Let me start by saying that I know almost nothing about networking, other than I'm on a home network. I also read other posts, but don't know what to do to see if network is set at public or private (although I'm pretty sure it's private, as people need a password to use it) or how to find out if both are using the same Workgroup name. I don't know what that is, but read it in another post.
I have 2 computers...side by side...a Windows XP-SP3 machine & a Windows 10 machine. I have 2 printers in different rooms, & both machines are able to see both printers. I know I'm on a network because all iphones, ipad, wife & daughter's computers are wireless.
However, I can't get either one to see the other computer. I actually paid someone on Geek Squad to try to set up sharing between the machines. When he left, there was a shortcut on my WinXP machine that could see my Documents folder on the Win10 machine, but I don't know how he did it. He was unable to have the Win10 machine see my WinXP machine.
I had both machines off for a week. Then, after Win10 updated to Windows Creator (version 1803), the shortcut on WinXP no longer worked. I get a message "the drive or network connection that the shortcut XXX refers to is unavailable.
I tried to run the "Network Setup Wizard", but stopped it because I'm not sure that I should run the network setup wizard or the "Add Network Place" or Wireless network setup. And, since I can already access both printers, I'm afraid to run the Wireless network setup because it asks for a name & a key (see image) & I don't know if I already have these & if I'll lose my access to the printers.
I also read other posts, but don't know what to do to see if network is set at public or private (although I'm pretty sure it's private, as people need a password to use it) or how to find out if both are using the same Workgroup name. I don't know what that is, but read it in another post.
Sorry for the length of this post, but I have no idea what I'm doing. Could someone tell me, step by step, how to set up network sharing with my WinXP machine, so I can copy files back & forth between both machines, without losing my printers?
Thank you in advance!
I have 2 computers...side by side...a Windows XP-SP3 machine & a Windows 10 machine. I have 2 printers in different rooms, & both machines are able to see both printers. I know I'm on a network because all iphones, ipad, wife & daughter's computers are wireless.
However, I can't get either one to see the other computer. I actually paid someone on Geek Squad to try to set up sharing between the machines. When he left, there was a shortcut on my WinXP machine that could see my Documents folder on the Win10 machine, but I don't know how he did it. He was unable to have the Win10 machine see my WinXP machine.
I had both machines off for a week. Then, after Win10 updated to Windows Creator (version 1803), the shortcut on WinXP no longer worked. I get a message "the drive or network connection that the shortcut XXX refers to is unavailable.
I tried to run the "Network Setup Wizard", but stopped it because I'm not sure that I should run the network setup wizard or the "Add Network Place" or Wireless network setup. And, since I can already access both printers, I'm afraid to run the Wireless network setup because it asks for a name & a key (see image) & I don't know if I already have these & if I'll lose my access to the printers.
I also read other posts, but don't know what to do to see if network is set at public or private (although I'm pretty sure it's private, as people need a password to use it) or how to find out if both are using the same Workgroup name. I don't know what that is, but read it in another post.
Sorry for the length of this post, but I have no idea what I'm doing. Could someone tell me, step by step, how to set up network sharing with my WinXP machine, so I can copy files back & forth between both machines, without losing my printers?
Thank you in advance!
