Windows XP logon problem

[stergiosnik]

Hello.

I have logon problems in a computer lab.

The PCs are running Windows XP Pro and from time to time some of them display the following error message when I try to logon to the Windows Server 2003 domain:

"Domain is not available"

I logon on as local administrator and I notice at the bottom right side on screen that the network card icon reports that "Media disconnected, network cable not plugged in".

I check the utp cable and I see that all are ok.

I shutdown the PC, unplug all cables from behind. I replug all cables and the problem is resolved.

But...

This occurs at list 5-6 times per month so it is time consuming to do this cable plugging/unplugging all the time.

Something is going wrong.

Any ideas what might be the cause of the problem. It occurs randomly to difference labs PCs each time.

Thank you in advance.

Stergios

 

[GrimR]

You need to start at the beginning, do you allow the card to be turned off
Network Adapters, right-click the adapter, click Properties, click the Power Management tab, and then clear the Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power check box

"[I check the utp cable and I see that all are ok.]" Does that mean the lights are flashing?
Can you ping anything?
Can you right click and repair connection?
Is there a problem with the lab switch?



MCITP:EA/SA, MCSE, MCSA, MCDBA, MCTS, MCP+I, MCP

 

[KageInaBind]

If it's not power then look at the physical part of the network.

What kind of switch are you using?
Are you running 100 Meg or Gigabit Ethernet?
Are your patch cables and other wiring certified to run at whatever speed you are trying to maintain?

Just a few off the top of my head. good luck and let us know how it is going.

 

[linney]

Is this policy set, you could try it if it is not?

The policy "Always wait for the network at computer startup and logon" is found:

Computer Configuration/ Administrative Templates/ System/ Logon

 

[kjv1611]

It sounds more like a hardware issue to me than a software issue. I'm thinking it's a problem with the switch, or the domain server itself, since you've seen it on multiple PCs. If it's possible to try a different switch, I'd try that, and see if the problem goes away.

stergiosnik,

Any updates to your situation?

 

[stergiosnik]

I had an incident today, again. I switched on the PC, I looked behind the PC and I noticed that the onboard netcard's light is off. After that I did this: I unplugged the power cable from the PC for 1-2 minutes and after replugging it the netcard's light turned on and I could log on to the network.

Is it the PC power supply? the lab switch? the lab power facility in general? Any ideas?

Stergios

 

[kjv1611]

Hmm, if this is a problem with one computer, then it's b/c of that one computer most likely. However, if it's multiple PCs, which it sounded like earlier, I'd think it's something bigger.

I do wonder one thing, possibly. I wonder if there is an issue with static electricity in that room. Is it a carpeted room, or hard surfaced flooring? If carpeted, how/where are the computers mounted - on said carpet, or on a shelf, or what?

One reason I get to thinking about static electricity is when you say you unplug the computer, and plug back up, the problem goes away. By unplugging the machine, you could release any stored up static electricity.

I know it sounds odd, but before I ever knew much about computers, I was working in an internship for a small business. They had one computer, and it was on a carpeted floor. Well, once in a while, the thing would just totally freeze up, or the Internet would quit working - different problems different times. ALWAYS, the fix that worked was unplugging the power for everything from the wall, and then plugging back up - static gone, problem solved. If I could remember more specifics, I'd tell it, but the bottom line was - as weird as it seemed, static electricity was the cause of the issue(s).