This is yet another version of the "Unable to mount location - Failed to retrieve share list from server" problem when I attempt to browse (Windows) shares and mount them on my Linux machine. Internet searches indicate many of occurrences of this problem. This has a bit of a different twist and I'm thoroughly baffled. I appreciate any help/suggestions and if we're able to solve the issue, hopefully it will be of use to somebody else...

My scenario: I'm running LinuxAV v6.0.1b (a Debian build). I'm trying to connect it to a domain (not a workgroup) and access files on a server running Windows Server 2008 R2.

What is unusual is that it was working properly and then stopped. I was able to click on Network from Nautilus (2.30.1) -> Microsoft Network -> see share and click/mount them. Suddenly it stopped. In fact, for a period of time I had a mounted link to the Microsoft server working just fine, I could see/access files, but my Nautilus browse of the network gave me the "... failed to retrieve share list..." error. This became permanent after I dismounted the working share (via reboot).

I've tried the usual fixes of editing the smb.conf file with the "name resolve order = bcast host lmhosts wins" line, accessing my server from Nautilus using "smb://192.168.1.2", and fidgeting with firewall settings - none of these worked. I've installed some smb futilities (utilities ); I've installed some Windows compatibility features but none have helped. Again, all was working before I've tried these fixes.

What may be of interest is that the first time I attempt to access the network from Nautilus, I get the message: Could not display "network:///" Error: Location is already mounted Please select another viewer and try again. At this point the "Windows Network" icon appears. If I subsequently click on the Windows Network icon I always get the "standard" Unable to mount location Failed to retrieve share list from server message. I have no idea what "network:///" is or if it has any relevance to this issue.

Since it was working, what changed? I added a network printer on the Windows Server machine and I defined a computer ("LinuxAV") and user ("LinuxUser") also on the Windows Server. I don't remember if it was at that point that things went sour. Subsequent to that, I've tried many things (the above and other things - many of which were additional smb.conf edits/additions). I have restored my smb.conf file to its original form and removed the LinuxAV (computer) and LinuxUser (user) definitions from the Windows Server (Active Directory). As best I can tell/remember, my Linux and Windows machines are as they were when things worked (although I might have missed something?). Network browse for shares and access still don't work.

I can ping the Windows server just fine. Printing to the network printer (attached to the Windows server) from the Linux machine works just fine. I can't imagine how removing the network printer would help. In my latest attempt I actually got a "Opening Windows Network you can stop this by hitting cancel" message/window but it ultimately reverted to the "Unable to mount location - Failed to retrieve share list from server" message.

I appreciate any thoughts/ideas/explanations! (Thank you!)

hope this one help:
places -> connect to server -> windows share
then type the ip address of your windows machine.

First - thank you to Z99 for a very good suggestion. Unfortunately it didn't work but... In the course of trying this my printer (on the server) share stopped working and about a half hour later, I couldn't access the internet (e.g. my entire networking failed). Admittedly this is very(!) strange but what it ended up being was a bad Cat-5 cable. I replaced it and everything works just fine. Now why the disk mounts/shares would fail while printing & internet still worked, then printing & disk/mounts failed while internet worked will forever be a mystery. Perhaps the disk binding is less tolerant to a sporadic (hardware) fault?

I'm not sure my adventure will help anybody else but that's what happened. Thanks again Z99 for "getting me there".

You might want to double check that your linux computer is actually joined to the windows domain correctly. Windows is very fussy about non-authenticated users/computers accessing shared resources.

IT_Elder, you're bringing up a good point...

Allow me to share (bad pun) my latest tussle with Windows Server/shares/network access. First, I have a good cable. From Nautilus I can see "Microsoft Network" and clicking on it gets me a "Opening Windows Network, You can stop... <cancel>" window/prompt. This screen will wait for Godot (e.g. basically nothing happens). In the interim, I can surf the internet fine, I can even print to the network printer located on the Windows Server machine (<- that doesn't seem to impose any difficulty with connections and/or credentials). My recollection is that in the past I had gotten a prompt for a user/password for the domain (I'm not getting that far today - why not today?), I'd enter them (as defined on the Server), and at that point I could see the shares and subsequently attach/mount them. Indeed at this point I have not joined the domain as viewed from the server (but yes, I can print). I'm at a loss (not the first time that's happened ) but it'll be the weekend before I can experiment a bit more. Don't know why (1) I can't see/access shares once again (2) it's so slow in reporting anything - the print access is just fine/fast (3) why anything would change?

People have made good money writing books about mysteries. I'd appreciate any insight - I thought I had logged into the domain - I did set up both a "computer" and "user" in the Server's Active Domain ("computer" matches "hostname"; the "user" matches my "user") for the Linux machine...

Ah, hot off the press - a new error message after waiting ad infinitum for the shares: Unable to mount location. DBus error org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.Noreply: Did not receive a reply. Possible causes include: the remote application did not send a reply, the message bus security policy blocked the reply, the reply timeout expired, or the network connection was broken.

More after this weekend...