If you have an XP computer on your LAN, and it has files that you need access to, you can log into from another computer using a user account that already exists on the XP machine.

Note: Do NOT use the administrator account for this purpose! In fact, you should NOT use the administrator account for everyday activities at all. This is because viruses and Trojan horses that run from the administrator account can cause greater harm to your computer than if they were to run from an account that has lesser permissions and/or privileges.

Of course, you will need to use the administrator account on the XP machine to create that new account.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Click the Start button in the lower left corner of the desktop.

2. Click Settings, then click Control Panel.
3. In the Control Panel window, click User Accounts.
4. In the User Accounts window, click Create a new account.
5. Enter the user account name in the Account Name field and click Next.
6. Select the Limited radio button, then click Next.
7. Click Create Account.
8. In the User Accounts window, click on the new account.
9. Click Change the password.
10. Enter the desired password (this should be different than the administrator password). Be sure to use a strong password.
11. Verify the password and add a password hint.
12. Click Change Password.
13. Log out of the administrator account by hitting CTRL-ALT-DEL and selecting Log Off. Then log back in as the new user account.

If you can successfully log on as the new user, the account is good to go.