I now have a laptop. Do you know what I need to leave in, or change, to connect my laptop to my desktop through a ethernet crossover cable? All I want to do is transfer files.

Take a look at these :

http://www.drbillbailey.net/share.html

http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/e...9f6cdd1033.mspx

This is the wrong section for your question.

Maybe the Admins / Mods can move it

You are right, HOLLOW. I don't know how I ended up here. However, jcarle did answer my next question.