samba - Feb 2004 - upgraded to 3.0.2 -> funkyness in machine accounts

My old technique was to 
1) remove all machine accounts from ldap
2) reimage all machines
3) create all the machine accounts with smbldap-adduser -w
4) switch all machines to domain mode

that does not work anymore...
the machine accounts exist in ldap 


but i get this internally contradictory info in the logs

[2004/02/20 02:29:52, 2] passdb/pdb_ldap.c:init_sam_from_ldap(462)
  init_sam_from_ldap: Entry found for user: durant$
[2004/02/20 02:29:52, 0] rpc_server/srv_netlog_nt.c:get_md4pw(218)
  get_md4pw: Workstation DURANT$: no account in domain

huoh - it finds the entry but then says no account in domain?

doing a manual join also fails initially - 

[2004/02/20 02:21:45, 2] lib/access.c:check_access(324)
  Allowed connection from  (132.177.45.42)
[2004/02/20 02:21:45, 2]
rpc_server/srv_samr_nt.c:_samr_lookup_domain(2461)
  Returning domain sid for domain LAUELAB ->
S-1-5-21-3603135777-1134410093-4029533982
[2004/02/20 02:21:46, 0] passdb/pdb_ldap.c:ldapsam_add_sam_account(1478)
  ldapsam_add_sam_account: User 'maribeth$' already in the base, with
samba attributes
[2004/02/20 02:21:46, 0]
rpc_server/srv_samr_nt.c:_samr_create_user(2251)
  could not add user/computer maribeth$ to passdb.  Check permission

but if i repeat the attempt without deleting the machine account i get a
successful join.

i've tried wiping out all the tdbs and resetting the domainsid and ldap
passwords


what's going on here?

brad