The chances are that there will be NO XP drivers written for your Laptop.
Check at laptop's manufeacturer's website.
Without them, you are stuck with Vista!
Also, have a read below about Networking XP and Vista
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/l.../bb727037.aspx
Have a read of the above link re Vista File and Printer Sharing.
Permissions/Share info is there as well.
If using Norton, McAfee, Trend Micro I.S., make sure file and printer
sharing is enabled in THEIR firewall (or LAN allowed, depending on how their
Exceptions are worded in their Firewall)
1st thing to do is make sure that the Workgroup Name of ALL the computers is
the SAME.
In Vista Network and Sharing:
Network Discovery: ON (So it can see the other computers)
Network set to Private (Public is for hotspots, airports, etc)
File Sharing: ON
Public Folder Sharing: ON (Vista’s Public Folder is the same as XP’s Shared
Docs)
Password Protected: OFF (unless you want to set up identical usernames and
passwords (passwords can be different) on ALL computers in your Network) If
you have it ON, you will be asked for a username and password when you try to
access a Vista computer from an XP computer, or a Vista computer.
Also, run the XP’s Home or Small Office Network File and Printer Sharing
Wizard to include Vista in your “New” Network, even if you had an XP Network
set up prior to adding a Vista computer to it(redoing the Wizard seems to
work for XP machines!).
In “My Network Places”: “Set up a Home or Small Office Network”
OR under Accessories > Communications > Network Setup Wizard > Allow File
and Printer Sharing.
--
Mick Murphy - Qld - Australia
"Nogginsaked" wrote:
> I am about to delete Vista and install XP on a brand new laptop. I so
> totally regret having Vista instead of XP installed on it. My fault, I
> should have known better, I've been forcing myself to use Vista on one
> important desktop productivity machine for several months and it is not
> easy.
> Every network and drive setting is exactly the same, including all the
> arcane subsettings, on my two Vista computers, one a desktop and one a
> laptop.
> The laptop can access the C drive of the desktop and do what it needs to do
> but the desktop is denied access to the C drive of the laptop.
> I have deleted all the laptop network and sharing settings, rebooted, reset
> them, but the problem persists.
> The bizarre thing, this being Vista the bizarre should be expected, all
> sharing settings worked fine yesterday but when the laptop was rebooted
> today I encounter the above.
> Vista networking has been an inconsistent nightmare from the get-go. XP is
> far more reliable and Apple computers have no such problems at all for peer
> to peer users.
> I absolutely have to share all the data on these two machines and if the
> problem cannot be resolved I will delete Vista from one or both---this kind
> of garbage is not worth it.
> What is wrong with Microsoft? Don't they get why Intel and most large
> corporations will not touch Vista but end users have it crammed down their
> throats and Microsoft calls Vista a sales success.
>