[Samba] XP not creating thumbs.db on samba shares?

[Brian Fleming]

I run a samba server as a simple file server for digital photos.

As many of you know, windows creates 'thumbs.db' files as a cache of 
thumbnail views of these photos...

However, XP (SP2 in my case) seems to fail to fail to create them on my 
server... This is BAD in my case, because the cache can significantly 
improve the user experience of working on the folders...

Here's what I've tested, using a simple folder of 4 JPEG photos:

1.  Copy folder to Samba sharepoint... Works great.
2.  Open folder in XP -- see thumbnails being constructed, but NOT 
thumbs.db creation
3.  Verify I can create new files in this folder without any difficulty 
(permissions on folder are okay)

(now a control test)

1.  Copy same folder of bitmaps to NT based file server on the network
2.  Open folder in XP -- see thumbs being build, and at the end see 
thumbs.db created

At this point, re-opening the folder on the samba server -- see a full 
rebuild of all thumbs, but on the NT based server, the thumbs open up 
almost instantaneously.

WITCHCRAFT I'VE TRIED--HASN'T HELPED
* Since XP creates Thumbs.db as hidden, add that to hide files list
* Tried turning on map system bit -> execute bit on the sharepoint on 
samba, no luck.

Anyone got any ideas what's going on?

Thanks...

---- Brian