ok so here's the scenario: the server(linux)can link up with windows and vice versa and everything goes well up to the part where i am asked to type net use " d: '//obelisk(theserver)/aoc'" at which point i am assaulted by this eyesore: Error 7361: IPX OR NETBIOS MUST BE RUNNING IN ORDER TO TO LOAD THE NETWORK SERVICES. YOUR COMPUTER MAY BE CONFIGURED TO RUN THE MONOLITHIC DRIVER, SUCH AS IPX OR XNS, AND THE DRIVER ISN'T LOADED. TO LOAD THE DRIVER, FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE DOCS THAT COME WITH YOUR 2NDARY NETWORk. both smbd and nmbd are running so i really don't know what it is talking about. if anyone can offer advice, please do so. thanks.