VBScript - Sending From One Page's Textbox To The Next

I have data from page 1 that I want to pass to page 2, either in a querystring or a form. I got that part.

Once I'm on page 2, I can retrieve that data with Response.Form or Reponse.Querystring in the vbscript code I have up in the header, but if I write

Document.Form1.Textbox1.value=response.form("passedData"), nothing happens.

So I thought that the code up in the header doesn't "see" the textbox, because as I dimly understand it, the textbox is client-side and the script is server-side. So then I thought I should put the same line down in the html where the form is defined (enclosed in <% tags). But that triggers an error because the code down there doesn't seem to know what response.form is anymore! I tried using a variable as a go-between, but it didn't change the results.

So how in the world do I get my incoming parameter (whether form or query string) to go and live in a textbox in the target page? I need it there (don't I?) so that I can later pass it along to page three (among other reasons).

In short, I can get strings passed from page 1 to page 2, but then page 2 doesn't seem able to put them into controls or pass them along to page 3.

I have scoured google and forums and seen some responses that involve about 30 lines of code (which I don't understand). Surely it can't be that complicated to pass a string from page 1 to page 2 and then have it available to pass along to page 3.