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How do I get files from the wired Win 7 desktop to the wireless Win XP Laptop?

They're going through the same router and internet service, just that my Win 7 computer is wired to it and the Win XP laptop is connecting to it wirelessly.

I think I've pulled out a chunk of hair trying to figure this out for the past hour or so.

I've got a similar situation, it'll be easier for the Win7 comp to see a shared folder on the WinXP machine, but it can be made to work either way.

To share a folder on the XP machine:
Right Click on the folder you want to share and choose Properties
Sharing (tab)
Network sharing and security
Share this folder on the network
(optional) Allow network users to change my files
Then, on the Win7 machine:
Start -> Computer -> Network -> XP machine name
Boom, you have access to the shared folder.

Going the other direction is more difficult.
On the Win7 box Right Click on the folder you want to share and choose Properties
Sharing (tab)
Network File and Folder Sharing
Share... (button)
Choose who to share with, then click Share and note the network share path: (i.e. \\*computer name*\*folder name*)
Then on the XP machine
My Computer -> Tools (menu bar) -> Map Network Drive
Choose a Drive letter
Under Folder put the share path from earlier.
Connect using a different user name, and enter the username and password for the Win7 box.
(I uncheck "Reconnect at logon" but I don't know of this is necessary.)
Finish.
You've now got a drive icon for the shared folder. Just make sure to open it up and input the password before you try to access any of the files from within a program.

Will be trying this shortly. Thanks a ton and a half Pez.

If worse comes to worse and you have a fast internet connection, you could always back the files up on something like Dropbox.

I don't want to have to touch the laptop at all. I just want to be able to turn it on, then come to my desktop and move the files over from my Win7 Desktop to the Laptop without leaving the Desktop.

Actually, I love Dropbox for that. Anything you put in the Dropbox folder is automatically synced to every single computer you have it installed on.

So I don't have to touch the laptop at all for someonelse to be able to instantly play a video that I have on my desktop?

If you store it in your dropbox folder it will automatically download the file directly to any computer that has dropbox installed so that it's in the same folder on the other computer.

It IS a cloud solution, so speed will vary depending on internet connection, but it literally downloads the file as soon as it's put into the folder.

So, for example, you have your desktop on, but not your laptop.

If you put a media file in your dropbox folder, as soon as you boot up the laptop it will sync with whatever files are saved on the cloud.

It's been a lifesaver for school. All I have to do is save all my assignments and documents to one folder and everytime I move to a different computer, it's already there.

You can also access the files saved in the cloud folder through an internet browser as well by using Dropbox's website.

2gb of space for free is nice but nowhere near the kind of movement I need done on a daily basis. Still though, awesome idea and I will be using that for other stuff now. Thanks!

Is there a reason you don't want to go the external drive route?
Otherwise, if you see this sort of thing happening often (between computers on your intranet), you might want to invest in a NAS.

--Patrick

This is the set up:

I download something on my Win 7 desktop.

Someone a room away wants to watch something on the laptop.

I wanted to be able to open a folder on the XP laptop, move the file from my Win7 Desktop and then the laptop could play the files from the other room.

There are NAS devices out there that can act as a shared folder always open on all devices. Some of the better ones support a standard called DLNA which allows even easier sharing between devices.


--Patrick

Pez's solution will work just fine, though. That's what my roomate and I do for sharing between his Mac and My PC. (See they CAN work together )

That's what I do here at home. For me, it's easier to set up one of my Macs as a share point and then just have everyone else go through there...which ends up basically a po' boy's NAS, which is why I mention it.

--Patrick