Have 2 desktops sitting side by side connected by ethernet through a 5-Port 10/100mbps Qos Swirtch. The 'new' desktop is running Vista Home Premium while the 'old' is running XP Home Edition.
The old machine has a number of programs and data that I want to use and have access to but which I don't consider worthwhile to copy over to the new machine. However running the old machine, copying the data to a USB drive and then copying it in to the new machine is a real PITA.

So I want to be able to operate the ‘old’ machine from the ‘new’ machine
Both can ping each other through their Computer Name or the IP address however running Remote Desktop Connection they can’t see each other, either the Computer Name or the IP address. Both show they have two network connections. One which is operational and the other which shows XX number of packets sent  0 received,  100% failure.  Where the heck am I going wrong? Somewhere in Remote Desktop Connection it says that Vista can’t see XP so what other programs are out there that can connect and operate one from the other?