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HELP! Windows 7 users can map shares but can't open files

I have a new installation of OS X Server Yosemite running for a dozen mixed Macs and PCs in an office. The Windows users (Win 7 64bit SP1) can all map the drives and see all the files. The Windows users CAN create folders, create files, and delete files and folders. But they can NOT open any existing files on the shares.


That's right - they can do everything except OPEN a file.


If they try to open an existing file, they get an error essentially telling them that the file is locked because its in use by another user. They are usually (except for PDF) given a choice to open the file as read-only.


Errors we are seeing:

For PDF files: "There was an error opening this document. This file is already open or in use by another application."

For Word files: "File in use: [filename].doc is locked for editing by 'another user'." (yes,it actually says "another user")

For Excel files: "File in Use: [filename].xls is locked for editing"

For image files (e.g. TIFF): "Windows Photo Viewer can't open this picture because the picture is being edited in another program."


This is very maddening - the weirdest thing about it all is that all these users belong to a group that has full access to the file system. If we're talking POSIX permissions, the share is set to 770. I also have an ACL set up on all of the server shares for their group giving them full read, write and the inheritance flag is set. These permissions have all been propagated.


Example of my permissions on each share in OS X Server:

mygroup [ ] Administration [X] Read [x] Write [x] Inheritance (Custom ACL)

owner: read & write

mygroup: read & write

others: no access


All office users are members of the mygroup group.


For the first 24 hours, it seemed as if people could access the files. That's what's throwing me really. Now no one can open any existing files on the server.


Troubleshooting steps I have tried:

1) rebooting the Windows clients

2) rebooting the Mac server

3) re-propagating the permissions on a share in OS X Server

4) setting the permissions on a share for "others" to full access (i.e. 777 permissions) and propagating it

5) some local policy editing on a Windows 7 machine

6) shutting down all clients except one - and closing all apps - then trying to open 1 file (to ensure no one else was logged in)


No success with any of these approaches. I'm at a loss. I am honestly considering shutting this server down and installing a Windows server. I think I'd have fewer problems...


I'm hoping some benevolent administrator here has seen this before and knows a work around. For now, clients CAN open files in "read only" mode and save a copy - but the staff is impatient and angry about this. The server has become useless to the office staff until I get this fixed.


If you have a solution - or a suggestion - I'm desperate. Thanks in advance and Happy New Year.

Posted on Dec 31, 2014 9:46 AM

Reply
25 replies

Jan 1, 2015 6:51 AM in response to flyboym535i

The following is the result of the command

sudo serveradmin settings sharing


sharing:sharePointList:_array_id:/Volumes/Data/alberto:dsAttrTypeStandard\:GeneratedUID = "1CCC335F-1007-4E97-81A2-6B1FF62687A1"
sharing:sharePointList:_array_id:/Volumes/Data/alberto:smbName = "alberto"
sharing:sharePointList:_array_id:/Volumes/Data/alberto:afpIsGuestAccessEnabled = no
sharing:sharePointList:_array_id:/Volumes/Data/alberto:webDAVName = "alberto"
sharing:sharePointList:_array_id:/Volumes/Data/alberto:smbDirectoryMask = "0755"
sharing:sharePointList:_array_id:/Volumes/Data/alberto:afpName = "alberto"
sharing:sharePointList:_array_id:/Volumes/Data/alberto:smbCreateMask = "0644"
sharing:sharePointList:_array_id:/Volumes/Data/alberto:nfsExportRecord = _empty_array
sharing:sharePointList:_array_id:/Volumes/Data/alberto:path = "/Volumes/Data/alberto"
sharing:sharePointList:_array_id:/Volumes/Data/alberto:smbUseStrictLocking = yes
sharing:sharePointList:_array_id:/Volumes/Data/alberto:smbIsGuestAccessEnabled = no
sharing:sharePointList:_array_id:/Volumes/Data/alberto:name = "alberto"
sharing:sharePointList:_array_id:/Volumes/Data/alberto:smbInheritPermissions = yes
sharing:sharePointList:_array_id:/Volumes/Data/alberto:ftpName = "alberto"
sharing:sharePointList:_array_id:/Volumes/Data/alberto:smbIsShared = yes
sharing:sharePointList:_array_id:/Volumes/Data/alberto:afpIsShared = no
sharing:sharePointList:_array_id:/Volumes/Data/alberto:smbUseOplocks = yes


alberto is a directory on my Mac mini server and is a SMB only share. Check the output against yours to find some differences.


POSIX and ACL permissions are as follows

drwxr-x---@ 10 root admin - 340 31 Dic 20:34 /Volumes/Data/alberto/

0: user:_spotlight inherited allow list,search,file_inherit,directory_inherit

1: group:workgroup allow list,add_file,search,add_subdirectory,delete_child,readattr,writeattr,readextat tr,writeextattr,readsecurity,file_inherit,directory_inherit

Jan 1, 2015 10:21 AM in response to Alberto Ravasio

Alberto -


With my current settings, yes, Mac clients can open files.


I do see several differences between your settings and mine. Are you running Yosemite OS X Server?


If I turn off guest access, the Windows computers can not see the Mac server in their network browser. Strange.


Here is my output:

sudo serveradmin settings sharing

sharing:sharePointList:_array_id:/Shared Items/documents:dsAttrTypeStandard\:GeneratedUID = "CC5E95A4..."

sharing:sharePointList:_array_id:/Shared Items/documents:smbName = "documents"

sharing:sharePointList:_array_id:/Shared Items/documents:afpIsGuestAccessEnabled = yes

sharing:sharePointList:_array_id:/Shared Items/documents:smbEncrypted = no

sharing:sharePointList:_array_id:/Shared Items/documents:smbDirectoryMask = "755"

sharing:sharePointList:_array_id:/Shared Items/documents:afpName = "documents"

sharing:sharePointList:_array_id:/Shared Items/documents:smbCreateMask = "644"

sharing:sharePointList:_array_id:/Shared Items/documents:ftpIsGuestAccessEnabled = yes

sharing:sharePointList:_array_id:/Shared Items/documents:nfsExportRecord = _empty_array

sharing:sharePointList:_array_id:/Shared Items/documents:path = "/Shared Items/documents"

sharing:sharePointList:_array_id:/Shared Items/documents:smbIsGuestAccessEnabled = yes

sharing:sharePointList:_array_id:/Shared Items/documents:name = "documents"

sharing:sharePointList:_array_id:/Shared Items/documents:ftpName = "documents"

sharing:sharePointList:_array_id:/Shared Items/documents:smbIsShared = yes

sharing:sharePointList:_array_id:/Shared Items/documents:afpIsShared = no

sharing:sharePointList:_array_id:/Shared Items/documents:webDAVIsGuestAccessEnabled = yes

sharing:sharePointList:_array_id:/Shared Items/documents:webDAVIsShared = no

sharing:sharePointList:_array_id:/Shared Items/documents:isIndexingEnabled = no

sharing:sharePointList:_array_id:/Shared Items/documents:dsAttrTypeNative\:sharepoint_group_id = "AAFB8E2F..."

sharing:sharePointList:_array_id:/Shared Items/documents:mountedOnPath = "/"


And my permissions for "documents"


drwxrwx---@ 110 admin allstaff 3740 Jan 1 11:01 documents

0: group:allstaff allow list,add_file,search,delete,add_subdirectory,delete_child,readattr,writeattr,re adextattr,writeextattr,readsecurity,file_inherit,directory_inherit

Jan 1, 2015 10:29 AM in response to flyboym535i

Here is how my "File Sharing" settings are configured in OS X Server (Yosemite) for this sharepoint:


User uploaded file

In the image above you see that "Allow guest users to access this share" is checked, even though "Others" permissions are set to "No Access". I checked it because when it is not checked, Windows 7 clients can NOT see the Mac server in their Network browser.


And here is how the permissions are set under Server > Storage:


User uploaded file

Jan 1, 2015 11:22 AM in response to flyboym535i

I'm using Server 4 (Build 14S333) that is running on Yosemite 10.10.1.

My LAN is very small. I have 1 MBPro (10.10.1), 1 iMac (10.9.5) and 1 PowerBook (10.5.8). They all connect to the above share flawlessly.

I can also run Windows VMs inside VMware Fusion. Yesterday I tried Windows 8.1 Pro against that share without any problem whatsoever.

Give me 15 minutes and I can also report the result with Win7 Pro.

Jan 1, 2015 1:38 PM in response to Alberto Ravasio

Installed from scratch.


NEW DEVELOPMENT - I have ONE PC that can open files. I somehow missed that - the others can't. So I no longer think this is a permissions issue. Something must be uniquely different about this one Windows 7 SP1 client from the other Windows 7 SP1 clients. Some setting perhaps in the registry or local policy... I don't know.


Running DNS and File Serving only on the Mac server.

Jan 13, 2015 7:03 AM in response to flyboym535i

I'll tell you what; I'm having a very similar issue. Oddly enough, my two Windows 7 machines that I set up from scratch work just fine. The two machines that were sent to me by my corporate IT guy are the ones having issues. Here' s what I am seeing.


  • One of the W7 clients can connect to the shares; browse all files, create, copy, move, etc.

    When this client tries to open a file, say a picture, it will say that the file is already in use

    • This happens to most files, though I've seen a few work OK
  • The other W7 client cannot authenticate into the share. Every time I try, it brings me right back to the UN/PW entry window

HELP! Windows 7 users can map shares but can't open files

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