I'm trying to connect one laptop to another...

The crossover cable is probably what you will end up using but I R being stupid about Windows ad hoc networking.

If so, you'll need to manually set the IP for each computer in the networking component of the control panel to make sure that they're using different IPs.

Then, you'll need to set up file sharing on the new computer, sharing the C:\ drive (but to be safer, create one folder as a dumping ground and just share it) and set permissions so that guests are allowed access to both read and write to that directory. On the other computer you'll need to go to My Computer, and then from the Tools menu at the top of the window, use the Map Network Drive option. The address you'll need to type in is in the form \\(ip address of the other computer\(directory name on the other computer)\

So if you share the folder c:\dumpingground on the new computer, which is 192.168.2.2, on the other computer, you would use this as the map-to address: \\192.168.2.2\dumpingground\

Once this is done, the other computer should appear as another drive on your machine.

If permissions are set properly, you should be able to copy your files and folders over by dragging and dropping files and folders from one drive to the other, using your old computer.

You also need to have "File and Printer Sharing" enabled for the relevant network connection, although I think it's turned on by default.

Another thing to beware is that there can be separate file permissions for local access and remote access, and they are set in slightly different places. I think the overall most restrictive setting formed by combining the two is what applies. Some of this is hidden if you have XP set to show simple file permissions only, I think.

I should also note that there are key differences between Windows XP Home and Windows XP Pro when it comes to file sharing: by default, you can't turn OFF simple file sharing in Win XP Home, which gives you less control over how you access the files, whereas with XP Pro it's a simple checkbox. There's a hack available from the Microsoft site, I seem to recall, which allows you more control over your permissions when using XP Home, but god, we're getting into territory here that's not really "layman's terms" any more, and is probably a place you don't really want to go.

This I did and monkeyed for a couple of hours, but to no result.

Why don't you tell us what operating systems they are running

Sorry, both XP.

What kind of a crossover cable did you get? Crossover Ethernet?

Um... RJ45 patch cable. Sean, I'll give your suggestions a go tomorrow, but you're right: it's already looking a little techy slightly beyond my means. I'm into, you know, puppies and dairy milk and books about the Th1rd Reich.

An RJ45 will be an Ethernet crossover, yes.

Is either computer usually networked at all?

The main thing you'll need to do is probably give each machine an IP address yourself. Go into the network connection properties, select TCP/IP in the list window (I can't remember what it's called exactly) and click "Properties". This opens another dialog, with two sections. The top will have three greyed-out entries and an enable/disable control. Enable it then enter an IP address in the top one. The second should auto-fill, and you should leave the third blank.

For IP addresses - well, it doesn't *really* matter what you use. Sensible addresses are 192.168.0.1 for one machine and 192.168.0.2 for the other. If the second box doesn't auto-fill, it should read 255.255.255.0 on both machines.

I'm not 100% sure I've described this correctly, because I'm not on a Windows machine at the moment so I'm doing it from memory. Try it and see what you get.

I've now at least got the cable itself recognised as a LAN connection in both machines, and I've manually set up the IP addresses as described above, and set all four drives (C and D on each laptop) to share, but when trying to map the network drive it all falls apart.

Trying to access \\198.168.0.2\OLD MAIN\ (old laptop's C: drive name) from 198.168.0.2 (new laptop) attempts to connect, then alerts "network path could not be found". Is the "OLD MAIN" bit wrong (this is the actual name of the old C: drive)?

If this doesn't work, what you need to do on the old computer to check and/or edit the share name is:

a) right-click on the drive
b) select "Sharing and security..."
c) If it says this is a bad idea, click on "if you understand the risks..."

There should be a section of the dialog box for network sharing, with an entry-box for the share name.

a) \\192.168.0.2\C$\
b) \\192.168.0.2 (on its own)

Open up a command prompt (Start menu, "Run...", type "cmd" in the box)
Type "ipconfig /all"

and tell me what it prints :-)

Then, type "ping 192.168.0.2" and see what *that* prints.

Doing this at the command prompt prints out quick a lot - is there any way of copying this info, or is a screenshot the only way?

firstly, did the ping command print anything other than "Request timed out" four times, and a summary at the end?

In that case, can you give me the "ipconfig /all" output? - particularly the section that applies to the ethernet adapter

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : mp-xp7310gb
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Peer-Peer
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/Wireless LAN 2100 3B Mi
ni PCI Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-04-23-54-32-EC

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/100 VM Network Connecti
on
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-80-88-03-51-EF
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 198.168.0.1
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

PPP adapter Binatone ADSL 500 USB Modem Dial-Up PPP Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : WAN (PPP/SLIP) Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-53-45-00-00-00
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 81.174.171.58
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 81.174.171.58
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 212.159.13.49
212.159.13.50
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : xxxxxx
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek RTL8139/810x Family Fast Eth
ernet NIC
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 08-00-46-BC-98-8C
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.2
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

The IP address for the new computer is wrong - it should be 192.168.0.1

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/5548/image0015dh.png

You could try rebooting the new computer and see if that helps. I know this is the default solution when trying to fix Windows and you're stuck, but it might just work. If that doesn't work, try rebooting with your ADSL modem disconnected.

I'm going to have to dash off soon and do some real-world stuff. Sorry I've not been able to help more.

TCP/IP doesn't *have* to be involved, but it normally is. Running SMB over TCP/IP has been the default for quite a while now.

If you're putting the IP address in the UNC address, then the machines don't have to be in the same workgroup. That's only necessary when you're using the machine's NetBIOS name - putting the IP address in should let you connect to any machine that you can route SMB packets to.

Presently the words "external hard drive" are getting more and more attractive, but I will not be beat!

xpost: What's the best way to reset all this info and start again, then?

Try going to Entire Network (I think it's linked in the left-hand menu of My Network Places), then Microsoft Windows Network, then MSHOME, and see if you can see both machines there

If both computers are in the same workgroup, you should be able to get to the other computer's shares by going through My Network Places.

You *can* get file-sharing working without that ping working, but I'd say that the fact that the ping didn't work even though all your TCP/IP settings were OK is a good sign that something else is up.

(if you've reset all your TCP/IP settings to defaults then it won't work, because the default settings don't work at all with a machine-to-machine connection unless you've set up a new network connection and told it that that's what you're doing.)

However, again in My Network Places the only visible folders are self-referential, i.e. newlaptop shows newlaptop's folder etc.

Are there more than two connections in your Network Connections?

http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/8428/image0010sr.png

This sounds fun, but I don't understand much of it..!

I really hate networking. Tracer's right, at the beginning of the thread though, the Mac's ability to turn any computer into a FireWire drive by holding down T while booting is SORELY OVERFUCKINGDUE in the Windows world.

This seems to me like the crossover cable is just a patch cable. (If you had a Mac, it would not matter.)

fwiw, i once found it helpful to install netBIOS protocol on the network adapters (if it's not already)

also you might try adding the ip addresses and computer names to the lmhosts file in c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc

i agree, get rid of the bridge(you must have done that recently, as the bridge doesn't show in your ipconfig /all??)

in one of your pics there seems to be no host name on the second computer ("xxxxxx"), which doesn't seem right if you've run the network config wizard

Thank you ILXors xxx