Linux uses a protocol called SMB (Samba) to create a connection to a Windows network. The connection uses the computer name and workgroup name and may require Windows authentication.

Find your computer name and workgroup name using these steps:

• right-click on My Computer
• choose Properties
• select the Computer Name tab
• make a note of the Workgroup name (in all caps)

Your computer name is already set (but you can change it). It is unimportant, but this is the name that it will display when viewed on the Windows network. To view the Windows network (from simple mode):

• go to the Work tab
• open File Manager
• click on Windows network

If nothing comes up, here's how to access the Windows network (This is useful for systems where the workgroup name is unknown; if your workgroup is already known to be called 'WORKGROUP' then you may skip this list):

• press ctrl-alt-T to get a terminal window
• type sudo nano /etc/samba/smb.conf
• scroll down to workgroup=WORKGROUP
• replace it with workgroup=<windows network>, where <windows network> is the name you made note of on the Windows machine
• press ctrl-O to save, Enter to accept the filename and ctrl-x to exit
• close the terminal window
• open the File Manager again and try to access the Windows network

If you are attempting to see your Home Network within File Manager, but it does not show, be aware that sometimes it does not work within 'Advanced Mode' (KDE). To rectify this, just switch to 'Simple Mode' and then open File Manager. You will see 'Windows Network' listed at the bottom of the left-hand pane. You can now switch to 'Advanced Mode' and File Manager will continue to recognise the network.

Another (faster) way to regain access to your Home Network (if it exists but does not show up within File Manager) is to open the “Root” file manager. Windows Network should be visible there and, after you close that window, Windows Network should be visible in the normal File Manager too:

Start - Applications - System - Administrator Tools - File Manager (Administrator)

• Make sure you've shared at least one folder on your Windows machine
• To share a folder, right-click on it and choose Sharing and Security
• Sharing files in Vista can be tricky here's a guide http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb727037.aspx
• If when you try to look in a shared folder you get “error connecting to … No route to host”, it may be caused by a software firewall (e.g. AVG Firewall) on the Windows machine blocking UDP on the samba ports. Also, see this thread Eeepc network workgroup for another possible solution.
• There is also a solution that involves modifying the samba configuration file that was given by technodad.