smbclient can't connect to NT workstation "C$" share

[Eric Sisler]

Gaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!

I will not throw the PC out the window...I will not throw the PC out the 
window...I will not throw the PC out the window...Oh, what the h*ll...I've 
got more of them...  <evil grin>

>Use
>
>$ smbclient //ghost/c$ -U Administrator -W ghost
>
>And 'ghost' is a Windows NT 4.0 box right?

Correct, 'ghost' is a Windows NT 4.0 workstation box.  The "-W ghost" works 
fine as long as I leave the password field blank, which means it isn't 
looking to the PDC for authentication - it's only looking at the PC's 
*local* user accounts/passwords.  I've confirmed this by setting the 
*local* password for Administrator on 'ghost' to something different than 
its corresponding account on the Samba server.  I can now also connect from 
one NTWS to another's c$, d$ or admin$, although I have to use 
"pcname\Administrator" in the "Connect as" box the first time.  Once I've 
done that I can connect to other shares without having to put "pcname\" in 
the "Connect as" box.

Is there any reason in particular why this works this way or is NT just 
being unnecessarily arbitrary, as has been my experience thus far?

> > In each case except the wrong password one I get the "tree connect
> > failed"  message.  I can't even connect from one NT workstation to
> > another's C$ share.  In fact, "net view \\ghost" doesn't even list the
> > "default" shares of C$ and D$, although smbclient does.  Is there
> > something strange about the default shares that only work if there's a
> > real NT PDC on the network?

>NT clients filter out 'hidden' shares (shares that end if '$')

Duh!  I seem to recall reading that somewhere now...

Thanks for getting me started, now to see if I can put this information to 
use...

-Eric

Eric Sisler
Library Computer Technician
Westminster Public Library
Westminster, CO, USA
esisler at westminster.lib.co.us

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