. But just in case I didnt would you sshow me how on both devices, XP and Windows 7. Ill google and see what I come up with. Bu wouldnt they be able to see eachother if I created a shared folder or not?

On my windows 7 PC I do not use Homegroup and have never set it up.
Aside from the settings I mentioned above I did this.
I right clicked the folder I wanted to share and went to properties.
I then went to the sharing tab and clicked advanced sharing.
Checked "share this folder" and clicked on permissions.
Then add > advanced > and "find now" in the next window that opens.
In the list at the bottom I select my username, and click OK.
Then OK again to add it to the "Group or user name" list.
Now I select my username and check allow, full control.
I then delete the "all users" entry.
Then Apply and OK. Then OK again to close the next window.
In the end I have a shared folder that only I can access.

I'll have to fire up my XP machine later on to see how I did it on that.
It's pretty much the same deal only some menus will be different.
I don't use simple file sharing and lock it down to just my username like I did in windows 7.

i'll try that, one question, kind of confused, whyd u select your user name? is it the username under windows 7 or the othedr machine runnning xp? and how would i need to set it so anyone can view the files-click, connect, and view.

I selected my username and deleted the all users so that only I can access the folder. Sometimes I have house guests that use my wifi and I don't want them to be able to access my folders. In your case instead of adding your username just add full control to the "all users" entry. I beleive its "read only" by default.
So it ends up something like this:
Right click the folder you want to share and go to properties.
Then go to the sharing tab and click advanced sharing.
Check "share this folder" and click on permissions.
Now select all users and check allow, full control.
Then Apply and OK. Then OK again to close the next window.

Ops, sorry, it's not "all users" its "everyone" and it should be the only one in the list by default. It should be READ only by default too. What that means is if you look at that folder from another PC all you can do is copy what's in that folder. You can't move it change it or delete it. You can do anything you like though from the PC that the actual folder is on. For me anybody with wifi access could look into the folder and copy whats in there. I don't want that so I add my username and remove the everyone entry from the list. Now anybody "except me" that tries to look in that folder will get prompted for a username and password. If Microsoft would patch XP so it could join a Homegroup, things would be a lot simpler for a lot of people.

alphanumeric said:

Ops, sorry, it's not "all users" its "everyone" and it should be the only one in the list by default. It should be READ only by default too. What that means is if you look at that folder from another PC all you can do is copy what's in that folder. You can't move it change it or delete it. You can do anything you like though from the PC that the actual folder is on. For me anybody with wifi access could look into the folder and copy whats in there. I don't want that so I add my username and remove the everyone entry from the list. Now anybody "except me" that tries to look in that folder will get prompted for a username and password. If Microsoft would patch XP so it could join a Homegroup, things would be a lot simpler for a lot of people.

Cool, so I will get on the XP make an Ad-Hoc connection using only a wireless adapter on the Desktop PC and built in wireless on the Laptop. I do not own a router, or switch board i believe someone suggested. After i make the Ad - Hoc ill make the folder i want the files from shared to everyone. COnnect to the ad-hoc connection from the Laptop, and look for the computer name? or file name? thank you for staying and helping me on this thread. :)