windows xp with 98se not networking. why??

i have a xp home on my laptop, and 98se on my home pc. i have tried pier to pier connection, tried giving each pc an ip address, i made sure theyre on the same workgroup. i tried using the windows setup wizard. i still cannot connect the two. on the laptop, i can see the home pc, yet when i click on it i am told that i am not authorised to contact that pc, and to contact my administrator. i haved checked the cable and it is perfect, i even went and reinstalled windows on each pc, to no avail. i think its my laptop that is at fault. can anyone tell me any settings that i am forgetting, or things i can try? its wrecking my brain. o, and im fairly sure all my network cards are ok