Networking a Mac Mini with Windows 7 machines - where is Directory Utility?

This might help:

http://www.macworld.com/article/142495/2009/08/snowleopardwhatsgonewhere.html

On the Win7 machine,

1. Ignore everything to do with Homegroup.
2. Go > Computer > Users > User; right click on User/chose Share with > Specific people; and Set to share with a specific individual or Everyone—both with Read/Write permission.
3. Go Control Panel > Network and Sharing Options > Advanced sharing Settings, and Turn on network discovery, Turn on file and printer sharing, Turn off public folder sharing, and Turn off password protected sharing (unless sharing won’t occur without turning it on).
4. Restart (probably not necessary, but I’d do it).

On the Sno machine,

1. Go System Preferences > Sharing > Check File sharing > Go Options > Enable SMB sharing.
2. Go System Preferences > Network > Select Airport or Ethernet depending on what you are going to be using. I am assuming you will be using wireless below. Let me know if not true.
3. Having selected Airport, select ask to join new networks and show Airport status in menu bar.
4. Click advanced > click remember networks this computer has joined > Click WINS > Enter the ip address of your Win7 machins in the WINS server box > Enter the Win7's workgroup name in the workbook box unless it already is there (look in the drop down menu too). In all likelihood the name is workgroup, but check on the Win7 machine.
5. Restart (probably not necessary, but I’d do it).

In trying to get things going on the Mac, use connect to server: smb://IpAddress. Don't worry yet if the shared Win7s don't show up under shared in finder windows. That's a significant, but separate issue.

Also, see http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2166395&tstart=0