Windows & network problems...

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Step number one. Make sure both machines are on the same subnet. Open a command prompt (start-run-CMD) and type IPCONFIG and hit enter. This will give the IP address of the machine. The only differences between the addresses on the two machines should be the value of the fourth octet (the last part of the IP address. (if one of them starts off with 169.254 then that machine cannot fond a DHCP server, and a default address has been assigned)

If both machines IP addresses are in the same subnet, try PING ing one from another. At a command prompt type in PING <the address of the other machine> for example, PING 192.168.1.99. If you do not get a reply
then it could be a firewall problem. For example, by default WIN XP did not permit file & printer sharing by default, and I am sure Vista & 7 are the same. Temporarily disable the Windows firewall and see what happens.
 
Both are on the same subnet, as is the wireless router.

Pinging gets the message 'Destination host unreachable.

Windows firewall is off as I use Kaspersky. I've tried connecting with that disabled, but it gives the same result.
 
Have you tried connecting them via a Homegroup?

Or finding the other machine via entering its IP address in a browser?

Check that the router is actually assigning an IP to each machine
 
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Open a Command Prompt on each machine, and key in IPCONFIG /ALL. Make a note of the IP addresses and default gateways assigned to each machine, and post back. Double check the Windows Firewall is OFF, as Windows has a (bad) habit of re-enabling it in the background after an update. If it has re-enabled itself, edit it so that File and Printer Sharing is enabled.
 
Make sure both PCs are on the same homegroup. Also try toggling network discovery on/off.

Some of my problems with networking have been fixed by turning "password protected sharing" off in Advanced homegroup settings.
 
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