Ubuntu :: Setting Up The 10.04 / 10.10?

I have some troubles configuring it.

I.) Setting up the network: I have 3 pcs:

1x Ubuntu 10.04 (Desktop)
1x Ubuntu 10.10 (Desktop)
1x Windows 7 (Professional [activated])

I tried setting up samba (install all the required packages and stuff) but it does not work for the Ubuntu 10.10 PC! I can enter the IP of my 10.04 desktop pc and those files are shared, however, with the exact same settings (and other IP) the 10.10 pc does not seem to be able to use any samba shared stuff at all! (Not even the samba stuff it shared). However, on the 10.04 I can access the shared 10.10 stuff so samba should be running and be configured correctly. I know uninstalled everything (Samba) and replaced the smb.conf with an old backup. Is there any guide how I can set up an samba share that also appears in the network? I will sooner or later update the 3rd PC to ubuntu too, however, I'd like to have Windows compactiblity in my network.

II.) Working with PlayOnLinux (POL): I have installed Warcraft 3 + TFT successfully, however, I don't know how I can install any game that is not on the POL list into the POL framework.

III.) Programs that I am missing: I have found a lot of software already that I use every day, however, here is some stuff I am missing that I haven't found a good replacement until yet: (Would be great if you tell me programs that could replace them) Mikogo (Teamviewer is totally laggy) [An presentation remote-control GUI-based program]

IV.) Troubles using Empathy/Pidgin: I am using the latest pidgin and latest empathy version and enabled the empathy plugin for pidgin. However, from time to time Pidgin tells me that I need to reactivate accounts and I will get disconnected. Is there any way to solve this? (And why does this happen?)

V.) Partition "magic" - Suggestions or feedback: I have these partitions:

1.) Primary Ubuntu, 20GB, ext2 (System)
2.) Extended, 400GB
3.) (Extends 2.) Data, 50GB (Backups & co), NTFS - Should be accessable in windows too
4.) (Extends 2.) Files, 300GB (Media...), NTFS - Should be accessable in windows too
5.) (Extends 2.) Docs, 50GB (.doc, .xcl,..), NTFS - Should be accessable in windows too
6.) Primary Windows, 100GB
7.) Swap

In linux I mount them as /data, /files/, /docs, /windows and /.VI.) Backup the whole system (Solved): Connected to V, I would like to know how to backup the whole primary ubuntu drive with being able to restore it.

VII.) Login issues:Whenever I log into my ubuntu, it says "Waiting for a program to react" (Power Manager). It says logout or wait as actions.