How can I reach windows pc HDD drives over network

Share the folders you want access to in windows. You can then access the share from Ubuntu and copy the data. Copying the whole data will most likely not be necessary.

Eveline:

Why would you copy it in ubuntu and not Windows? Are there ethical questions in mind?

FoS

"Share the folders you want access to in windows. "

I shared the whole disk partition in Windows.

"You can then access the share from Ubuntu and copy the data. "

But I did not succeed in access or copy data - *using the Ubuntu machine* - from the Windows machine to the Ubuntu machine.

Neither could I access the shared volume on the Ubuntu machine when *using the Windows machine* to issue commands.

I succeeded getting the icons for the Ubuntu machine on the Windows machine and vice versa.

No matter if I used Ubuntu 10.10 desktop live CD, or Windows, or Ubuntu 10.10 rescue Remix, on the Windows machine: I had the same problem. 'Failed to mount' .
I checked that firewalls are off.

Maybe my Samba config on the Ubuntu machine is wrong?

I have spent 6 hours trying everything I could think off.. :(

"Why would you copy it in ubuntu and not Windows?"
I don't care how I get the backup. it's just the fact that the machine, with enough space to hold the backup, has Ubuntu only and the Windows system that I want to make a full backup from is not stable.

Firstly, I assume that you can ping the machines from one another (ie, you have confirmed that they have a valid network connection between them)?

You could simply install ssh, then use programs like sftp to upload from the windows box to the ubuntu box.. I have always found FTP/SFTP to be much more reliable than windows file sharing (in the absence of a dedicated domain controller)

To activate SSH, you would need the openssh-server package installed. Once done, you can then use a windows SFTP client to copy the files.

http://winscp.net/eng/index.php