Accessing files/drives of a second computer

This is from a newbie to the thought of networking and I'm not sure this is actually a networking question. So if this is the wrong forum, I do apologize.

I have an IBM desktop with Win98. Mom has a Presario desktop with WinXP. Both of us do family research/genealogy. I have most of my data on my computer (btw, it is monitor-less at the present time). Mom wanted to know if I could connect the two towers such that from her computer (WinXP), I could access the files/drives on my tower. I have some backups on floppies and her computer has no floppy drive.

I do not use my tower to access the internet. I use Mom's computer because it has a faster processor and mostly because it has a working monitor. So I don't really want to connect both towers to the internet, if that makes sense. Ideally, I'd like to place the towers side-by-side and be able to "see" the stuff on my tower when using my mom's computer.

Hopefully my description is clearer than mud. :-D Anyway, I appreciate any help and/or advice. If I have to get cables (I know it is not possible to just use an USB cable to connect them), the cheapest way out would be preferable. If I had all the money in the world it would not matter. But alas, it does.

Many thanks in advance!

 

Sounds like a small home network would work fine
Do both machines have a network (NIC) card?
If so you may just be a few steps away
MS actually wrote a good article that will help you setup and understand
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/813936


P

 

You can get a USB "bridge cable" and connect the 2 using software drivers that should come with the bridge cable. This is provided that both computers have an available USB port.

 

If they both have nic cards a simple crossover cable would do the job.

 

You could also get a KVM switch that would let you operate either computer with just one Keyboard, mouse and monitor. Just press a button on the switch and go back and fourth between the two. It does not however , allow any data transfer between the two, just operation using single human interfaces and a single monitor. I use a 4 port unit right now, you can get a 2 port.
I have 4 computers all set up running different things and I just press a button to go to any of them using the same single keyboard, mouse and monitor. I love it!!!!