Path Traveled Start Server does not hang during boot All other Windows clients display this symptom, or there are no other Windows Clients, or it's too difficult to test the other Windows clients The Linux server can ping its own address from its console's command line The Windows Client CANNOT ping the Linux server's IP address The Windows Client CANNOT ping itself

There's a fundimental problem with the client networking on the Windows machine. Make sure there is a network card, and that the network card is configured properly. If the machine obtains its IP from is Wins->Dhcp, temporarily hard-code an IP address on the IP address tab, and after rebooting see if it can ping itself. Make sure the TCP/IP Fast Ethernet protocol is enabled, and is bound to file and print sharing and to Client for Microsoft Networks. Make sure your Ethernet adaptor is bound to the TCP/IP fast Ethernet. Try networking it with a known good network. Experiment.

If nothing is obvious, you'll need to get off road and make your own diagnostic tests. This concludes
this branch of the predefined diagnostic.