Help with networking, please.

[jma]

Here's my problem:
I've got a small home network of 2 desktops and 2 notebooks, the desktops and the older notebook run Win98SE, the newer laptop runs XP Pro. The desktops are hard-wired, the notebooks are wireless. All 4 were always able to see each other and file transfer between any of them was never a problem until yesterday: For whatever reason I am now asked for a network password when attempting to access the XP notebbok from any of the other pc's. Since I had never set up any passwords (this is the first time I've seen such dialogue box), I can't get to the files in the XP laptop. Strangely enough at least for me, all 98SE pc's can see and transfer to each other, no password is ever asked and the XP notebook can see and access the other 3 the same way. What gives?
I looked around the settings for each machine and to me nothing seemed to have changed since the last time they were all freely talking to each other.
Any help is really appreciated.
Joe

[Sean]

On the xp laptop........

Is simple file sharing enabled/disabled Does the root drive or other drives you want to access have sharing enabled.(This will look like a hand within the drive icon)

[jma]

Sean:

Yes, file sharing is enabled on the xp notebook. I have to do some car maintenance but later I'll get back to that little thing to see if anything I missed has changed.

Thanks

[Steve Machol]

I have a wireless home network with 3 computers - all running Win XP. Sometimes for inexplicable reasons the file sharing doesn't work. It usually comes back if I reboot the PC having this problem.