samba - Jan 2009 - Samba shares lost and login fails with batch file afterwards

Hi all,

:: _BACKGROUND_ ::
We use a login batch file (login.cmd) on XP and (one test) Vista
workstations to Samba.

Ex.:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
REM Remove all attachments
net use * /del /yes
REM Login to Samba using Windows Clients
net use H: \\Server\Data\Documents
net use I: \\Server\Data\Customers
net use J: \\Server\Data\Suppliers
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~?~

The older Samba "samba-3.0.20b-3.1" worked with this method the last
four years without any problems. The Win users have the same login names
and passwords on the workstation accounts and the samba accounts, so the
windows login data is provided by the client to Samba at login.

We migrated from SLES 9 ("samba-3.0.20b-3.1") to SLES 10 SP2
("samba-3.0.32-0.6" that comes with SLES 10 SP2 and the current
updates).

:: _PROBLEM_ ::
On all workstations, after the initial login with the batch file, the
drives H: to J: are usable. Some workstations are prompted in the batch
login dos-command window to provide the login name and password for each
"net use". The workstations that are logged in looses the shares after
some time and then are also prompted for a user name and password in the
dos-command window when the batch file is run again. We have noticed
that only after the batch file has been run four or more times in
succession does the login succeed. When the "login name and password"
prompt in the dos-window appears, we close the batch dos-window without
giving the user name and password. This is repeated 4-5 times and then
login and drive mappings succeed automatically.

It is as though the login data is not accepted by Samba from the client
at first, but mostly only after a few attempts. It does not happen every
time, only sporadically. Some workstations succeed on the first attempt,
but loose the mappings after some time again. Running the login batch
file a few times in succession then succeeds, without entering the user
names and passwords in the dos-box prompt.

Anyone seen this before?

TIA

:-)
Al