Windows 7 Trouble sharing files between windows 7 laptop and windows vista desktop

[Paulinsocal]

I have a windows 7 laptop and a windows vista desktop. There is a wireless router connected to my desktop and I am able to connect to it and use the internet on my laptop. But I am having trouble connecting to my desktop and viewing files on my desktop from my laptop. When I open up the file manager and click on my desktop computer's name under "Network" (in the left area) it only shows my photosmart printer and a "Public" folder. The public folder doesn't have any of the files that are on my desktop computer. What is really annoying though is that it only occasionally lets me connect to the desktop. Usually it asks me for a login, but my desktop doesn't have any login, it has one admin account with no password. Also I turned off "password-protected" sharing and it still does this!

I used to be able to connect and share files between my laptop and my desktop with no problem, but then my desktop got a virus and I had to reinstall the OS on it. Since then I've been having problems. I also turned off "password-protected sharing" on my desktop too, to no avail. And I used to be able to connect to my laptop from my desktop and share files that way even after I reinstalled the OS on my desktop, but that doesn't work anymore. When I connect to my laptop from my desktop it only shows a "Public" folder also.

Also, I recently activated this thing called "Lenovo Veriface" on my laptop where instead of having to login to my laptop it uses the webcam to scan my face and logs me in that way. I don't think it has anything to do with this problem, but sometimes when I try to connect to my desktop from my laptop it pops up trying to verify my face to login.

I uploaded two videos of what I am talking about to vimeo but they are "processing" right now so I will post the links here when they are viewable.

Any ideas on what is wrong? Any suggestions?

Thanks.

 

[Jimbo22]

Have you recreated the workgroup? In Vista, you have to set up a workgroup to file share. In 7, a simple version is built in but on visible with other 7 PC's and windows 8.


http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-vista/join-or-create-a-workgroup

 

[Paulinsocal]

Here are some screenshots.


This is a screenshot of the public folder and printer that shows when I am able to connect to my desktop computer without it asking for a login.


This is a screenshot of the login screen that pops up when I try to connect to my desktop computer. I was going to do another screenshot of the folders that are in the "Public" folder, but it started asking me for a login again for no apparent reasons.

 

[Jimbo22]

Those public folders are the standard folders used in Windows 7 built in simple file share. To share other folders you need activate then in the Network/Sharing center.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/share-files-with-someone

 

[Paulinsocal]

Have you recreated the workgroup? In Vista, you have to set up a workgroup to file share. In 7, a simple version is built in but on visible with other 7 PC's and windows 8.


http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-vista/join-or-create-a-workgroup

Yes I have a workgroup set up on my desktop and on my laptop. They are both named WORKGROUP.

 

[Paulinsocal]

Those public folders are the standard folders used in Windows 7 built in simple file share. To share other folders you need activate then in the Network/Sharing center.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/share-files-with-someone

The "Public" folder in the picture is what my windows 7 laptop is showing is on my windows vista desktop. But I will try the instructions in your link anyways and see if it works.

 

[Jimbo22]

You only need to set up the workgroup on one computer, any other PC wanting access needs to join the created workgroup. You should have been given a homegroup password. This is what's needed for the other PC's need to join the created network.

 

[strollin]

Homegroup shouldn't apply here since Vista has no idea what a Homegroup is.

Have you shared the folders you wish to access on the Vista machine?