Problem with adding my imac to existing PC network!

Since i have upgraded to leopard, i cannot see any of my other PC's on my network. The network folder is simply blank, nothing. It worked fine with Leopard before i upgraded and i didn't even have to set it up.

I've looked through the options on my mac, and i have allowed file sharing etc etc. There really isn't that many options on the mac to do with home networking.

I've tried reconfiguring my other PC's but still not luck. It said to insert your windows XP CD into a machine that isn't running windows XP, go to 'Perform additional tasks' and then 'set up home network'. I inserted my XP disk into my mac, and, well...there was a bunch of files and i couldn't find it anywhere. I think MS meant any other versions of windows but they should really be more specific.

It also asked me to create a Network disk, or something along those lines, and i thought 'great'. Nope. It wanted to me insert a floppy disk which is unfortunate because my imac doesn't have a floppy disk drive.

Bizzarely, when i was in Leopard, it manage to pick up one of my PC's and not the other one and worked fine. The next day it decided not to work. I don't understand why it's so fickle.

Can someone please help me to network my mac to my other PC's.

cheers

If you know the IP address of the PC (eg. 192.168.1.10), from the main menu select Go > Connect to server
Add smb://192.168.1.10 as the server address
Hit Connect

Sweet, it worked.

I don't like that it doesn't always stay connected like a windows computer, and whenever you want to do something you have to connect to server.

Whats the point of the 'network' folder? Because i go in there and its still blank. I can see they have made a new tab in your finder for shared computers once you are connected.

Thanks mate!

if you want it to always connect go in your system preferences and to your account and drag the icon for the network drive into you start up items. it will connect at startup. I am not in front of leopard right now so if you need step by step i can only show you in tiger. it should be simular though.

Another thing I've noticed. I select 'connect as a registered user' and typed in my password, but then when i go into the shared folder at the top it says, 'connected as guest. I click the connect as button and the folder closes and im not connected anymore. It doesn't really affect me, i can still access all the filers on the network, im just curious to know why it says connected as guest.

that would be nice for it to always stay connected. I looked in my account, couldn't really find anything that was relevant. I also checked in the sharing tab but wasn't sure what to do.

Could someone please tell me how i can set up leopard to connect to my other PC's when it boots up. Thanks.

Ok, this is a silly question, but how do i copy folders off the network onto my mac? I've tried dragging it onto the desktop but it doesn't work. HELP!!!!