Connecting laptop to desktop

[kennedies]

I have a sony laptop running on Window ME and Sony desktop runninG wINDOWS xp. I have attached them together using a cross over ethernet cable and tried to creat a home netwrk. Everytime there is no computrer shown on My Network list. Should I attach them by the Link cable.

I have tried direct link cable by the LP port and although it shows the two linked, I am unable to view either computer. Help

[kee-lo_]

Did you run the Home Networking Wizard on XP? Usually this helps you do it perfectly.
Remember to share a folder on your PC, but only with the network.

[kennedies]

Thanks, I did use the Windows XP and created a networking disk and used that on my laptop, I thought I had shared all the necessary folders on my desktop. I am obviously not sharing the folders right. Do I need to create a shared folder on the network ? I am a novice when it comes to networking. I would like to be able to access documents on my laptop from my desktop PC. The laptop is a PCG FX series and my desktop a PCV-RS322. I though they would be easy to connect and share both being Sony Vaio machines.

[kee-lo_]

Drag the desired folder you want to share on the network into "shared folders".
This is usually C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\