Network File Share - Disconnects Unexpectedly

[greatfish]

Greetings,

I have a problem with my file server. It is running Windows Server 2003 Ent. SP2. The network share randomly disconnects without warning or error in the event log. The only method of reconnecting the drive is restarting the server itself, restarting individual PCs never has reconnected the file share.

I have already adjusted the auto-disconnect in the registry, as there have been suggestions on other discussion boards to that resolving the problem.

I have not been able to repeat the issue in a controlled test, it just randomly disconnects the share and I am left with users who are unable to open, save, or modify their files.

The only 'warning' message I have seen on the server is an event ID 2012. This happens sometimes up to 10 times per day, but the network share doesn't disconnect daily, so I am not sure if it is related or not. I have done everything Microsoft has notated in relation to this error, including switching out the NIC adapters on the server.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Let me know if additional information could assist in formulating ideas.

Thanks,
Nick

 

[markdmac]

There is a default setting on most NICs that support power management to allow the computer to shut off the NIC. I wold suggest you uncheck that property.

[red]Sent while vactioning in lovely Cancun Mexico, please excuse any incomplete thoughts or spelling errors which may or may not be the result of too many strawberry daqueries.[/red]

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

Check out my scripting solutions at

http://www.thespidersparlor.com/vbscript

Work SMARTER not HARDER. The Spider's Parlor's Admin Script Pack is a collection of Administrative scripts designed to make IT Administration easier! Save time, get more work done, get the Admin Script Pack.

 

[greatfish]

Thanks Mark... I have unchecked both boxes and we'll see if that corrects my problem. I sure hope you are enjoying Cancun!

Nick

 

[greatfish]

The network share disconnected once again late last night... Once the share disconnects, I am still able to remote into the server and it acts like nothing is wrong.

 

[TheCloak]

is the server using Active Directory?

If so is the user login for the computer a user on the AD DC?

Do you have an estimate of the time between disconnections? For instance could it be a time out option? Every 6 hours. As if it is getting released like an IP Address?

--
-TheCloak

"You Never Know What Hits You, A Gunshot is the Perfect Way" - JFK

 

[greatfish]

We are running AD on our network. The server does not have a standalone user profile in AD, just it's DNS name. The problem is not isolated to a single user or computer, it is all users (~100+ both admin and standard profiles) become unable to access the network share.

There is no estimated time between disconnects, it is extremely random. The server can be stable for 2 hours, then disconnect the share, after a restart the network share will be available for 2+ days without disconnecting.

 

[TheCloak]

how did you map all of these computers to the network drive? was it manually or with a batch command?

Do you have enough CALs for the computers?

I've read that McAfee will autodisconnect at random times due to firewall issues. You might want to disable it on for a while and see if it fixes it. maybe create the ports of the server to "Allow All"

There is also a Default Network Timeout... Does your computer disconnect when idle or in the middle of things?

If usually when idle check his:

Use Registry Editor to increase the default time-out period. To do this, follow these steps and then quit Registry Editor:

Choose Start > Run, type regedit (Windows 2000 or Windows Server 2003) or type regedt32 (Windows NT 4.0), and click OK.
Locate and click the following key in the registry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\lanmanserver\parameters
In the right pane, click the autodisconnect value, and from the Edit menu, click Modify.
If the autodisconnect value does not exist, follow these steps:
From the Edit menu, point to New and click REG_DWORD.
Type autodisconnect and press ENTER.
Click Hexadecimal.
In the Value data box, type ffffffff (8 letter F’s) and click OK.
Note: You cannot use this method to turn off the autodisconnect feature of the Server service. You can only use this method to change the default time-out period for the autodisconnect feature.

Command Line

Note: If you use this method, you may turn off the autotuning feature for the Server service.

To change the default time-out period for the autodisconnect feature of the Server service, open a command prompt, type the following line, and press ENTER:

net config server /autodisconnect:<number>

Where number is the number of minutes that you want the server to wait before it disconnects a mapped network drive. The maximum value for this command is 65,535.

Note: If you set the autodisconnect value to 0 (zero), the autodisconnect feature is not turned off, and the Server service disconnects mapped network drives after only a few seconds of idle time.

To turn off the autodisconnect feature, open a command prompt, type the following line, and press ENTER:

net config server /autodisconnect:-1

that is on the server side

it might be a client thing which would suck in your case

System Key: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\

Parameters]

Value Name: Autodisconnect

Data Type: REG_DWORD (DWORD Value)

Value Data: 0 to 4,294,967,295 (0xffffffff)

let me know if this works... have you updated your computers lately?

When did this start to happen... What updates were around that time? Or has it always been there?

--
-TheCloak

"You Never Know What Hits You, A Gunshot is the Perfect Way" - JFK

 

[TheCloak]

I don't know how your network is setup but you can always add the following to the logon script to logoff the drive and remap it on every login.

net use p: /delete
net use p: \\servername\share

This deletes the Drive and then remaps it.

That just might be refreshing for the system especially if your computers logoff at night.

But still if it does it every 2 hours... that's not cool

--
-TheCloak

"You Never Know What Hits You, A Gunshot is the Perfect Way" - JFK

 

[greatfish]

We do have enough CALs, we actually have about 25 more then we really need.

The drive is added via login script that maps the drives. It is \\nt\location\shared drive

Once the drive does disconnect, I fail to access any of file folders which are shared. I can use the above path or even try to access it via the 'Entire Directory' long method. It still fails to locate the shared components on the server.

I have adjusted the server and my personal workstation as you mentioned above, with no success. And once I did set the status as 8 F's, it disconnected the share roughly 2 - 3 hours after that change.

We run NOD 32 antivirus, which I have just disabled. I checked its log versus the shares disconnecting and there was no similar times, unfortunately.

Remapping the network drives each time does not help either. I have disabled the login script on my machine, force myself to remap it individually. When the share disconnects for everyone, mine goes out as well. I will get a script to delete the drive and see if that helps with my situation.

If I recall correctly, there was no major event that took place to start the shares disconnecting. About the early-middle of February, the server was locking, requiring a hard boot. That problem was a RAM issue. Once the RAM was replaced, the share disconnecting began shortly there-after. No drivers were updated, no MS updates applied, no new software was introduced.

I am planning to reinstall server 03 next weekend if I can't get it stable before that.

 

[greatfish]

BTW... thanks for all the suggestions!

 

[TheCloak]

You might want to look into a Non-Authoritative Restore

start here:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb727048.aspx

basically that recovers to a previous state of working.

So if you had a backup from Feb then you'd be good to go.

But then again Microsoft is like a car... after a while it needs to be refreshed and unlike cars you can't just tune them up..

It might be best to just start over for me I had to do that to one of my servers about a week ago and it's running smooth like butter...

But having the login script Delete the old and then remap seems to be a common thing.

--
-TheCloak

"You Never Know What Hits You, A Gunshot is the Perfect Way" - JFK

 

[TheCloak]

here is an example of the login script

NET USE /persistent:no
NET USE * /delete /y
NET USE F: /DELETE
NET USE G: /DELETE
NET USE H: /DELETE
NET USE F: \\SRV2\FILES
NET USE G: \\SRV2\PROG
NET USE H: "\\SRV2\FILES\HOME\%USERNAME%"

I got curiously and started looking around.

One guy got this problem fixed - he went to My Computer and right clicked the disconnected drive and renamed it to what it was suppose to be

M:\ MLSROOT on DPC-DC

He said that his would randomly disconnect but after he restarted the computer it would fix it.

He said that "Disconnected" got stuck so it owuldn't reconnect and once he manually renamed it he hasn't had the problem since..

Now that's weird


--
-TheCloak

"You Never Know What Hits You, A Gunshot is the Perfect Way" - JFK

 

[greatfish]

Thanks for the idea, but I really think a clean install will serve me best at this point. I just wanted to make sure, before I dive down that rode, that there wasn't something I missed, like an AD setting, DNS issue, DHCP issue, etc...

Antivirus was a good one, I just overlooked it, since all the other servers run like champions with it on. Would be fantastic if that was the problem, I just have my doubts

I will update if there are any new findings on my side.

Thanks!
Nick

 

[greatfish]

That is strange... Unfortunately, no matter how many times I restart a PC, it never reconnects the network share. If I try to disconnect the drive, it tells me it cannot find the directory.

And thanks for the example script.

 

[TheCloak]

you could always do what the people from Office Space did and take it out and hit it with a hammer!

Good luck, please post a solution if you find one or post a recomendation.

Also don't forget to give "Stars" to the people who helped. This motivates others to help out as well. It's all for the glory.



--
-TheCloak

"You Never Know What Hits You, A Gunshot is the Perfect Way" - JFK

 

[Titleist]

Is there nothing in the event logs? Is the "Server" service still running when the disconnects happen?

John

 

[greatfish]

The server does still run and allow me to remote into it, when the share disconnects.

There is nothing in the event logs, when the share disconnects.

I do have a little update, as since last Thursday the shares have not randomly disconnected at all. The change that was made was on the DHCP, the IP address range was not reserved. Since that change, the shares have not disconnected. I figure that was the problem, if we make it through this Friday (major project deadlines) without any disconnects.

 

[markdmac]

In case you would like to beef up your login script, check out my FAQ on the subject.

faq329-5798

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

Check out my scripting solutions at

http://www.thespidersparlor.com/vbscript

Work SMARTER not HARDER. The Spider's Parlor's Admin Script Pack is a collection of Administrative scripts designed to make IT Administration easier! Save time, get more work done, get the Admin Script Pack.

 

[peacevanic]

Hello,
I have the same problem on my file server.
Haven't got the cause yet.
I'll appreciate any advise.
Thanks

 

[greatfish]

The way my disconnect issue was resolved was via our router. The IP address of the file server was not in the DHCP reservation range. We ended up adding a reservation range of 5 IP addresses above and below the static IP address of the file server.

As soon as we made this change on the router, the file server stopped disconnecting the network shares.

Anvanster, you may want to double check the DHCP reservation range on the router.

I wish you the best of luck, I know the pain you are experiencing.