Vista - About to throw it out the window!

Hi...I have been trying to get my new laptop to be able to connect to my desktop. I have read other tutorials on how to do it...but yeah its not working. I am not all that smart about computers...i know a little bit...So this is what i can tell you about my two computers. My desktop is a Dell running XP Home I have an external hard drive connected to that, then I have my laptop which is also a Dell and it is running Vista. I am using a netgear router for the wireless internet. i am not to sure what else you would need to help me out but i want to be able to access my external hard drive from both computers...as well as the printer. First off is this possible? and if Yes...CAN YOU PLEASE HELP?? I have changed both so they are on the same workgroup or whatever you want to call it...I have made the files on the drive that I want to be able to access shared..or whatever...no I don't know what to do...neither one of my computers can see each other! i really need some help! Thank you in advance!!

They need to be in same workgroup
They need to be in same subnet
You should have the same account and password on both
You need to setup a share on the drives with that user account
Reboot both boxes. Log in with that account.

I believe that they are in the same workgroup I changed them both to be "Home". How do I make them be in the same subnet? By the same account and password do you mean to sign into windows?

Can anyone else help me out?

Hi MommaWebb and welcome to the Vista forums

Let's start from the beginning.
Are you able from both computers to surf on the net?
Is your XP machine using NTFS or FAT32 file system?

Yes I can surf the net from both and the XP machine is NTFS. But the external drive that I want to share is FAT32...if that matters

OK, then for the XP,
If i remember, in the explorer/tools/folder options/View tab, the option to "Use Simple File Sharing" should be unticked.
Then, in the Network Connections panel, right-click your Ethernet card and under the General Tab, make sure that "File and Printer Sharing For Microsoft Networks" is ticked.
Then, on the folders/partitions/drives you want to share, right click and from the menu, select Sharing and Security. Tick the box that says, "Share this Folder on the Network", if you want to allow other users to modify your files, select the box "Allow Network Users to Change my Files."
Write somewhere the name given to your network, it could be WORKGROUP, HOME or whatever you wrote.
Write somewhere your username and password if you use one.
That is it for the moment for XP, check everything is done this way and come back.

I am not even seeing the "Use simple file sharing" as one the options to uncheck.

Ok well I still can't find the first step but all others are the way you said.

I meant to ask you...the name given to the network I have...but what username are you talking about? I know I sound dumb!! I swear I am really not!!