Windows shares (wheres my files) PCLinuXos and The linux operating system

Hi there guys,

Ive hit another struggle with the Pclinuxos distro and another 3 others Ive tried. I have the LX edition (laptop), I want to access windows shared folder -- files on my linux notebook. Hence I want to be able to copy files from windows (the windows computer) on my pclinuxos lxde.

While under network and internet, I click samba access windows

It sees the computer and the shares, give me the ability to mount, ok done.

Then when i use pcman ( i guess the windows explorer verison for linux),

theres no where to see the files

Im not interested in this becoming an agressive task. I installed Linux to my laptop because I am hoping it will grow on me and Ill learn it at pace and as I do things. My experience is in Network security, telephone system pbx exchanges and IOS priority systems and a vast knowledge of ms systems.

Id like to use the laptop to access windows 7 shares (which are configured as Password protection off, 128bit security off (40/56bit), shared with everyone (full) (there should be no limitations set by windows

Wifi router ->Firewall disabled

(doing this ( i do not see any trouble on the windows side))

On Linux, Im logged on my wifi router (which was another war story to get working)

I can SEE under "access windows shares" under computer management or configure comp, search server, finds computer, finds shares, I mount it

and Im unable to use pcman to find anything theres just accessibility to the HD where linux is installed

when typing in the mount volume /mnt/windowscomp7
0 visible files

Is there a better distro, I want the distro to be easy at first, so I can then go around and learn it from there. But this seems to be a whole mess.

Get back to me and thank you

Dear confusedandlost (LOL your nick gets the poin across)

Setting up samba is not "easy", but it has gotten a whole lot easier than it used to be. I myself use kde, and their excellent control panel, to setup my samba connectivity. Works fine. My distro, PClinuxOS like you, has it's own samba setup tool inside the PClinuxOS control panel, but I've never used it much (although it does work).

So, no need to go fundamental on the smb.conf files like you used to... the GUI tools work fine. However, I'm not hugely familiar with Win7 home networking... and I know that we had issues at work (and still do) getting them to play nice with our Win2000 and Ubuntu servers.

I'll have a poke around, but someone with Win7 experience should see the post and have a go.