Home Network with a Knoppix Tower and MS Windows Laptops

[MeSo]

OK, I'm lost! I currently have a few little issues that I need help with. (Please bear in mind that I'm a newbie, so Techies..please dull is down for me!)
I currently have a dual-boot system (MS XP/Knoppix3.3), and have a home network set up on the MS XP side. It's been nice to a point, but I want to be able set up the same home netowork on the Linux side.
Problem1: As of right now, I can't share my hda1 with hda5 (only in root, is hda1 even accessable).
Problem2: My MS XP Home laptops can not access the shared folders on the windows partion, when I'm on the Linux OS. ( The ) The laptops can hop on and off line but can't access anything on the windows partition, or even the Linux partition with the files marked as shared out. This is forcing me to run the windows partition 90% of my time, to allow home networking. (PS, it's a D-Link WLAN, plugged directly to my DSL Modem) .

My wife and I really prefer the Linux OS, but need to have our MS XP laptops be able to have access to the home network, regardless.

Is it possible for MS OS systems to access a home network, when the server (i.e my hard lined system plugged directly into the router and modem) is running Linux OS? I know, I know...just convert everything to Linux and the world is happy, but I have to have dual boot systems to run some company and web based applications in MS XP. I have found there are some web sites, mostly secure sites that I have to be using MS Internet Explorer in order to display or even access them. And that kinda sucks too!

So what do I do? How can I run my server on Linux, and allow my Laptops to continue to run MS XP and still have access to all my shared data, and hardware? And how can I administer my network in Linux, accessing and sharing both partitions, and devices?

Any help woule be great. Thanks.

[dave_sussex]

I only have experience of accessing from win95 & win98 clients as knoppix has replaced my win2000 server and I had so many issues with customers' XP systems I didnt even want to know. <that confession made me mildly sick>.
Use the samba service from the main menu...Knoppix...networking to start set up the shares for access from mswindows <washes mouth out> PCs.
most likely if you login to windows with a username of knoppix & no password you will connect straight away.