need help enabling remote access

I'm currently on a Windows 7 laptop, and I need to access my other Windows XP laptop because I can't transfer my files in it on an external hard drive as a virus is preventing my XP laptop from recognizing usb drives.

How can I enable this? I've tried all the Windows forum help and nothing. I can't even get my Windows 7 to recognize the computer name of the Windows XP laptop so I can access it?

Please help. Thank you.

Dude,boot into Linux livecd (I prefer PCLinuxOS) and then plug in your external hard drive then go to the file manager and copy all your shit from the xp partition to your external. Simple.