[Samba] Re: Can't save new Excel 2003 files to Windows 98 pc's

[Jack D.Browning]

Jack D. Browning <jac <at> netdor.com> writes:

> The first company has a newly installed server with CentOS 3.3 (Red Hat
Enterprise Linux 3.3), running
> Samba 3.0.11.
> 
> The second company has a Windows 98 "server" on it, which should eventually be
upgraded to a Linux server
> once I get the first company's server running correctly.
> 
> Immediately after installing the Samba server, the second company's Windows XP
Pro pc's cannot save new
> Excel 2003 files to their Windows 98 "server".  Nor can they save new Excel
2003 files to any other Windows 98
> pc's with a share available.  They can save new Excel files to the first
company's Samba server or to the
> local hard drive just fine.
> 
> The error they get upon attempts to save new Excel 2003 files to their Windows
98 "server" is:
> "The folder 'M:\foo\foo.xls' isn't accessible.  The folder may be located in
an unavailable location,
> protected with a password, or the filename contains a / or \."
> 
> If the Windows XP pc overwrites an existing file with a new file on the
Windows 98 "server", it works just
> fine.  If a pc running Windows 98 and Excel 97 saves a new file to the Windows
98 "server", it works just fine.
> 
> Saving new files in notepad or wordpad from the Windows XP pc's to the Windows
98 "server" works fine too.  
> 
> At this point, I'm not sure where to look for the cause, but suspect it's in
the Samba config as seen below
> (without all the shares, which are all the same).
> 
> All pc's are set to be a member of "WORKGROUP".


Problem Solved 4/29/05.

It had nothing to do with Samba or the new Linux server, but was a coincidence
that made it look that way.

On the same day the Linux server was first used on the network, Monday, 2/14/05,
a Microsoft patch to Windows XP was installed.  Update 885250 to fix a
"Vulnerability in server message block could allow remote code execution" was
automatically installed on several pc's that save files to the Windows 98
"server".  This update caused the problems, and since it was installed the same
day as the Linux server running Samba was first used, it appeared to be related
to Samba.

Microsoft's Hotfix described in their Article ID # 895900 resolved the issue. 
It was easily acquired at no charge by calling Microsoft at (800)936-4900 and
referencing the article.