Windows XP & Vista Clients - Invalid file handle - Unblock File

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Windows XP & Vista Clients - Invalid file handle - Unblock File

I'm having big issues with Windows XP & Vista clients copying, moving or opening files on a Xserve Intel 10.5.6 share-point. A large number of files report the error "Invalid file handle" when a Vista client tries copy a file from the server or move it from one folder to another on the server. XP machines have the same issue, but report different messages. This also effects files if you try and open them from the server, the current application will launch, but the file will not open.

It appears to be something to do with XP (SP2) or Vista thinking these files even if created by internal users are from an untrusted source. If you go to an effected file and right-click > properties an Unblock button appears. If this is clicked all is OK. But with 20 PC users creating xls, odc, jpg and flash files and thousands of archive files to copy to the server this is a real problem.

Mac's are now effected.

PC's can copy file between each other OK, it only seems to effect file copied to the Mac server, but not all.

Does anyone have a permanent solution that to this problem.

Cheers

Chris

Xserve, Mac OS X (10.5.6), Intel

Posted on May 29, 2009 10:12 AM

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Answer 1

zqmbie

Level 1

0 points

Jun 4, 2009 2:42 PM in response to Chris Walker6

We just started seeing this too, in the past few days, on our 10.5.6 SMB sharepoint. Choosing "Unblock" in the properties on these files indeed fixes the problem, but we need a more permanent fix. What the heck changed the past few days that we would start seeing this? Is a Windows update to blame?

Anyway, found something to try in a post by frizbot at InsanelyMac.com:

""Windows uses NTFS streams to store this security-level, or zone, data. Samba on OS X advanced enough to support these alternate data streams as file attributes. The problem is that Windows will write a file on a network share with this stream, which turns into an attribute, but it can't read it back fully. It will read the file, but it can't copy it back. Under Windows, you can clear this attribute by getting properties and clicking "Unlock".

To get Samba to stop working in this half broken way, in the /etc/smb.conf , change "vfs objects = darwinacl, darwin_streams" to "vfs objects = darwinacl", and change each "yes" in "stream support = yes" and "ea support = yes" to "no". That prevents writing the attribute, and disables all alternative stream saving (which might cause problems, but likely is just more secure anyway). This should work, unless it ignores the configuration."

We're going to try this and see what happens...

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