[Samba] Merely Opening Excel Files Increments Last-Modification date on Samba Shares

[Eric Heintzberger]

Hello Everyone!

Perhaps some of you have some advice for dealing with
this problem? I've done quite a bit of googling on
this one, but I can't find anything useful. 

Ever since I started using Samba as PDC, I have had
this problem: when users merely open MS-Excel files on
samba shares, the file's Last-Modification date  is
incremented to the current time. 

I have seen similar behavior with MS-Word files long
ago when using WINNT4 as PDC, and it was caused by a
macro-virus, but in this case, it doesn't seem to be
virus-related. 

If the same Excel file is copied to a user's local "C"
drive, the problem ceases.

The problem of modifying-by-merely-opening began, I
think, when I  changed the PDC to samba.  

I had this problem using Samba 2.7* on RedHat 7.2 over
a year ago. I'm currently using samba 2.2.8a on
FreeBSD 4.9 with a similar configuration, and I still
have the problem. 

Is it possible to stop this problem using adjustable
configuration parameters in smb.conf? 

Here's my smb.conf, in case it's needed:

---------------------------
[global]
netbios name = netbiosname
workgroup = workgroup
security = user
domain logons = yes
time server = yes
server string = Samba %v on %L
log file = /var/log/samba/%m.log
max log size = 2000

### Security Settings ###
hosts allow = [omitted for this post] 127.
hosts deny = ALL
invalid users = root
;Unreadable files shouldn't even appear
;hide unreadable = yes
;Prevent browsing by default
browseable = no

### Users and Passwords ###
[omitted for this post]

### Performance ###
deadtime = 15
getwd cache = yes
lpq cache time = 45
socket options = IPTOS_LOWDELAY TCP_NODELAY
oplocks = yes
level2 oplocks = yes
#veto oplock files = /*.xls/*.XLS/

### Domain ###
local master = yes
os level = 65
domain master = yes
preferred master = yes
domain logons = yes
logon script = %U.bat
logon drive = M:
logon path = \\netbiosname\profiles\%U

# Name Resolution
wins support = yes
wins proxy = yes
dns proxy = yes

# Case
preserve case = yes
short preserve case = yes
default case = lower
case sensitive = no

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

#Sample  Share Definition:

[clients]
  comment = Client Directory
  path = /usr/local/samba/clients
  browseable = yes
  force create mode = 0664
  force directory mode = 0775
  force group = users
  invalid users = invlink
  map archive = no
  printable = no
  public = no
  valid users = @users
  writable = yes

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


	
		
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