I have two XP machines and one Ubuntu server running Samba.

One XP machine can browse to the Samba share and access files with no problems at all, and it always has been able to do so.

The other XP machine cannot browse to the Samba share, and it has never been able to do so:
- The Ubuntu box isn't listed in My Network Places
- I can't browse to it using Start -> Run -> \\ubuntu\samba
- I can't browse to it by typing \\ubuntu in the address bar of Windows Explorer
- I can't map it as a network drive
(These are all fine on the other XP box)

The problem XP box has the IP of the Ubuntu box as its WINS server, NETBIOS over TCP/IP is enabled, and it can ping the Ubuntu box's IP and hostname. The Ubuntu box is shown in nbtstat -c.

It can also log into the Ubuntu machine using SSH, for instance. I have tried to manually map the Samba share as a network drive by trying both \\ubuntu\samba and \\ip_address\samba via both Tools -> Map Network Drive and also using net use at the command prompt.

All three machines are on workgroup HOME and the problem XP machine can browse to files on the other XP machine with no problems. I have disabled the problem machine's firewall and restarted Samba using sudo /etc/init.d/samba restart, but this has not helped. I'm sure I'm doing something stupid - but what? If anyone has any ideas, please let me know.

Here is /etc/samba/smb.conf:

[global]
; General server settings
netbios name = UBUNTU
server string =
workgroup = HOME
announce version = 5.0
socket options = TCP_NODELAY IPTOS_LOWDELAY SO_KEEPALIVE SO_RCVBUF=8192 SO_SNDBUF=8192

passdb backend = tdbsam
security = user
null passwords = true
username map = /etc/samba/smbusers
name resolve order = hosts wins bcast

wins support = yes

printing = CUPS
printcap name = CUPS

syslog = 1
syslog only = yes

[print$]
path = /var/lib/samba/printers
browseable = yes
guest ok = yes
browseable = yes
guest ok = yes
read only = yes
write list = root
create mask = 0664
directory mask = 0775

[printers]
path = /tmp
printable = yes
guest ok = yes
browseable = no

[Samba]
path = /home/share
browseable = yes
read only = no
guest ok = no
create mask = 0644
directory mask = 0755
force user = mainusername
force group = mainusername

My first idea is that one XP machine is using one type of authentication while the other is using another type of authentication. For example, one XP machine may be using workgroup/share level authentication while the other is using Active Directory authentication.

I agree with Stress_Junkie, The problem you're seeing is with the Win XP box, it's not Samba. Check authentications on both boxes. The one that isn't working is probably using the Active Directory Authentication.

Hi guys,

Thanks for the replies. I will compare the settings on the XP machines and report back!

Well - I'm still stuck.

The machine isn't a member of a domain and doesn't use AD authentication. I looked up the commands that can be run from the command prompt to reset group and local security policies back to defaults - this didn't help either!

There is no physical problem that is stopping this from working - the problem machine dual-boots Linux and I was about to mount the share using smbmount with no problems.

However, when booting XP, it is as if the Ubuntu share doesn't exist!

I think a reformat is looming...

The XP system with the problem, is a firewall on? If yes, try it without the firewall.

Yeah, it has ZoneAlarm - however I have tried disabling this and it doesn't make a difference.

zone alarm blocks out going requests as well as incomming, first disable the firewall, if you are able to connect re-enable it and start googling for the ports used by windows file sharing and configure zone alarm accordingly

Try putting your LAN address in as trusted.

The 192.168.1.0/255.255.255.0 network was already trusted, so that wasn't the problem. Thanks though!

However - I do appear to have fixed it today! I uninstalled Client for Microsoft Networks and File and Print Sharing for Microsoft Networks from the properties of the adapter, rebooted, and then installed them again.

After another reboot the Linux machine popped up in My Network Places and I was able to browse the share as well.

I have no idea why this resolved the problem, because the problem machine was after all able to browse other Windows PCs with no problems. But I'm glad it's now working!