This should be easier!

(both computers can see the internet etc so I know the network it’s self is working)

I have a normal home network with a Windows XP machine on it and the new Windows 7 (64 bit) machine. So I can transfer the files to the new Windows 7 machine, I wish to share the complete disk (and all files) from the Windows XP machine and access them from the Windows 7 machine.

Is there a step by step set of instructions for doing this anywhere?

So fare I have:

• put both computers into the same workgroup
• put the windows 7 machine into work network mode so it can see the XP machine in the work group
• shared the XP disk as read only

But when I try to access a lot of the folders on the XP disks, I am told I am not allowed to access them.

(I was not asked for any passwords by the windows 7 machine when I accessed the XP machine. The XP machine just has its default account with no password set on it)

The XP machine runs XP home and hence has "simple file shairing" turn on. So it seems that even if I create a admin account (with password) and connect with that account, it still comes in as "guest" on the XP machine.

Chooseing to share the folder I want access to rather then the top of the disk drive seems to work, but is a pain as I need to share each user's folder with a different share name.

If the new computer was not a laptop, I would just plug the hard disk from the old machine into it, but being a laptop I don't have that option.