Sharing Directories between Desktops

Without any identified changes other than Windows updates, my two desktops are no longer able to share files or printers.

For several months, I have configured directories on my wife's system to be shared across our little household network and likewise on my system. I also configured printers on our respective systems to be available to the other desktop. This all worked.

One weekend (1/16-1/17), I bowed to the nagging balloon that updates were available to Windows and downloaded the updates. I turned off both systems after they had been installed.

The next morning (1/18), I could not access files from either side. Both machines see the Internet and I can IM from one to the other (so the hardware appears to be sound). I ran the networking wizard several times on both sides and once carried the configuration over on a floppy. I also tried manual configuration. Both machines recognize my networking "neighborhood" but don't see any other clients.

My laptop has not had the updates (lately) so I connected it (via cable, not wireless) and has similar problems.

Anti-virus and spyware software tells me I'm clean, so I suspect it was realted to an update. The only other difference over night was a foot of snow outside. :)

thanks