Unable to change files even though permissions enabled

[miner2049er]

I have a desktop PC and a laptop PC networked together over WiFi, and I'm experiencing a problem regarding the ability to rename/write/delete files on the OTHER machine (and sometimes reading them.) I'm also having a problem with sharing not propagating to some folders below.

Both machines are running Windows XP Pro with SP1.

Everything was working fine until an hour or so ago - all I can remember doing that may have messed something up, was enabling or disabling "Enable Simple File Sharing" in Folder Options on one of the computers - and then things started to go wrong.

I am able to share folders between the two machines - in this particular instance I am sharing folders within both machine's "My Pictures" folders. But, when accessing these folders & their files from the OTHER machine (over the network) I am unable to rename or delete these files - even though I have enabled on a folder "Allow network users to change my files" (Simple File Sharing) or enabled Permissions For Everyone -> Full Control + Change + Read (when I use not Simple File Sharing.)

Oddly, as well as not being able to delete or rename some files, some files I cannot even READ over the network - even though they read OK on the machine where they live.

BTW, I can rename, delete and view files on the machine on which they reside with no problems.

(1) What could be happening here, and how can I get back to normality? i.e. being able to read/delete/rename files on the other machine, when I allow it, and also having permissions propagate to folders underneath?

(2) Is there anyway to reset things (permissions, shares etc.) to how they were when I first installed Windows XP?

If you need any more info, or clarification let me know.

Thanks in advance, Simon.

[snooker]

Have you try renaming or deleting these files in safe mode ???

[miner2049er]

The files are on the OTHER machine, so not sure if safe mode would help.

I did get some partial assistance from elsewhere - it is to do with my permissions setting.

Still looking into it...

[Play_The_0dds]

not sure what you changed and sometimes easy fixes work, if your system restore is active, have you tried it? go back to a checkpoint that is slightly older then the problem.