XYplorer Beta Club

A friend has remotely helped me fix my Windows Network problems.

I set the system up so that....
> The Desktop (HUMPHREY-PC) is seen and accessed on the Network by the Laptop
> The Laptop is seen and accessed on the Network by the Desktop
> The folder where the tags database lives on the Desktop was shared, and a folder was shared on the Laptop (to render the Laptop visible)
> Using "Tags | Load Tags Database" I loaded "C:\HUMPHREY-PC\Users\Humphrey\NewOne\SharedTags.dat" onto the Desktop and checked that this file now exists. I did the same on the Laptop.
> I ticked "Tools | Configuration | Information | Tags | Auto-refresh tags" on both Desktop and Laptop
> I created tag columns on both machines, and tags on the Desktop, and set tags to auto-refresh on both Desktop and Laptop
However the Desktop tags do not appear on the Laptop.

You did setup two local databases^^ Read the instructions again...

No I set up one local database.
As I said:
"Using "Tags | Load Tags Database" I loaded "C:\HUMPHREY-PC\Users\Humphrey\NewOne\SharedTags.dat" onto the Desktop and checked that this file now exists. I did the same on the Laptop."
HUMPHREY-PC is one machine, not two machines.

Using "Tags | Load Tags Database" I loaded "C:\HUMPHREY-PC\Users\Humphrey\NewOne\SharedTags.dat" onto the Desktop and checked that this file now exists. I did the same on the Laptop.

That makes two local databases^^ One for the desktop and one for the laptop. You need to load the shared database (on the desktop) from the laptop via an UNC path

Ah. How do I do that?
I consider that I followed the instructions to the letter

"Tags - Load Tags Database" (on the laptop)
and the UNC path to the shared .dat file?

\\HUMPHREY-PC\<name of the shared folder where SharedTags.dat is in>\SharedTags.dat

That is EXACTLY what I did

Using "Tags | Load Tags Database" I loaded "C:\HUMPHREY-PC\Users\Humphrey\NewOne\SharedTags.dat" onto the Desktop and checked that this file now exists. I did THE SAME on the Laptop.

Can you compare two strings?
Do they look identical to you? oO

I'm not getting anywhere with this.

I loaded \\HUMPHREY-PC\Users\Humphrey\NewOne\SharedTags.dat on to the laptop.
No tag became visible.
So I tried (following one possible interpretation of your suggestion):
\\HUMPHREY-PC\NewOne\SharedTags.dat
I was told no such folder exists.

There is NO interpretation here!

You've never shared the folder "C:\HUMPHREY-PC\Users\Humphrey\NewOne" on HUMPHREY-PC (the desktop), right?

If you think you've done that, prove it:
Open a command prompt on HUMPHREY-PC (the desktop)
and show a screenshot after executing net share...

So how on earth should a different PC on the network be able to access that file (when the folder isn't visible for it)?!?

The folder IS visible to the laptop!
Didn't I tell you that I checked that it was visible?
Not sure how to share a screenshot, this thing doesn't seem to allow me load local jpgs.

Also this command net share is unknown to me.
Where and in what context, on what application would I use it?

Then copy the stuff in the dos box and post it?...