access denied between two machines

I've just purchased a desktop PC with Windows 7 home premium - 64 bit. My "old" machine is a Vista, 32-bit laptop.

I'm trying to manage files between the two so that I can travel with the laptop and work at home with the desktop. I have used a synchronizing program to do this in the past. But, I am unable to access any folders on either machine from the other.

The drive and folders show up but access is denied.

I work on an open network. I have tried about a billion permutations. And, nothing works. Can someone help me out here?

I want both machines to be open to the other....it's not some complex access structure. You would think/hope that it would be easy to set it up this way.

If you created the same account name with a different password on each machine, that is the cause of errors.

If you didn't create a password for either account, that is also the cause of errors.

Easiest way (but not only) is to make a user account on each machine with the same exact name and password. This way, you can map drives and never get access denied.

Also, right click on the folders you want to share and choose properties. Security tab. Give permissions to "everyone." Type everyone into the permissions after hitting edit and add. Then modify the type of access you want to give.

Make sure computers are on the same Workgroup.

Yes, it was using the security tab and entering EVERYONE that we hadn't found. We kept trying to use the sharing tab to control sharing. silly us!

lol

Well actually, what I said will work as you've found. But I meant to say to type everyone into the sharing tab.

If you do it in the security tab, that will basically take off all security on the files.

The better way is to give everyone permission on the sharing tab. Click advanced sharing. Then add. Then permissions.

First though, you'll have to go to Organize | Folder and Search options - in Windows Explorer. View tab. Uncheck the box for "Use Sharing Wizard (recommended.) Hit ok.

ok. I'll try that. If I don't, I'm sure I'll forget what I did and I'll be posting again, asking how the h... I can protect files on my laptop when I'm traveling!

I'll let you know.

I first tried the ADVANCED SHARING button, but that didn't work. Went back and clicked the SHARING button and entered EVERYONE and it worked.
This seems to me to the better way to do it, since when you APPLY the setting, you get a window showing progress of applying the new sharing rules to all the folders and files below the targeted folder. This happened in both Windows 7 and in Vista.

I've posted a separate question about renaming my USER file name....
it's in the INSTALLATION AND SETUP forum.
Sounds like you might be able to answer that question too!