Sharing a folder is extremely easy in Windows XP.

1. Simply open the Windows Explorer
   1. Click the Start button,
   2. Click on All Programs,
   3. Choose Accessories and click on the Windows Explorer icon.
2. Find the folder you wish to share. Right click on the folder, and in the menu that appears select "Sharing and Security..."
3. Click on the Sharing tab.
4. Click on "Share this folder on the network" and give the folder a unique name.

When you share a folder, you have an option to make the folder (and all the files in it) read-only. If it is read-only, people can look at the files in the folder but they cannot change any of the files. If not, then they can modify files in the folder, delete files, rename files and add new files.
A check box lets you specify if the folder is read-only or not.

To access a shared folder, open the Windows Explorer, Choose "My Network Places" in the list on the left, find the shared folder that you wish to access and open it.