Mac & PC file sharing

Ok, so I've got a lot of files stored on my old pc that need to be able to access on my mac all the time. I can connect to it when I go to GO-CONNECT TO SERVER and type in my Pc's ip address but it only stays mounted for a period of time, and its named as its ip address. I can access the files that I'm sharing on my Mac fine with my pc, but my pc only shows up sometimes in finder (automatically connected with snow leopard I guess+ i have them in the same workgroup) but half the time it doesn't show up and when it does, it always fails to connect. I've tried going to the system setting on my pc's control panel, and adding my mac users to be allowed to connect but my mac isn't showing up in the pc's network places. Can anyone help? If I can add my mac users to the pc's allowed to connect list, then will there be a way to get my pc to stay mounted in finder?

I have a 24" iMac (2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo) running Snow Leopard v10.6.4
and I have a Sony Vaio running Windows XP Family Edition

Thanks for any help.

I don't know that particular method of connecting.

Might I suggest a syncing system like www.SugarSync.com, Dropbox, or my personal favorite, Syncplicity

They offer the syncing of files amongst many computers. And web access when you need it! And I also have them serving as a backup so I don't need Carbonite or Time Machine.

Of course, www.GoToMyPc.com might help you, too, depending on your needs.

Ok thanks for posting but thats not really what I meant... I don't need files to stayed synced between all my computers (I already have an idisk for that type of stuff). I mean that I want for my pc (which has files sharing on) to show up and allow me to access my files on my mac. Sometimes it shows up in finder-


but it always says connection failed, and when I click connect as, it doesn't let me give a username or password it just brings up this message-



I need to get it to where it stays mounted in finder, and it where it will let me access the files that I'm sharing, and I really don't want to have to go to Finder>Go>Connect to Sever every time I need files.