Connect xp old desktop to new windows 7 laptop?

How to connect my XP SP2 desktop computer with my windows 7 Ultimate laptop to transfer data?

• I have just bought a LAN cable (standard one) and don't have switch or router. I want to transfer files from my xp desktop to my laptop. How to do that? Please give information in detail because I don't know anything. Another question, is there any way to explore files in my desktop from my laptop before copying them to the laptop? Thanks.

• Answer:

  You do need to do more than just use a cross-over cable. You will have to assign static IP addresses on the two computers. For example you would have to go to network connections for both computers and modify the IPv4 settings. Right now you are set to automatic. So you would have to give your XP a static address of for example 192.168.4.10 with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 and a default gateway of 192.168.4.11. On the Laptop, you would need to do the reverse so the subnet mask is the same, the static IP address is 192.168.4.11 and the default gateway is 192.168.4.10. You could use the same gateway say 192.168.4.1 on both. Then you would have to set up shared folders on both computers. Then you could browse the folders on the other computer. You can use the information in one of the other posts to set up sharing. Now when you are all finished, you will have to set the IPv4 config back to automatic, and remove the sharing or all of the files on the two computers will be open to hackers.