i have no option (in the remote portion of the system properties section of the control panel) for an incoming remote desktop connection... is the anything i can do to fix this or is this typical of xp home edition????

I'm sorry, but Windows XP Home Edition can't accept Remote Desktop connections. That requires XP Professional.Here are some free alternatives that work on Home Edition: TeamViewer , RealVNC .Boulder Computer MavenMicrosoft Most Valuable Professional