Vista - VistaHomeBasic won't connect to iMac and XP did

I've tried everything I used to do with Windows XP to get my iMac talking with this ThinkPad with Vista Home basic (and the other direction) but nothing is working - except me spending way too much time searching this out all over.

my iMac has OS X 10.4.11 and I've been all over the Sharing folder in System preferences.

on the Thinkpad SL400 with Vista Home Basic, solutions I DID find I just couldn't access: some Security Options just not available in the Admin section.

I just want to be able to grab files from one to another instead of emailing them to myself.

I have both on my desk w ethernet connections; and we also have a linksys wireless for my laptop when I leave my office.

I thought before I call some local computer service I would ask, can anyone here advise a link or a fix?

Thank you.

In Vista > network and sharing center, make sure the connection profile used is Home/Work. If you have selected Pubic, the default security for the Public connection profile will block file sharing. Also make sure in network and sharing center Network discovery and File sharing are set to on. You should be able to exchange files then.

I know the network and sharing center. How do I see this connection profile to be certain it's not set to public? Both Network discovery and File sharing are set to on.

in network and sharing center it shows the map at the top your computer an icon and then the internet right, the middle icon will represent what type of profile is being used if there is a House there its a home profile and so on like screenshot below

http://windows-server-training.com/w..._center_wm.png

Also for the heck of it try turning off windows firewall in vista and any third party firewall you may have installed, 90% of the time its firewall block. If turning off firewalls in vista and xp works then just create a exception in the firewalls for file sharing and then turn them back on

keep us posted
darvesh

Everything is changed as you said. The picture was validation I had it all right. I even tried turning of the firewall. Nothing. Except a new computer that has taken me back to transferring files via email and cd.

Thank you Darvesh. If you have any other suggestions, I'm wiling to try.

Hi Pat and welcome to the Vista Forums

The is a step by step guide here which may help

File Sharing from Windows Vista to OS X ~ Chris Pirillo

But first some basic things to check

Can you see the MAC in the full network map in Network & Sharing centre?
Can the devices ping each other?

^1 on the guide posted by barman58