Yesterday, I encountered some network connectivity idiosyncrasies
while accessing a FTP site. Apparently, my FTP client could not
resolve a domain address and connect to a FTP site. After double
backing my efforts, I decided to perform a Windows Update since
Windows XP was recently reinstalled on my system. After the Windows
Update, the FTP client could now connect to the aforementioned FTP
site. So Blind squirrel factor worked in my favor.

Yet what Windows XP giveth it also taketh. Today, I began syncing my
desktop with my laptop; and behold the syncing process return an
error.

\\Laptop is not accessible. You might not have permission to use this
network resource. Contact the administrator of this server to find out
if you have access permissions.

Windows cannot find the network path. Verify that the network path is
correct and the destination computer is not busy or turned of. If
Windows still cannot find the network path, contact you network
administrator.

These computers could communicate just before the Update. Now, the
network explorer shows both computers along with its shared resources;
yet does not allow the user to explore the other computers resource.
Why did the Windows XP lose its network connectivity after Windows
Update? Let me know if you have any insights to this odd occurrence.
How does one fix the network connectivity problem?