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If you have a system network and a functioning server in place already, there is no need to setup another system as server. What you need do is -

Get the HDD (Hard Drive) from he spare system, or get a new HDD with good storage capacity say 500 GB or 1 terabyte depending on the
amount of data you intend to store on it, plug it in as a slave drive to the PC that represents the server on your current network and boot
up. Normally Windows would recognize the Hard disk. Just check under my computer and you would find it listed alongside your C: drive the others. You can therefore save your document files and all other files you want to share on the network here. In other to share files, from here, what you should do is move the files to be shared to a folder named "Shared folder" on the network. This folder is accessible to everyone on the network to work with.

This would work just fine

However, if you don't have a network in place already, you would need more information and more hardware.

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@kevin.odum

With the setup described, you would need to get a network structure in place to be able to share files locally between the 5 of you. This would require you to get additional hardware such as a "Switch" and six sets of LAN cables. If you have this in place, you can then proceed to do the set up by linking the LAN cables from the switch to the server and to your individual systems. (Now that's that about hardware set up)

Now you need to turn on the server and configure the LAN adapter to use Static IP address.

Please note: Depending on the OS installed on the server, the directions below May vary slightly. I have assumed that the server has Xp installed though.
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Upon boot up, go to Network Places - Click on "show available network connections" you should see a LAN adaptor displayed on the right side of the panel. Right click it and select properties - it would open a small window - double click "internet protocol version 4 (TCP /IP4)" select the option that says "use static IP Address " and set the IP Eg. 168.123.766.1 - the subnet mask would come up automatically after you enter the IP Address just click on the subnet Mask column and 255.255.255.0 should come up. Enter the same set of numbers you used for the IP address as the default gateway and click "okay" thus you have setup your server. You would however need to run the same steps on your laptops using serial IP addresses like 168.123.766.2, 168.123.766.3, 168.123.766.4, 168.123.766.5, and 168.123.766.6 respectively.

This should have you setup to the server where you can then move needed files to and from the shared folder of the server. You can also create individual user workspace on the server which each user can access independently. But that's a different ball game entirely.

This would have you well set up and good to go. I offer my services on a professional basis though if you find it too complicated to pull off.

Take care

kelvin.odum:
Thank you very much @cooljyd,I do appreciate your time,however ,as the case is,5 ppl have 5 laptops,which we work with individually,we are connected locally via a wireless network(swift router) we have ONLY one spare Desktop PC(No external hard drive),which the five of us want to have as a server so we can all dump documents in it.is there any software I need to install on the desktop pc?how would I connect it to make sure everyone (I.e) the five of us have access to documents inside it when we want,can we also have access to the documents outside of the office sey from Home??Thank you,I would appreciate very simple responses as am nt too techy,but I just have a slight idea.

From your comment, sharing is done wireless. For this to happen via wireless medium, you'll need to buy a wireless adapter for the desktop so that it could also connect to the network wirelessly. If you don't have money to buy wireless adapter, you could use your system as the server.

Create a folder and put on the desktop and name it with what you intend to name it with. Right click and move to share with and then share with everyone. Since you are getting network via wireless medium, you dont need to give your self headaches about IP as your ISP dynamically gives IP.
On the other systems, to access the shared folder you could goto run and then type two backward slash and and the name of the PC that has the shared folder (e.g \\ Louischike-PC). From there other users can access the folder and save to it.

You could mail me up on chike.louis@yahoo.com for my assistance. Please i'm not asking for money(No spamming)

NAS

Networking and sharing files can be something else if you are not into it. Are you around abuja? If yes I could come around to help. And don't worry about the bill, I ain't billing. Just trying to help

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