Samba Share Networkmounting as X,Y,Z works, \\Share\mount not

[snowflake24]

Dear admins, power users etc.
The last 36h hours i spend googling my problem but couldn't get any help to solve this issue. I have multiple Windows 7 machines (32bit and 64 bit) at home.

• One machine shows my samba share in the network environment and i can access it via double click perfectly.
• Another machine doesn't show my samba share in the network environment. However I can access it via \\Share\mount or via \\ip\mount (after accessing the mount it shows up in the network environment, not sure what causes the problem of not showing it in the network environment initally)
• The "headache-giving" machine that i refer to in the introduction doesn't show the share in the network environment nor allowing me to access the \\Share\mount or \\ip\mount but only connecting to the samba share via mounting it as Networkdrive X,Y,Z...

As one can imagine googling this problem is not the easiest task and gives you a lot of false positive results. Trying to access my Share via \\Share\mount or \\ip\mount gives me the following error message:

(i apologize for it being german, however I hope that the smart ones will understand it anyways! )

As 2/3 or the windows machines can access the samba share, samba smb.conf problems can be excluded. So I strongly assume it is a Windows problem. I am running MCAfee Virusscan Enterprise. Windows Firewall is disabled and the machine is also in the same "WORKGROUP" as the samba share.

I really hope anyone of you have an idea that could help me solve the problem or point me towards the right direction! Thanks a lot in advance!

 

[Kari]

The error message is default when system cannot resolve the network address. Something is wrong and it could also be on the other end (Mac or Unix / Linux machine).

On the problem Windows rig, can NET VIEW see the Mac/Linux machine? Can you ping it?

Kari

 

[snowflake24]

dear kari

thank you for the input. net view gives me an error message: "Server is not configured for this Transaction" (translated).
I can ping the linux server without problem (netbios name wise and ip wise). I also tried to reinstall the network driver without success. So i am getting more and more clueless.

 

[Kari]

That sounds as if the network discovery is turned off. Have you checked that discovery is ON on your selected network type (Home / Work versus Public)?

 

[snowflake24]

possbible to elaborate that a bit with maybe a step by step tutorial so that i can precisely answer your assumption very precisely

 

[Kari]

Sorry, as soon as someone starts talking about samba shares I change my language from Nooblish to Geeklish .

Check first which network type / location you have (Home, Work or Public). If Public, set it to Home or Work: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/43629-network-location-set-home-work-public-network.html

When that's done, check that the Network Discovery is turned on: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/185237-network-discovery-turn-off-windows-7-a.html

Your NET VIEW error message combined with the fact that could still PING the samba tells that A) Network works and B) The Windows machine is not discoverable on the network.

Let's start with this, come back when you have checked the above.

Kari

 

[snowflake24]

sadely the network discovery is switched on an i am in the home network

 

[Kari]

Bitte gibst du mir die genaue NET VIEW Fehlermeldung in Deutsch.

English for other geeks to understand: Please give me the exact NET VIEW error message, original in German. Or even better, take a screenshot of command prompt window with command output and post it here.

If network discovery is on and samba correctly configured, it should be shown in NET VIEW as for example in this screenshot from my home network:

 

[snowflake24]

Your german is brilliant! Great
Error Message is: "Der Server ist nicht für Transaktionen konfiguriert". As I am working remote at the moment, its kind of hard with the screenshot. I hope also without screenshot you have an idea what it could be!

 

[Kari]

At home we speak German, my wife is an "Ossie" speaking German only, having studied Russian in school as only foreign language and nowadays "forced" herself to forget it as so many former DDR citizens.

Yes, I can understand that error message. Sorry to have doubt your English, I just wanted to be sure I do not miss something due translation mistakes.

I'm not home but connected there over VPN. I try to make some tests with Samba configuration. I will post my findings here but if I cannot do my tests over VPN it has to wait until I'm home in two or three hours.

However, I repeat what I said earlier: This error message combined with successful ping can IMO only be a configuration error.

Kari

 

[Kari]

In the mean time please check with NET SHARE command if you can see the ADMIN$ and IPC$ shares?

 

[snowflake24]

Thank you so much! I can paste you smb.conf later on. No doubt that it could be, as you stated, a configuration problem.

 

[snowflake24]

Thank you so much! I can post you the smb.conf later on if you would like to see it. High probability that there is something wrong.

 

[Kari]

Please also tell which OS is on the remote PC, Mac OSX, Ubuntu, Fedora etc.?

 

[snowflake24]

linux, debian

 

[Kari]

OK, back home.

Did you check that NET SHARE thing I asked earlier?

Also, could you please tell if this problem Windows machine can see other Windows machines? Is the Debian machine the only one it cannot see?

Kari

 

[snowflake24]

i can confirm positively that i can see with net share admin$ and ipc$. i can see other windows machines with my notebook. however i have another windows machine that can only see the debian server after the first connection to the share. beforehand that machine can not see the share under the network environment. i think i described the behaviour in my first post. it is quite weired. One windows 7 machine can see it and access it perfectly!

 

[Kari]

I have tried but I cannot reproduce your issue, but whatever I do my connection works.

You have confirmed that Debian is configured correctly, as it must be for your other Windows PCs can access it, Windows Network Discovery is turned on and you can ping Debian.

I'll ask if some of other geeks have an idea, I surely don't.

Kari

 

[snowflake24]

that is actually the very frustrating point 2 out of 3 windows 7 machines can access the Debian Server (\\ and ip\\ wise) and there is no problem. just one stupid windows 7 notebook giving me headache and i don't know why!!! Spend 3 days invastigating already. No more clue right now!

 

[Kari]

that is actually the very frustrating point 2 out of 3 windows 7 machines can access the Debian Server (\\ and ip\\ wise) and there is no problem. just one stupid windows 7 notebook giving me headache and i don't know why!!! Spend 3 days invastigating already. No more clue right now!

Ah now you gave me a hint!

Do you use wireless connection with that notebook and wired for those other computers? If so, could you try to shut down the notebook, connect it with Ethernet cable, boot it and try again?

BTW, I have asked some network gurus to have a look here.

Kari