Mac OS X 10.4: Error -36 alert displays when connecting to a Windows server

From Provider Wiki

From Mac OS X 10.3.x to Mac OS X 10.4, you may get an error message when you try to connect to a Samba or Windows 2003 Server File Share.

If the connection is unsuccessful, the following error message may appear:

   The Finder cannot complete the operation because some of the data in smb://........ could not be read or written. (Error code -36). 

If you check the Console (/Applications/Utilities/), you will also see one of two error messages:

mount_smbfs: session setup phase failed

or

mount_smbfs: negotiate phase failed: syserr = Software caused connection abort

The former is a sign that the server you are trying to connect to does not support encrypted passwords (dangerously low security level), and the latter is a sign that the server will only accept "signed connections". To correct the former you will need to allow non-encrypted connections, and to work-around the latter you will need to get the server admin to allow unsigned connections to the server.

Allowing Plain-Text Connections

Follow the steps below to configure your computer to use plain text passwords to make SMB/CIFS connections when the specified Samba or Windows (SMB/CIFS) server does not support encrypted passwords. (You must be an administrator to do these steps.)

1. Make sure that you are not currently connected to any Samba or Windows (SMB/CIFS) servers and that you do not have any Samba or Windows-related error mssages open.
2. Open the Terminal (/Applications/Utilities/).
3. At the prompt, type: sudo pico /etc/nsmb.conf
4. Press Return.
5. Enter your password when prompted, then press Return again.
6. You should see an empty file and a "New File" notice at the bottom of the pico window. If you do not see the "New File" notice, this file already exists.
7. Enter the following into the file so that it appears as follows:
   • [default]
   • minauth=none
8. Save the file (press Control-O), press Return, then exit pico (Control-X).
9. Type: sudo chmod a+r /etc/nsmb.conf
10. Press Return.
11. Restart your computer.

For more information please visit the following website link: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=301580

Allowing unsigned connections

Note: This work-around can only be done on the server side, and requires that a server admin do it.

If you are getting the "negotiate phase failed" message, then the problem is probably that the server does not allow connection that are not "signed". This is a security measure that Microsoft has started to require by default for connections to Windows 2003 Servers. While it is a good security measure, it does lock out non-Microsoft clients.

MacOS X clients including 10.4 do not have the ability to sign their SMB connections, so if you are going to allow them to connect to the server you have to turn off the requirement for "SMB" or "connection" signing. Microsoft has a Knowledge Base article on this subject.