| If your portable PC is part of a network, it's easy to send files back and forth. If your PC is not part of a network, you can still share files with another computer you just have to set up a direct connection between the two PCs, manually. With Windows XP you can connect any two PCs by using either a serial cable or a DirectParallel cable. (I recommend the DirectParallel method it's faster.) This method also is useful for connecting Pocket PC and Windows CE devices to your desktop or portable PC. Microsoft calls this connection a direct network connection. To make it work, you first need to connect the cable between the two PCs, and then follow these steps: 1. | From the Control Panel, click the Network Connections icon.
| 2. | When the Network Connections utility opens, click the Create a New Connection link in the Network Tasks panel to open the New Connection Wizard. Click the Next button to get things going.
| 3. | When the Network Connection Type screen appears, check the Set Up an Advanced Connection option, then click Next.
NOTE When connecting two computers in this fashion, you typically want to configure the host computer before you configure the guest PC. | 4. | When the Advanced Connection Options screen appears (as shown in Figure 21.4), check the Connect Directly to Another Computer option. Click Next.
Figure 21.4. Configure your PC to connect directly to another computer, no network required. 
| 5. | When the Host or Guest? screen appears, check the Guest option if you're configuring the PC that will be accessing information on the other machine. Check the Host option if you're configuring the PC that contains the information you need to access. In most cases, your portable PC will be the guest, and a desktop PC will be the host. Click Next whenever you're ready.
| 6. | When the Connection Device screen appears, select how the two computers will be connected, then click Next.
| 7. | When the Default Connection screen appears, ignore everything and click Next.
| 8. | When the final screen appears, enter a name for this connection and then click the Finish button.
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After your two PCs are connected, you can transfer files back and forth as if you were on a regular network. |
