[Samba] win xp machine disconnected from share and repeated authentication required

[Pramathesh Ambasta]

I have set up a Ubuntu 8.04 server for file and print sharing on a
small network. The server runs smbd version 3.0.28a.

The samba server is a standalone server and is used by some users to
access common data. The scheme is that all users have a Unix account
on the server. When they want to access the shared service, they are
asked for a password after which they can work.

One of the machines on the network is a win xp SP2 machine on which
the user had already logged in, but in trying to attach a file from
the server in Outlook Express got an error message that the file could
not be found. He had to go to Network Neighborhood, click on the
shared service, authenticate again. This happened quite a few times
within a fairly short span of time.

An examination of the log for the machine (log.hpm with IP
192.168.1.6) shows some "connection reset by peer messages". I have
browsed on the net and come across several people reporting similar
issues with earlier versions of samba but have not come across a
definitive solution. Is this an "smb ports = 445" issue or a network
card/connection failure? Why does the log below show a write failure
on 0.0.0.0? The log also shows some failures to create built in users.

Will be very grateful on help/pointers on this.

Below is a cutting of the relevant sections from log.hpm followed by
the smb.conf file.

Thanks in advance
Pramathesh

*************log.hpm*********
[2009/02/18 10:49:57, 1] smbd/service.c:make_connection_snum(1033)
  hpm (192.168.1.6) connect to service DataShare initially as user mih
(uid=1003, gid=119) (pid 10051)
************
  hpm (192.168.1.6) closed connection to service DataShare
[2009/02/18 15:20:42, 0] auth/auth_util.c:create_builtin_administrators(792)
  create_builtin_administrators: Failed to create Administrators
[2009/02/18 15:20:42, 0] auth/auth_util.c:create_builtin_users(758)
  create_builtin_users: Failed to create Users
[2009/02/18 15:20:42, 0] auth/auth_util.c:create_builtin_administrators(792)
  create_builtin_administrators: Failed to create Administrators
[2009/02/18 15:20:42, 0] lib/util_sock.c:write_data(562)
  write_data: write failure in writing to client 192.168.1.6. Error
Connection reset by peer
[2009/02/18 15:20:42, 0] lib/util_sock.c:send_smb(761)
  Error writing 4 bytes to client. -1. (Connection reset by peer)
[2009/02/18 15:20:42, 0] auth/auth_util.c:create_builtin_users(758)
  create_builtin_users: Failed to create Users
[2009/02/18 15:20:42, 0] lib/util_sock.c:write_data(562)
  write_data: write failure in writing to client 0.0.0.0. Error
Connection reset by peer
**********

*******smb.conf*********

[global]
    workgroup = DOMAIN
    server string = SERVER (MAIN)
    dns proxy = no
    log file = /var/log/samba/log.%m
    max log size = 1000
    syslog = 0
    panic action = /usr/share/samba/panic-action %d
    security = user
    passdb backend = tdbsam
    obey pam restrictions = yes
    invalid users = root
    unix password sync = yes
    passwd program = /usr/bin/passwd %u
    passwd chat = *Enter\snew\s*\spassword:* %n\n
*Retype\snew\s*\spassword:* %n\n *password\supdated\ssuccessfully* .
    pam password change = yes
    map to guest = bad user
    usershare allow guests = yes
    username map = /etc/samba/smbusers

[printers]
    comment = All Printers
    browseable = no
    path = /var/spool/samba
    printable = yes
    create mask = 0700

[print$]
    comment = Printer Drivers
    path = /var/lib/samba/printers

[DataShare]
    path = /home/core/DataShare
    writeable = yes
;    browseable = yes
    valid users = specific, valid, user, names, listed, here
    directory mask = 0770
    create mask = 0660
    force group = groupname

******************************