Looses Connection with Server 2

[mquinn0908]

I have a laptop that has XP and is connecting to a Win2000 server and while working a message will pop up saying that the computer has lost the connection with the server and has gone offline. As soon as you click on the icon I can syncronize and I can access my files so it never really goes offline. I have an desktop that is also running XP that this happens with and these are the only machines that do this. Why does this keep happening and how can I stop it?

 

[jtrovato]

Do you think it maybe with a DHCP client?? All of my networks are DHCP. I can't imagine it being DHCP??? But I guess any ideas are good ideas

John

 

[mquinn0908]

We are on a static network here and so it isn't DHCP related.

 

[AntwanNL]

Since I stopped the offline files synchronisation, the problem didn't occur anymore.

The system involved is a IBM thinkpad with XP pro (first install at our office) with a 2000 server. No problems with offline files and Dell notebooks with win2k. So strange that since XP this feature is broken.

HaraldB please tell us what the Compaq Supplement driver is all about (what does it "fix&quot. When I have time I will try to update the networkdriver (which I believe is already the latest) and USB patch (which shouldn't have any influence on this matter)

 

[satsujinsha]

I believe I’ve stumbled across a relevant post at M$. Apparently they are aware of the problem, and while they have a “work around,” they recommend waiting for the next official service pack rollout. Interesting that searches with the obvious keywords have no chance of finding this post. I guess M$ would rather leave all but the most persistent (read obsessed) of us in the dark until they have a solution. At least now you can point your clients to this article and tell them that Microsoft is working on it. As the unreleased “work arounds” tend to cause other problems I will be waiting for the next rollout, but if anyone applies this “work around” successfully, please let us know how well it works, and what other problems (if any) it causes.

unfortunately, i now think absent's feb14 conclusions are right on the mark.

 

[satsujinsha]

whooops. heres the link

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;810907

 

[smah]

Good find satsujinsha. These issues seem to come up even when eveything is set correctly.

 

[Davix]

Has anyone set up auditing on the files/folders set for offline? I would be curious to see what (if anything) is logged on the server and client sides.

Please post if you see anything.

Thanks

 

[jtrovato]

microsoft keywords:

kbWinXPpreSP2fix kbbug KB810907

I now know why I couldn't find this on the MS site. Does anybody have an idea when this SP will be coming out? One other thing, I never knew that a 64bit version of XP was available...

John

 

[stront]

I have been getting exact same errors, driving me and some laptop users mad the last three months, trying everything until I've disabled offline files. The thing is; I really need offline files and synchronization to work - as these guys work from home a lot(and I can't trust them manually copying files back and forth).
Does anyone know of a freeware/shareware file sync tool to download, functioning in a similar way.
That is untill there's a decent fix available.

 

[tls9923]

Does anyone have this fix? I read the information on MS site and they want you to contact them to get this fix does anyone have it without having to call and pay MS to fix the problems they created?

Thanks

Terrel

 

[henk666]

I had problems too with my workstation (xp) going offline often (disconnects)..

I solved the problem by applying the latest service pack to
the windows 2000 server, applying the latest critical windows updates and upgrading to the latest 3com driver on the server ..

 

[EggsNasty]

OK, looks like MS had a very good workaround (if you're not ultra-high security) in kb331519 but took it offline and said it was antiquated to kb810907. I got the work-around from 331519 from Google's cache, tried it, and it worked beautifully for me. Here's what it says:

CAUSE - These problems occur because of an incompatibility in Server Message Block (SMB) signing between Microsoft Windows 2000 and Windows XP SP1. By default, SMB signing is turned on on domain controllers only when possible. By default, you only experience this problem when you copy files to and from a domain controller. However, if you apply policy settings or set registry keys to servers, you may experience problems when you copy files to and from a server.

WORKAROUND - To work around this problem, use Group Policy settings to turn off SMB signing. To do so, set the Default Domain Controller policy settings to Disabled:
1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Users and Computers.
2. Right-click the Domain Controllers organizational unit, and then click Properties.
3. Click the Group Policies tab.
Click Default Domain Controllers Policy, and then click Edit.
5. Locate
Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options

6. If any of the following policy settings are set to Enabled, double click the setting, click to select the Define this policy setting check box, click Disabled, and then click OK.
NOTE: By default, only one setting is set to Enabled.
Digitally sign client communication (always)
Digitally sign client communication (when possible)
Digitally sign server communication (always)
Digitally sign server communication (when possible)

7. Close Group Policy editor, click OK, and then quit Active Directory Users and Computers.

By default, Group Policy settings are refreshed on domain controllers every five minutes. To force the policy settings to be refreshed on Windows 2000 immediately, run the following command:
secedit /refreshpolicy machine_policy /enforce

8. After the settings are applied, restart Windows 2000.

 

[mademypc]

Some more interesting info about this problem.

We first encountered this issue with SMS package sending. The background is that our Information Security department enabled the Group Policy Object "Microsoft Network Server: Digitally Sign Communication (if client agrees)" - which causes the domain controllers to attempt to use SMB signing. By default, our Windows XP clients had the local policy setting "Microsoft Network Client: Digitally Sign Communication (if server agrees)" enabled. With both policies enabled, we lost our ability to send SMS packages due to the problem with SMB signing not functioning properly. Applying the 810907 hotfix solved our problem. So to fix the problem you could either perform the workaround posted by EggNasty (turn off Group Policy that enabled SMB signing) or apply the hotfix from Microsoft. Because we are a financial company, we opted to maintain the SMB signing and install the patch.

I should mention that we have also seen other erroneous problems with network communications and the SMB signing GPO's turned off - similar to other posts - including the loss of network drives, and erratic behavior with offline files. So far applying this hotfix has seemed to clear them all up.

 

[DanMc]

A few months ago another thread went down this same long painful path. I used the "disable signing at the server" method and the errors have stopped. There is a patch on windowsupdate that is supposed to fix the WinXP clients but I have not tried it.

thread96-398287

 

[Mucciarelli]

@mademypc or someone else that have already this KB810907 hotfix :

Can someone send me this hotfix immediately to mucciarelli@my-mail.ch ??

That would be great , thanks in advance.

This problem drives me crazy, I have installed only 3 additional new XP-laptops , tries everything (including online-update) and nothing helps. So my last hope is to get this hotfix (I'm waiting also for a call back from Microsoft ) before I reinstall all 3 laptops with W2k again :-(

 

[Niall22]

Just curious... are these laptops that are having problems made by Compaq? If so, do they all use Intel Pro 100 network cards? I have run into issues similar to this with Compaq laptops using Intel Pro 100 NICs.

Niall

 

[KnutG]

We have seen it with Compaq, Dell and IBM laptops and with a few desktop pcs as well. SP1 did not help a bit - seems to make it worse. The tric with group policy on the servers gets around the problem.

 

[Mucciarelli]

I have installed this Futjitsu-Siemens Laptops (Lifebook C1020) with "Realtek RTL8139/810X Family PC Fast Ethernet NIC" network card. We have no Problems with installing this Laptops with W2k, the errors only occurs with XPProSp1 installed.
One Desktop-PC (Futjitsu Siemens W600pwr) with an Intel network card have other symptoms like "this file is in use by another person" or "Can not access this file". When I looked up at the server the user open a file and after closing it it is still open at the server. But this happens not all the time !

Can someone tells me if the hint from EggsNasty (disable "SMB signing" with a policy) does bring me any disadvantage ! I must do something quickly !!

Any help required !! Also if someone could send me this hotfix, mentioned above -> that would be also great.

Many Thanks.

Just to mention : I have everything disabled that has to do with "saving power", also set the disconnected time to 1 hour (I know that has nothing to do really with my problem). Also disabled everything on the networkcard that I can. Updated XP with all online patches, also updated OfficeXp with the latest patches ! Changed the node to another node on another switch, changed networkcable -->> you see I have tried some possibilities ;-))

 

[KnutG]

One point I have seen on the Lifebook preinstalled with XP was the use of a "mac bridging device" - this makes trouble with some services as VPN connections. Removing the bridge and the driver for the card, and let the P&P find the card again solved many problems.

 

[Mucciarelli]

I have solves my problems with this hotfix KB810907.

Please note that this hotfix is only for the german XP Pro !!

Thanks for your help
Mucciarelli