[Samba] Cannot access server error

[Stef]

Hi,
I'm having a peculiar problem with my Samba server and have not been able
to figure out how to solve it.  I've had this server for a very long time,
but recently the main hard drive failed and I only kept backups of the user
files.  I set the server back up with Debian Wheezy and Samba 3.6.6.

My problem is as follows:
I have 4 Unix users and groups:
user1:group1 (admin account, so has a different primary group but also
belongs to "users" group)
user2:users (regular user)
user3:users (regular user)
public:public (public account, home dir = /home/public, shell = /bin/false)

Of those, 3 have corresponding Samba users: user1, user2 and user3.

My smb.conf file looks like (created with testparm -s smb.conf.master >
smb.conf):
[global]
        workgroup = HOME
        server string = %h server
        map to guest = Bad User
        obey pam restrictions = Yes
        guest account = public
        pam password change = Yes
        passwd program = /usr/bin/passwd %u
        passwd chat = *Enter\snew\s*\spassword:* %n\n
*Retype\snew\s*\spassword:* %n\n *password\supdated\ssuccessfully* .
        unix password sync = Yes
        syslog = 0
        log file = /var/log/samba/log.%m
        max log size = 1000
        printcap name = cups
        dns proxy = No
        usershare allow guests = Yes
        panic action = /usr/share/samba/panic-action %d
        idmap config * : backend = tdb

[homes]
        comment = Home Directories
        valid users = %S
        read only = No
        create mask = 0700
        directory mask = 0700
        browseable = No

[Public Share]
        path = /home/public
        guest ok = Yes

[printers]
        comment = All Printers
        path = /var/spool/samba
        create mask = 0700
        printable = Yes
        print ok = Yes
        browseable = No

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

I can successfully log into all 3 regular user's home directory with their
corresponding user names and passwords.  That is, whenever I access
\\SERVER\user1 from Windows 7, I type the username and password and can
access that user's home dir.

I can also see "Public Share" out of the list of network folders whenever I
go to \\SERVER\.  In /home/public, I have 2 symlinks: 1. Music ->
../user1/Music and 2. Videos -> ../user1/Videos.  If I browser the "Public
Share" folder, and try to access those 2 "folders" (which are really
symlinks to folders) I get the following error on Windows:
Windows cannot access \\server\Public Share\Music
You do not have permission to access \\server\Public Share\Music.  Contact
your network administrator to request access.

While troubleshooting this problem, I also tried to create a symlink
/home/user1/somedir -> ../user2/somedir and get the same error.

The users also belong to the same users group, and permissions are all set
to 755 for dirs and 644 for files.

I've tried searching all over the internet for a similar issue but keep
coming up blank.

Does anyone here have any idea where I am going wrong?

Thanks
Stef