tomjonesrocks

OK--if I turn the Windows firewall off I can immediately see the laptop from the desktop--no restarting needed. Is there some way to add an exception so it won't block this? It seems like you couldn't reasonably run the computer with the firewall down all the time. Also, if it matters, I've realized I'm running Service Pack 2 on the Desktop and Service Pack 1 on the laptop. Thanks!

Thanks for the reply. I'm using Avira AntiVir Personal (Free) and the Windows Firewall is enabled. On top of that I have Malwarebytes Anti-Malware enabled as well as Windows Defender for Spyware. Will try the above and report back...

Anyone have any suggestions on how to troubleshoot a frustrating network issue I'm having? I have a setup with a desktop that goes straight into a router (then out to a DSL modem) via ethernet cable -- and a laptop that connects to the router wirelessly. Both computers have working internet, and both computers are running Vista Home Premium. Everything seems to be working from the laptop to the desktop--I can browse files on the desktop and "see" the desktop's icon/machine name in the network panel from the laptop. From the desktop all I can see of the laptop is is a instance of a media player device--and even that comes and goes. I can't see the laptop's hard drives or shared folders nor a printer I want to connect to. From the desktop, I can ping the laptop and get a response back which my router company's (Zyxel) technical support says means the router is working fine. On both machines, I have network discovery, file sharing, public folder sharing, printer sharing, and media sharing "On". Both machines are in the same workgroup. What might I be missing? Suggestions appreciated, thanks...