Vista HP and XP Pro Home Networking Query

[sleepyhead]

So my laptop has Vista Home Premium (32bit) and my PC has XP Pro (32bit) (currently SP2 with SP3 awaiting installation when I get home tonight).

I been talking to moogle about why the home network is not working and I am rather clueless now.

1. Both machines set to the same workgroup
2. Both machines are sharing files/folders
3. Laptop can see itself on the network and not the PC
4. PC cannot see itself on the network.
5. Windows Firewall disabled and 3rd party firewall set home IP address as trusted.
6. I can remote desktop from the laptop onto the PC
7. Using a 100mbit 4 port switch/router/gateway (Linksys ADSl2+ gateway/router/switch box).

Obviously I am missing something here and it maybe on the PC side (I get the error message that I do not have the priviledge to access the workgroup on this terminal or something to that effect). Unfortunately I do not know what I am missing.

Life seemed so much easier when networking win98 machines 8 years ago. lol.

Any help would be muchly appreciated.

EDIT:
I've googled around and sites recommend installing some software which I would never do.

[gss03]

Whats the DNS set to use?

Can you ping the hostname of the other machine from one or the other?
can you ping the IP address of the machine of one or the other machine?

Is the vista machine on the home/ office network settings (sharing turned on in the network center)

[sleepyhead]

Whats the DNS set to use?

DNS? Not sure, am at work right now I think the DNS is set to what is required to access the internet via the router/modem/gateway. The laptop is set to automatic, the PC is set to manual (I wanted a static IP addy for the PC).

Can you ping the hostname of the other machine from one or the other?
can you ping the IP address of the machine of one or the other machine?

Considering I can remote desktop from the Vista laptop to the XP PC, I would guess that I can ping the lappy from the pc and visa versa. I'll check tonight via command line.

Is the vista machine on the home/ office network settings (sharing turned on in the network center)

Yep; moogle and I ran through that last night.

[sleepyhead]

Quick update

Installing SP3 for XP solved the problem instantly.

Weird but awesomely cool.

EDIT:
Forgot to thank moogle for the suggestion of installing SP3 Post here so I can hit the thank button

EDIT2:
Just for you moogle...

[moogle]

Roger!