File corruption when logging off

[dawks]

We have several users running Windows XP with roaming profiles stored on a Server 2003 box. Our users use POP3 for email and store all their messages on their computer (copied to the server via roaming profiles for backup). Since we moved our server to another room, once or twice a week, a random user will log in to their account in the morning and start Outlook, and we'll get a message saying "errors have been detected in your PST file, please run scanpst.exe" (which I do, but that just ends up deleting most of the users emails and contacts anyway). I've found the only way to fix their problem and get them up and running is to restore the PST from a backup. But the problem eventually returns.

I am guessing its a network issue, but everything else seems to work fine. I've tried running a ping -t and all the pings get through for hours. Also, should Windows be checksumming the file? If there was a transmission error, TCP/IP should just request the packets again not? Is this maybe just disabled by default? Can I enable it?

 

[Jeff7181]

I think if you suspect network errors you should be checking router/switch logs. The fact that ICMP packets (ping) aren't having a problem doesn't mean a whole lot unless you're using a large payload, close to the MTU as you'd see with real network traffic.

By the way... if you're using roaming profiles, you may want to set up home directories on a file server for users to store things like PST files and anything else they might keep in "My Documents" so you can delete the local profiles from their computers without losing real data. At the very least, use an alternate location on the local machine for document storage to get it out of the profile so you don't have data loss every time a profile gets corrupted.

 

[RebateMonger]

Note that Microsoft doesn't support the use of .PST files across a network because of the potential for corruption. Yes, people usually get away with it.

 

[Cal166]

Originally posted by: RebateMonger
Note that Microsoft doesn't support the use of .PST files across a network because of the potential for corruption. Yes, people usually get away with it.

That and the fact that some people keep every single e-mails and attachment they have. It just boggles down the network.

 

[dawks]

I am still having this problem. Some help please... A google search shows many people having this issue, but no solution.

Originally posted by: RebateMonger
Note that Microsoft doesn't support the use of .PST files across a network because of the potential for corruption. Yes, people usually get away with it.

The problem with this comment is I am not storing the PST files on a network share for access directly via Outlook. I've read the KB article on the PST's and network shares. But the files are stored and accessed locally. The only time the network is involved is when the user logs off. This file is simply copied to the server (where it is becoming corrupt). The question is, why is a simple file copy being corrupted when a user is logging off? This is also happening to Outlook Express users.

I think one common item might be that many people are logging off with the program still open. Perhaps Windows is killing the process before it releases and closes the file? This might explain why the problem never effects some users. They might be ones who tend to close everything before logging off...

 

[RebateMonger]

Yeah, it wasn't clear to me how Outlook was getting the .PST files.

One other thing that can corrupt Outlook files is the AntiVirus software. THAT can keep the Outlook database open even while Windows is trying to log off or shut down. Try temporarily disabling the AV, or any other Outlook add-ins, and see if that stops the corruption.

 

[dawks]

Originally posted by: RebateMonger
Yeah, it wasn't clear to me how Outlook was getting the .PST files.

One other thing that can corrupt Outlook files is the AntiVirus software. THAT can keep the Outlook database open even while Windows is trying to log off or shut down. Try temporarily disabling the AV, or any other Outlook add-ins, and see if that stops the corruption.

I've noticed Windows Desktop Search is also keeping the PST locked for a period of time after Outlook is closed. Is there a group policy setting that can be changed to modify the log off behavior rather than disabling anti-virus, and desktop search? Perhaps changing the way Windows handles log offs would help.

This is pretty poor default behavior. User logs off, file is locked and in use, so we'll just kill any process locking the file, causing it to be corrupted, then proceed to backup the corrupted file (via roaming profile).