Ubuntu Networking :: Way To Share Folder From Machine To Windows Machine

I am trying to establish the easiest way to share a folder from an Ubuntu machine to a Windows machine.In the past I have added things to smb.conf and that has all worked fine but what I am trying to do is to figure out what the "new user" way of doing this is so that when I am helping other people I know I am getting them to do the simplest thing.I completely removed samba and reinstalled it so that I didn't have any configuration. Right clicked on a folder and selected "Sharing Options" ticked the "Share this folder box" gave it a name and a comment and ticked the other two boxes.

When I went to the windows laptop then it kept asking for a username/password and nothing worked.Back on the ubuntu machine I did sudo smbpasswd -a [username] and created a blank password. Now from the windows machine I can access the shared folder.Is the smbpasswd step still required? It's very confusing for a new user as there is no suggestion that anything other than right clicking on the folder and choosing the options you want would be required. Is it something to do with the fact that this is an ubuntu machine that has gradually been upgraded through versions and this problem wouldn't have been there from a new install?