Trouble Setting Up Home Network

[Steph102]

Hello everyone. My mom recently bought a new HP desktop PC that came with Windows Vista. We are trying to set up a new network to share printers and files. I go through Windows Vista to setup the Network and it saves the settings on a USB flash drive. I plug it in to my Mom's Windows XP laptop and it seems things go through. But the problem is it doesn't work. I go the the desktop and the laptop is not shown in the network. Also I can not get my Mac Book Pro to find the network and printer as well. Can someone please help.

[hughv]

On the XP machine, run the Network Wizard and enable File and Printer sharing. Select a Workgroup name that will be the same on the Vista Machine.
on the Vista machine, open the Network and Sharing Center and set up a private network with file and printer sharing.
You'll need to share the printer. In Settings/Printers and Faxes. Just right-click/Share.
You'll have to reboot for this to take effect.
The Mac should be easy-just open the Network control and enable Windows sharing. I haven't done this in a while, but it's a lot easier than Windows.

[Steph102]

My macbook see's the network but I can only select the network put the main computer doesn't show up that the printer is attached to.

[hughv]

What OS is the main computer?

[Steph102]

The main computer is running Windows Vista Business. I got my Macbook to work with it. I had disable the Windows Firewall, but my Mom had installed Norton Internet Security and it's firewall took over. I approved my Macbook. I have to try it on the Windows XP laptop as well and see if that is the problem. Thanks for the help.