samba - Feb 2005 - Can't save new Excel 2003 files to Windows 98 pc's

It's an odd network, but it's 2 separate, somewhat related companies on
one subnet for shared printers, etc.  I am a computer consultant, but am pretty
new to Linux/Samba.

The first company has a newly installed server with CentOS 3.3 (Red Hat
Enterprise Linux 3.3), running Samba 3.0.11.

The second company has a Windows 98 "server" on it, which should
eventually be upgraded to a Linux server once I get the first company's
server running correctly.

Immediately after installing the Samba server, the second company's Windows
XP Pro pc's cannot save new Excel 2003 files to their Windows 98
"server".  Nor can they save new Excel 2003 files to any other Windows
98 pc's with a share available.  They can save new Excel files to the first
company's Samba server or to the local hard drive just fine.

The error they get upon attempts to save new Excel 2003 files to their Windows
98 "server" is:
"The folder 'M:\foo\foo.xls' isn't accessible.  The folder may
be located in an unavailable location, protected with a password, or the
filename contains a / or \."

If the Windows XP pc overwrites an existing file with a new file on the Windows
98 "server", it works just fine.  If a pc running Windows 98 and Excel
97 saves a new file to the Windows 98 "server", it works just fine.

Saving new files in notepad or wordpad from the Windows XP pc's to the
Windows 98 "server" works fine too.

At this point, I'm not sure where to look for the cause, but suspect
it's in the Samba config as seen below (without all the shares, which are
all the same).

All pc's are set to be a member of "WORKGROUP".

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Jack D. Browning
jac at netNOSPAMdor dot com

----------------- begin smb.conf -----------------------

[global]
   workgroup = WORKGROUP
   server string = company1 Samba Server
   hosts allow = 10.0.0. 127.
   log file = /var/log/samba/smbd.log
   max log size = 50
   smb ports = 139 445
   encrypt passwords = yes
   smb passwd file = /etc/samba/smbpasswd
   unix password sync = Yes
   socket options = TCP_NODELAY SO_RCVBUF=8192 SO_SNDBUF=8192
   os level = 35
   security = share
   name resolve order = wins lmhosts hosts bcast
   printcap name = CUPS
   show add printer wizard = No
   wins support = yes
   dns proxy = no 
   printing = CUPS
   domain master = yes 
   preferred master = yes

[printers]
   comment = SMB Print Spool
   path = /var/spool/samba
   printable = Yes
   use client driver = Yes
   browseable = Yes
   guest ok = yes

[DATA]
   comment = Data
   path = /shares_company1/data
   writable = yes
   share modes = yes
   oplocks = yes
   force create mode = 0660
   force directory mode = 0770
   guest ok = yes

----------------- end smb.conf -----------------------

Jack D. Browning <jac <at> netdor.com> writes:
> The first company has a newly installed server with CentOS 3.3 (Red Hat
Enterprise Linux 3.3), running
> Samba 3.0.11.
> 
> The second company has a Windows 98 "server" on it, which should
eventually be
upgraded to a Linux server
> once I get the first company's server running correctly.
> 
> Immediately after installing the Samba server, the second company's
Windows XP
Pro pc's cannot save new
> Excel 2003 files to their Windows 98 "server".  Nor can they save
new Excel
2003 files to any other Windows 98
> pc's with a share available.  They can save new Excel files to the
first
company's Samba server or to the
> local hard drive just fine.
> 
> The error they get upon attempts to save new Excel 2003 files to their
Windows
98 "server" is:
> "The folder 'M:\foo\foo.xls' isn't accessible.  The folder
may be located in
an unavailable location,
> protected with a password, or the filename contains a / or \."
> 
> If the Windows XP pc overwrites an existing file with a new file on the
Windows 98 "server", it works just
> fine.  If a pc running Windows 98 and Excel 97 saves a new file to the
Windows
98 "server", it works just fine.
> 
> Saving new files in notepad or wordpad from the Windows XP pc's to the
Windows
98 "server" works fine too.  
> 
> At this point, I'm not sure where to look for the cause, but suspect
it's in
the Samba config as seen below
> (without all the shares, which are all the same).
> 
> All pc's are set to be a member of "WORKGROUP".

Problem Solved 4/29/05.

It had nothing to do with Samba or the new Linux server, but was a coincidence
that made it look that way.

On the same day the Linux server was first used on the network, Monday, 2/14/05,
a Microsoft patch to Windows XP was installed.  Update 885250 to fix a
"Vulnerability in server message block could allow remote code
execution" was
automatically installed on several pc's that save files to the Windows 98
"server".  This update caused the problems, and since it was installed
the same
day as the Linux server running Samba was first used, it appeared to be related
to Samba.

Microsoft's Hotfix described in their Article ID # 895900 resolved the
issue.
It was easily acquired at no charge by calling Microsoft at (800)936-4900 and
referencing the article.