Turning on network discovery and file sharing on a Windows 8 system

If you wish to see folders from other Microsoft Windows systems on a local area network (LAN) or those shared from Linux systems via Samba, or want to be able to ping the system from other systems on the network, you may need to turn on network discovery on the Windows system(s) in order to see the shared folder. E.g., if you double-click on Network in the Windows File Explorer and see "Network discovery and file sharing are turned off. Network computers and devices are not visible. Click to change...", click on the message to enable network discovery.

Network discovery and file sharing off

You should then see an option to "Turn on network discovery and file sharing", which you can select to enable network discovery.

Turn on network discovery and 
file sharing

If the network to which the system you are on was previously designated a "public network", you may see the message "Do you want to turn on network discovery and file sharing for all public networks?"

Turn on network discovery
for public networks

If the network is actually the private LAN on which your Microsoft Windows systems are connected, you can select "No, make the network that I am connected to a private network. Network discovery and file sharing will be turned on for private networks, such as those in homes and workplaces."