Getting around the Windows Firewall

[Corey1]

For the first time I have a "network" in my house. Up until last month, I've always owned only one computer at a time. Now I have a laptop and a desktop. The laptop runs XP and the desktop Vista. Both connect the the internet with no problem yet, for the computers to see each other I need to disable the Windows firewall on one or the other. I am running behind a router but, I like to keep the software firewall up in the event that one machine becomes infected... then the other won't. It's annoying to disable the firewall each time I want to share files. Is there a work around where I can keep the firewall up and still share files? I've noticed that the XP machines at my place of work all have the firewall off.

 

[Celegorm]

Allow the file sharing exception in windows firewall. Also make sure both computers are in the same workgroup.

 

[Corey1]

Allow the file sharing exception in windows firewall. Also make sure both computers are in the same workgroup.

Excellent! File Sharing wasn't turned on in XP. Not sure how I over looked that but, thank you very much!

 

[Celegorm]

NO problem. Glad it worked.