Edit ur /etc/fstab as a root and append this :
if NTFS : /dev/<drive> /media/<mount point> ntfs ro 0 0
if FAT32 :/dev/<drive> /media/<mount point> vfat users,rw,umask=000 0 0

XFCE is a Destop Environment like ur GNOME and KDE
follow this : http://easylinux.info/wiki/Ubuntu#How_to_install_XFCE
-----------------
1> Open Terminal and then :
Quote:$ su

Enter ur Root password (hope u remember)

2>Edit ur 'fstab'
Quote:# gedit /etc/fstab

Edit/Append as I said before

3> Save and Close. Restart ur Computer.

-------------------

@intelcore:get installed gstreamer-plugins0.10 and w32codecs.go to http://ubuntuguide.org,
first get the page for ur version (hoary?)
search ur doubt(mostly answered).
Also for package management,there is synaptic,from menu, System>Administration>synaptic package manager.

-----------------