If hardware is OK you should be able to PING the machines and get a successful response. If you don't know what a PING is, find out how to do it. Microsoft - Troubleshooting home networking in Windows XP
On the XP machine, you have to turn off the firewall (I would disconnect from the internet first, if you don't have a router, though).
The key with XP is that the XP machine and the ME machine have to have the same username and password setup in user accounts. For example, if the username and password for the ME machine is username foo password foopasswd, there has to be an account on the XP machine with the very same username and password.
With that established, you have to share folders on both machines, and, in XP, either make sure simple file-sharing is turned on (the easiest way), or, set permissions appropriately (the most secure way).
HTH
longjack
"The key with XP is that the XP machine and the ME machine have to have the same username and password setup in user accounts. For example, if the username and password for the ME machine is username foo password foopasswd, there has to be an account on the XP machine with the very same username and password."
I hate to disagree with you, but Username & Password
don`t have to be the same on both machines. Guess you
are confusing Domains and Workgroups?
In this case, the original poster should control if the *name* of the workgroup is *identical*, on both systems.
This is the usual reason if PC 1 doesn`t "see" PC 2.
I dunno about american versions, but the default name
for a workgroup in my german Win 98 is "workgroup",
but "Arbeitsgruppe" in my german XP. I guess there is
a similiar problem with his U.S. ME & XP... just different
default names.
The used OS is irrelevant, you are able to connect with
XP + ME + 98 + Linux + MAC OS + .... as long as they are
sharing the same protocols and the workgroup.
...just my 0.2 Euros :o)
Hun