samba - Aug 2002 - Culling dead smbd's?

I seem to be having a problem whereby every time a user fails to 
authenticate with Samba, smbd stops responding to that particular client 
and has to be restarted.

Apart from 'what on earth's going wrong with my authentication',
there are
two things I'd like to know: firstly, is it the main smbd/all smbd's
which
lock, and secondly, if not is there any way (on SuSE Linux) to hunt down 
the individual smbd which has locked and kill it off?

Vicky

(smb.conf included for information)

[global]

;        netbios name = SAMBA
         workgroup = DOMAIN1

# The following is excessively paranoid, but until a solid solution to the 
netwo
rk browsing and reliable
# mapping of network drives issue is arrived at we'll leave it be.

         domain master = no
         local master = no
         preferred master = no

         browseable = yes
         os level = 2
         wins server = 172.17.1.2
         hosts allow = 172.17.1.2 172.17.3. 127.
         interfaces = 172.17.1.3/255.255.0.0
         encrypt passwords = yes
         guest account = Nobody
         map to guest = Bad User
         add user script = /usr/sbin/useradd %u
         delete user script = /usr/sbin/userdel %u
         unix password sync = yes
         passwd program = /usr/bin/passwd %u
         passwd chat = "New password:*" %n\n "Re-enter new
password:*" %n\n
"Pass
word changed*"

# This tells samba to write log files per machine.
         log file = /var/log/samba/%m
# This sets an alternate log level. Default is 2.
         log level = 10

# Uncomment the following, if you want to use an existing NT-Server to
# authenticate users, but don't forget that you also have to create them
# locally!
         security = domain
         password server = 172.17.1.2
         socket options = SO_KEEPALIVE IPTOS_LOWDELAY TCP_NODELAY

         local master = No

         interfaces = lo eth0

         wins support = no
         # 'yes' doesn't work; 'no' does work

         wins server = 172.17.1.2

         character set = ISO8859-15
         client code page = 850

         veto files = /*.eml/*.nws/riched20.dll/*.{*}/
[vicky]
         comment = Linux home directory for Vicky
         browseable = no
         valid users = vclarke root Administrator
         path = /home/vclarke
         read only = no
         create mask = 0600
         directory mask = 0700

[homes]
         comment = User home directory
         path = /share/pchomes/%S
         read only = No
         create mask = 0640
         directory mask = 0750
         browseable = No
         writeable = yes
#       nt acl support = yes


# Create a general-purpose shared directory everyone can use

[art]
         comment = Art directories
         path= /share/art
         writeable = yes
         create mask = 0666
         directory mask = 0775
         nt acl support = yes
         admin users = smbbackup
         mangled names = yes