wenmom

>Create matching user accounts and passwords on all machines. You
>do not need to be logged into the same account on all machines and the
>passwords assigned to each user account can be different; the
>accounts/passwords just need to exist and match on all machines.

I do not want my (teenage) children to have access to my Vista computer beyond access to the printer. Putting passwords and accounts on my system for them is not an option.

I had everything networked in the past six months - totally different log-ins, always have been password protected, on the XP Desktop computer, the XP Laptop computer and the Vista64-bit... and it worked fine - the XP Desktop and the XP Laptop could see and print to the Vista-64-bit connected printer without problems. They're all on the same "workgroup" - I'm wondering if that "workgroup" is what's messing things up.

Since Dell instructed me to restore my Vista64bit to it's factory state, however, the printing won't work. And now, after messing with things so much, my XP Desktop is asking me for passwords to view the shared docs folder on the XP Laptop, something it's never done until today. I get a log-in window on the XP Desktop to view the Public folder on Vista64 as well.

BUT on the Laptop, I can view the Vista64 Public file and the XP Desktop Shared Docs files without getting a log-in/password box.

The laptop, however, still cannot connect to the printer on the Vista machine (it can't even find it - it doesn't show up as an available printer - unless I do the printer location //computername/printername thing, but then every time I try to print on the laptop or the desktop, it has to be logged on prior to ever trying to print).

I've gone through and made sure the Vista64 bit is all shared, made sure the computer is "findable" on the network. And still, nothing.

My wireless router does not have a printer port.
My printer is not bluetooth enabled (and the XP machines are not either) and I don't think I can plug a wi-fi antenna to the back of the printer, where the square USB plug goes into it (can I?)

Thanks for your help...