SHARE FOLDERS XP <--> Vista (64)

[fdates]

I've been doing a lot of searching but cannot find a solution on the net. Hope someone can help me.

I simply want to share a folder on Vista that my 5 computer network (hardwired and wireless) can read/write to. And I'd like to do the same with the other computers as well. We have a mix of Vista 64, 32 and XP Pro (SP3).

I've verified that they are all on the SAME DOMAIN.

From my XP machine (wired to router), I can see all the wireless PC's by going to "View workgroup computers". But when I double-click my Vista 64 laptop icon, it says "\\Vista-laptop is not accessible. You might not have permission to use this network resource. ... The network path was not found." Not found? Then how is it listed here?

Now I have a share folder or two on each PC. When I go to "My Network Places", I can see most of them displayed. However, I cannot find my Vista-64 shared folder icon showing here.

Trying to figure this out step by step, I decided to first focus on getting the Vista-64 (wireless laptop) to share a folder if being access by user RICK. My main (wired desktop) PC is RICK (admin).

So I go to the Vista64-laptop and create a SHARED folder called TRANSFER, and I want to set the Permissions. I notice that is has "Everyone" already listed with "Read' rights only. If "Everyone", why can't I see this folder from my main XP machine as user RICK?

So I decide to ADD "RICK" to this list to give it FULL CONTROL, READ, WRITE permission.

I click on ADD, and get the "Select Users or Groups" window. I enter "RICK" and have it "Check Names". It does not see it. In fact, in the "From this location:" it shows the Vista64 laptop. So I click on the "Locations" button and find that's the only location available. I cannot change this to look elsewhere.

So I look to see if it can see the other computers from the Vista64 laptop. I can, including my desktop PC (user RICK). I can double click the desktop PC icon and see my printers and shared folders there. But like the Vista64 machine, I cannot access the shared folders on the desktop PC either for the same reason. From the desktop PC, when I want to add my Vista64 user to the group list, it only shows the desktopPC in the "Locations.." listing as well.

So no matter which machine, clicking the "Locations" button only shows the LOCAL machine and not the others. So I can't see how to add a user from another computer with permissions if I cannot seem to add them in "Select Users or Groups" window.

Why might I be having these problems?

Thanks.