SAMBA - Can't access Windows 7 computer via SAMBA

[André Madureira]

Binary package hint: samba

Hello,

I have 4 computers in my home (mine is not included), being 2 of them Windows 7 Ultimate and 1 of them Windows XP Professional and the other one a Windows 7 Home Premium...

PROBLEM:

I can access with my LINUX (Ubuntu 10.10 and Kubuntu 10.10) via SAMBA the 3 computers in my home, but the other one (that is Windows 7 Ultimate) I can't, and I don't know why... The message that shows when I try to access this PC is: "Cannot connect to the pc CONCE-CPU".

IMPORTANT:

I also have a Windows 7 Ultimate in my PC (I do a DUAL-BOOT with Windows 7 and Linux Ubuntu) that can access this computer and all of the others as well... So, the problem is not in the remote PC and not in my machine, it's a LINUX specific problem...

DETAILS:

My LINUX: Linux kernel 2.6.35-27-generic-pae; Ubuntu/Kubuntu 10.10 ; using most up-to-date SAMBA ;

The Problematic Remote PC: Windows 7 Ultimate; Up-to-date (without SP1 of Windows 7); with AVAST (FREE - WITHOUT FIREWALL) and built-in Windows FIREWALL ENABLED;

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

PS: I have a Windows XP Professional at home that also have AVAST and this SAMBA problem don't happen with it...

PS²: I can ping the problematic remote PC (with Windows 7 Ultimate) with my LINUX if I use the IP of this problematic remote PC with the command "ping IP-OF-THE-REMOTE-PC" (if I use the host name - that is CONCE-CPU - instead of the IP, it don't answer to the ping because it shows the error message "ping: unknown host conce-cpu" - the command syntax used was "ping CONCE-CPU")...

Thanks for your attention,

André M.
---
Architecture: i386
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.10
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" - Release i386 (20101007)
NmbdLog:

NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
OtherFailedconnect: Yes
Package: samba 2:3.5.4~dfsg-1ubuntu8.3
PackageArchitecture: i386
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=pt_BR
 LANG=pt_BR.utf8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.35-28.49-generic-pae 2.6.35.11
SambaServerRegression: Yes
SmbConfInclude: Yes
SmbLog:

Tags: maverick
Uname: Linux 2.6.35-28-generic-pae i686
UserGroups: adm admin audio cdrom dialout dip fax floppy fuse lpadmin netdev plugdev sambashare tape vboxusers video

[André Madureira (andreluizromano)]

SOME IMPORTANT DETAILS THAT I'VE COLLECTED IN SOME TESTS:

Attached with this comment are some printscreens of my machine (with Windows 7 and Linux ON)... Below I'll detail some important tests I did...

Please consider --> as "Connected to a Windows PC"

My Windows 7 Ultimate --> Problematic Remote Windows 7 Ultimate PC (hostname: CONCE-CPU): Could be done via \\hostname , but I could not see the remote PC in my Workgroup (which can indicate a problem in this PC network connection or not)...

My Linux Ubuntu and Kubuntu 10.10 --> Problematic Remote Windows 7 Ultimate PC (hostname: CONCE-CPU): Could not be done... I could see the PC in my Workgroup with LINUX... I also could ping this pc with the command "ping IP-OF-THE-REMOTE-PC"... I could not ping the same remote pc with the command "ping HOSTNAME" because the error message "ping: unknown host conce-cpu" raised...

My Virtualized Windows XP under my LINUX native OS (VirtualBox PUEL technology) --> Problematic Remote Windows 7 Ultimate PC (hostname: CONCE-CPU): Could not be done... I could see the remote PC in my Workgroup.. .I could see the PC in my Workgroup... I also could ping this pc with the command "ping IP-OF-THE-REMOTE-PC"... I could not ping the same remote pc with the command "ping HOSTNAME" because the error message "ping: unknown host conce-cpu" raised...

PS: Below are the printscreens of these tests I did in a ZIP compacted format...

Thanks for your attention,

André M.

[Clint Byrum (clint-fewbar)]

Hello Andre, thank you for taking the time to file this bug report and help us make Ubuntu better.

Can you please try this in a terminal:

smbclient -L conce-cpu

... should be some output, maybe login required, here is the output when I run this against my laptop running Natty:

$ smbclient -L clint-MacBookPro
Enter clint's password:
Domain=[WORKGROUP] OS=[Unix] Server=[Samba 3.5.6]

 Sharename Type Comment
 --------- ---- -------
 print$ Disk Printer Drivers
 IPC$ IPC IPC Service (clint-MacBookPro server (Samba, Ubuntu))
 testshare Disk
Domain=[WORKGROUP] OS=[Unix] Server=[Samba 3.5.6]

 Server Comment
 --------- -------
 CLINT-MACBOOKPRO clint-MacBookPro server (Samba, Ubuntu)

 Workgroup Master
 --------- -------
 WAYPORT WAYPORTPRINTERS
 WORKGROUP CLINT-MACBOOKPRO

Then try this to login:

smbclient //clint-MacBookPro/testshare

Again here is the example:

$ smbclient //clint-MacBookPro/testshare
Enter clint's password:
Domain=[WORKGROUP] OS=[Unix] Server=[Samba 3.5.6]
smb: \> dir
  . D 0 Sat Oct 30 12:55:35 2010
  .. D 0 Sat Mar 12 15:39:38 2011

  37038 blocks of size 4194304. 4834 blocks available
smb: \> quit

Replace clint-MacBookPro/testshare with CONCE-CPU/a-valid-share

Thanks!

Marking Incomplete pending response from Andre.

[Chuck Short (zulcss)]

You arent using something like opendns are you?

chuck

[André Madureira (andreluizromano)]

No, I'm not... In fact, I could not do the test that Clint Byrum
recommended because I could not use the machine until today (my
stepmother uses this machine and she is studying for a very important
test) ...

Thanks for your help,

André Madureira
Estudante do Ensino Médio
"Uma vez que o cérebro se expande para o conhecimento,
nunca mais voltará ao seu estado inicial." (Albert Einstein)

Em 13-03-2011 22:33, Chuck Short escreveu:
> You arent using something like opendns are you?
>
> chuck
>

[André Madureira (andreluizromano)]

Hello,

I've tested the command and the error above have shown in my screen:

(If you can't see the image above, see the command and text error forward):

#andre@ANDRE-CPU:~$ smbclient -L conce-cpu -U conce
Enter conce's password:
session setup failed: NT STATUS LOGON FAILURE

PS: I did the command above with user "conce" and "CONCE" (the machine
user is all lower case: "conce") and both failed with the message above...

PS²: I did a ping command again at the PC and the message shown was (the
image is above together with the text):

#andre@ANDRE-CPU:~$ ping CONCE-CPU
ping: unknown host CONCE-CPU

PS³: I did a ping command in another PC too and it answered like this
(in the example I'm showing, I tested my PC to my PC ping, but when I do
the same test with any other PC except the problematic PC, it works):

andre@ANDRE-CPU:~$ ping ANDRE-CPU
PING ANDRE-CPU (192.168.1.100) 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from ANDRE-CPU (192.168.1.100): icmp_req=1 ttl=64 time=0.022 ms
64 bytes from ANDRE-CPU (192.168.1.100): icmp_req=2 ttl=64 time=0.017 ms
64 bytes from ANDRE-CPU (192.168.1.100): icmp_req=3 ttl=64 time=0.025 ms
^C
--- ANDRE-CPU ping statistics ---
3 packets transmitted, 3 received, 0% packet loss, time 2000ms
rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 0.017/0.021/0.025/0.005 ms

Thanks for your attention,

André Madureira

Em 12-03-2011 21:13, Clint Byrum escreveu:
> Hello Andre, thank you for taking the time to file this bug report and
> help us make Ubuntu better.
>
> Can you please try this in a terminal:
>
> smbclient -L conce-cpu
>
> ... should be some output, maybe login required, here is the output when
> I run this against my laptop running Natty:
>
> $ smbclient -L clint-MacBookPro
> Enter clint's password:
> Domain=[WORKGROUP] OS=[Unix] Server=[Samba 3.5.6]
>
> Sharename Type Comment
> --------- ---- -------
> print$ Disk Printer Drivers
> IPC$ IPC IPC Service (clint-MacBookPro server (Samba, Ubuntu))
> testshare Disk
> Domain=[WORKGROUP] OS=[Unix] Server=[Samba 3.5.6]
>
> Server Comment
> --------- -------
> CLINT-MACBOOKPRO clint-MacBookPro server (Samba, Ubuntu)
>
> Workgroup Master
> --------- -------
> WAYPORT WAYPORTPRINTERS
> WORKGROUP CLINT-MACBOOKPRO
>
> Then try this to login:
>
> smbclient //clint-MacBookPro/testshare
>
> Again here is the example:
>
> $ smbclient //clint-MacBookPro/testshare
> Enter clint's password:
> Domain=[WORKGROUP] OS=[Unix] Server=[Samba 3.5.6]
> smb: \> dir
> . D 0 Sat Oct 30 12:55:35 2010
> .. D 0 Sat Mar 12 15:39:38 2011
>
> 37038 blocks of size 4194304. 4834 blocks available
> smb: \> quit
>
> Replace clint-MacBookPro/testshare with CONCE-CPU/a-valid-share
>
> Thanks!
>
> Marking Incomplete pending response from Andre.
>
> ** Changed in: samba (Ubuntu)
> Status: New => Incomplete
>

[kwagga (wernergvh)]

Hi guys, I know what i'm about to say will sound down-right strange, but my ubuntu 10.10 server (dist-upgrade from 10.04), the samba server worked flawless. But now, I installed Ubuntu 10.10 desktop, and Samba 3.5.4 is giving me the exact same issues. No matter what username/password I type in, samba will reject the Windows 7 client.

I've been searching forums for the last week, and no solution has proven itself. I even disabled "Send LM & NTLM responses Minimum session security for NTLM SSP > Disable Require 128-bit encryption", which proved useful for many people, as well as specifying the SMB ports to 445. Yet I never had to do this with the server-samba.

The samba log is riddled with errors such as these:

[2011/03/21 09:26:33.584441, 0] lib/util_sock.c:1441(get_peer_addr_internal)
  getpeername failed. Error was Transport endpoint is not connected
  read_fd_with_timeout: client 0.0.0.0 read error = Connection reset by peer.

[2011/03/20 17:58:59.403390, 1] smbd/service.c:678(make_connection_snum)
  create_connection_server_info failed: NT_STATUS_ACCESS_DENIED

I can 100% confirm, that the logon user, is correct, and password is correct.

The one strange thing I have noticed, that by default, connecting to the linux box, or any other machine for that matter, would normall allow you to see all the shares first, such as printers, etc. Then only when you go into the folders, it would ask you for your credentials. What's happening now, is that it asked for credentials immediately, the only credentials that seem to work was root, but then to access the folders, no credentials worked, even after I added root to those directory permissions.

I tried the credentials on a XP machine, I could log onto the machine (see all shared items), but couldn't access any folders.

config: http://pastebin.com/L5FiCaVg

Let me know if you guys need the complete log files or more config files.

[André Madureira (andreluizromano)]

I tested the issue with SMBNETFS and FUSESMB and it still happens...

[André Madureira (andreluizromano)]

apport information

[André Madureira (andreluizromano)]

apport information

[André Madureira (andreluizromano)]

apport information

[André Madureira (andreluizromano)]

PROBLEM SOLVED:

Problem Solved... I recovered my Windows 7 Ultimate image (with Norton Ghost 15) to the problematic Windows 7 Ultimate PC and now I can connect it... Surprisingly I could access it via my Windows 7 Ultimate before this recovery, but I couldn't in my Linux.. This was probably caused by any problem in the share of the Problematic PC that could not occur in the port requested by Linux or something related to Linux-Windows SAMBA access protocol...

SUGGESTION TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM:

 Anyway, I suggest for the ones that have the same problem I had to recover your local PC Windows image (please be sure that there aren't any share problems in your Windows OS) via any IMAGE CREATOR software (Norton Ghost and Acronis are very good for this type of work - You could try CLONEZILLA too (I don't know if it works as well as it does with LINUX when used to create Windows images because I only use it for LINUX imaging))

I hope I could help you,

André M.

[André Madureira (andreluizromano)]

Please see the last comment for a WORKAROUND to this issue...

[kwagga (wernergvh)]

Hi Andrè,

Thank you for your comment, however, I do not agree that recovering a whole system image, is a solution, nor a workaround.

In my case, the Windows 7 clients never changed, the ubuntu machine/SAMBA installation did. The problem is also not isolated to one or two clients, but all of them, which leads me to think the the problem, lies with the ubuntu machine.

Also, the Windows XP machine in my network, is also having difficulties connecting to the new ubuntu/samba machine.

[André Madureira (andreluizromano)]

Hi kwagga,

Is this a recent problem or does it happens since you have been using Ubuntu 10.10?

If this problem is recent, so I suggest you yo recover your LINUX with any IMAGE RECOVERY program (dd or CLONEZILLA or anything related) if you have an image of it...

MORE INFO: I also use Ubuntu 10.10 (also, I've installed Kubuntu 10.10 from repositories meta package "kubuntu-desktop") and both of them are DESKTOP editions... So, this problem can or not be Ubuntu specific because, in my case, the problem was solved with a recover of my Windows OS image to the problematic PC... You can try removing SAMBA packages (SAMBA, libsmbclient, etc...) and it's configurations with SYNAPTIC and try installing them with NAUTILUS (Select a path and try to configure it to be shared via SAMBA, so that NAUTILUS can install the proper packages and configurations again)...

PS: I don't know if with "purge" option of apt-get or SYNAPTIC can remove all configuration files from your PC because I had some programs that I purged with apt-get command and via SYNAPTIC either and some configuration files remained in my PC after the uninstall... Try to search your LINUX partition for samba configuration files (smb.conf ; etc) and remove them...

PS²: You also did the comment:

"The one strange thing I have noticed, that by default, connecting to the linux box, or any other machine for that matter, would normall allow you to see all the shares first, such as printers, etc. Then only when you go into the folders, it would ask you for your credentials. What's happening now, is that it asked for credentials immediately, the only credentials that seem to work was root, but then to access the folders, no credentials worked, even after I added root to those directory permissions."

The comment above leads me to think that this is a configuration problem because, like you said, the normal procedure when a remote PC accesses a UBUNTU SAMBA SERVER is to open it immediately without any authentication request and when the user try to access a path or printer, it asks for the authentication...

I hope I could help you,

André M.

[Clint Byrum (clint-fewbar)]

Please keep the discussion centered around how to effectively reproduce the bug. Otherwise developers will have no idea how to help with this issue. Workarounds are fine, but should not be the focus of the discussion other than to provide insight into what is causing the issue.

To recap where we seem to be at:

* Windows 7 clearly works for some users as a file sharing client of SAMBA.
* Windows 7 clearly works for some users as a file sharing server for Ubuntu.
* There may have been configuration issues that led to Windows 7 *not* being accessible, since restoring a Windows 7 machine that was affected to its original install settings alleviated the problem.

So given that, if you are still affected by this, please provide a clear set of steps users can perform to try and confirm that this bug exists. It sounds like this may be the steps:

1. share a directory on your windows 7 machine
2. browse the windows 7 machine from an Ubuntu 10.10 machine using nautilus

expected result: see the shares
actual result: see nothing

Leaving bug status as Incomplete pending response from an affected user regarding the steps to reproduce.

[kwagga (wernergvh)]

Hi Clint,

Unfortunately reproducing the error, isn't so easy, since I spoke to a friend of mine, and he is having no issues, I even took his smb.conf file, overwrote mine, and the errors are still the same.

What I can do, is create a video, upload to youtube, and then you can see step by step what is and isn't working - I know that's not the proper way, but this Samba reinstall has dumbfounded me. Other than that, I can only keep uploaded the same log files, and config files.

As much as I didn't like André's solution (thought I appreciate it), it's beginning to look like a worthwhile attempt, even though I created a virtual installation of windows 7 with bridged networking, that also didn't help.

If someone could paste their working samba config here, which I could try, that would be appreciated.

[André Madureira (andreluizromano)]

Hello kwagga,

My sharing problem was solved with the problematic machine through a
Windows 7 OS Image restore via Norton Ghost 15 (although I know this is
not a solution, nor workaround for the problem), which leads me to think
that this is a Windows configuration problem... Since I don't have the
problem anymore, I can place my smb.conf file like you asked, but I
doubt this would help in the solution of your problem...

Steps to Reproduce the Problem (like Clint Byrum model):

   1. Configured a path to be shared in Windows 7 Ultimate
   2. Tried to access it with both Nautilus and Dolphin and both showed
      the error: "Can't enter the remote machine CONCE-CPU" (without
      asking for the authentication to access the machine)

PS: The error persisted in my virtualized Windows XP Professional SP3 in
my Linux via Virtual Box Puel (latest version)

PS²: This problem is not related to the Windows 7 SP1 installation
because I tested the access of NAUTILUS to Windows 7 Ultimate Server
with and without SP1 installed, and it could access it in both cases...

PS³: I'm sending an image of the configuration of my Windows 7 OS
related to sharing options (these printscreens were taken in a Windows 7
Ultimate Build 7601 with SP1 PT-BR)... The computer from which I'm
sending the configuration don't have any problem related to remote file
share (server) or access (client), so we can have a clue of what
configurations can be applied without affecting Ubuntu (client) access
of Windows 7 (server) remote files... This PC uses BITDEFENDER TOTAL
SECURITY 2010 WITH FIREWALL AND ANTIVIRUS ENABLED ; Malware Anti-Malware
Bytes 1.50 ; Windows Firewall Disabled ; Windows Defender Disabled ;
Secunia PSI 2.0 and other program that are in a printscreen...

PS: All PC's in my WORKGROUP are configured for a Domestic Network (lets
files to be shared and accessed) and *NOT PUBLIC NETWORK*...

I'll later send more printscreens of other PC's in my WORKGROUP for you
to analyze too...

Thanks for your help and I hope I could help in the solution or
reproduction of the problem,

André Madureira

[André Madureira (andreluizromano)]

PROBLEM (ACTUAL RESULTS):

Can't see the remote paths nor files, but I can see the remote computer...

EXPECTED RESULTS:

See the path and files of the remote computer...

POSSIBLE CAUSE TO THE PROBLEM:

Windows 7 Configuration that don't work well in Ubuntu SAMBA package (client) when accessing it...
I can't provide the printscreen with the configuration of the problematic PC because I recovered an image of a Windows 7 OS (I did so because the PC had some other problems related to virus that forced me to do it - BUT THE PROBLEM WAS HAPPENING BEFORE THIS VIRUS PROBLEM COME UP) to it and the problem was solved...

PS: This have happened with KIO SLAVES SMB:// protocol (in KDE 4.5.1 DESKTOP in Kubuntu 10.10) and CIFS protocol too... It also happened in NAUTILUS in GNOME DESKTOP (in Ubuntu 10.10)...

PS²: More info about how to reproduce please see the last comment...

PS³: Apport Collect info are in the other comments...

[kwagga (wernergvh)]

I've made an interesting discovery, if someone also experiencing the problem could also check it:

If you add, 'public = yes' (without quotes) to the share, and remove any valid users, read list, force user, etc, are you able to access the share?

This seems to be working for me, and seems to be a valid temporary workaround, unfortunately, this will completely disable any form of access control, or write privileges.

[kwagga (wernergvh)]

Alright, Firstly, André let me sincerely apologize for thinking that your original idea, of wiping the clients was ludicrous, as it would seem that the problem was on their side.

I was so frustrated with my computers/samba this weekend, I decided to try one last thing and formatted/reinstalled two of my Windows 7 machines.

Lo and behold, the problem is solved - I can't believe that the problem would be on the client's side - Or at least, I was so sure it's samba!

Anyway, bottom line is, I also got my SAMBA working 100%, by, strangely enough, reinstalling Windows 7. I haven't tested if samba gives the same problems on Mac or other Linux boxes - but my preliminary testing would indicate that they don't have this problem.

Thanks again Andrè!

[Clint Byrum (clint-fewbar)]

Well it seems that something does get out of sync on windows 7 machines that causes them to have trouble accessing samba. However, this doesn't sound like a bug in samba, so I'm marking this one as Invalid.

Thanks so much to Andre and kwagga for all the work and feedback trying to reproduce the issue!

[Michael Zverina (michael-zverina)]

I actually managed to access the 'User home folder' in 64bit 7 ultimate,
using both Ubunutu 10.10 and 11.04 in x32.

The trick is to go there via nautilus/file/connectToServer/windosShare.
Add then the IP of win7 machine to field Server. Add win7user(which is set up on 7machine) to field User. Add win7user password to password.
DO NOT FILL FIELD FOLDER.
Push connect an thats it. i see folders like admin, c, print, public, users.

But from there on it becomes strange. win7 machine grants only access to public and win7user's HOME folder.
(win/user has admin prev.)
So you won't be able to access any drives, print, and further.
Typycally these inaccessible folders do have a $ sign at the end of their name.

Seems to me it behaves like some strange home-folder-clusterserver...

Configuration of my 64bit win7ultimate Machine
Only 1 User with admin rights
windows firewall, default settings
7x64 sp1 installed

Access via nautilus/Network is NOT - repeat - NOT possible.

feedback n questions welcome.

[André Madureira (andreluizromano)]

I had a similar problem... But mine I solved by reinstalling Windows...
So, this bug might be in Windows network configuration file...
Strangely, I could access the problematic PC with my Windows without
problem... So, this configuration in Windows only affects Linux SAMBA
access to it...

In my opinion, like Bill Gates will probably do nothing to solve this
issue, Linux programmers should discover the issue and make a solution
in Linux to it (if this is possible)...

--
André Madureira

[Michael Zverina (michael-zverina)]

Update to #22

I actually resolved the problem by reinstalling Windows 7, and - far more important - used Win7-computer-name instead of actual Domain Name to Login.
Probably this is the hole point.

I'm not sure if under XP the Domain Name *was* the Domain Name and not the computer-name. However this whole thing (in my specific case) looks very likely to be a windows-(or configuration) and not a SMB problem.

However if someone tries to connect using "WORKGROUP" or similar instead of "computer-name" under domain field this will NOT work.