Microsoft Exchange Server kicks client off J-Drive

[chess9]

Problem:

Microsoft Exchange Server kicks a Win 98 SE client off the J drive when the operator minimizes Microsoft Word and attempts to log onto the J drive to get, for example, email. We've replaced the router and cabling and the client's NIC. These are new Dell P4 workstations. I also just reformatted the hard drive (for other reasons) and re-installed all the software. This problem occurred before the reformat and still exists.

Cause:

1. Motherboard?
2. Configuration setting in Exchange Server?
3. Electrical interference?
4. Win 98 SE?
5. Glitch in MES that requires a patch I haven't found?
6. Other (of course, it's always "other")

It ain't:

1. The hard drive or NIC. The NiC has been replaced, and the hard drive fully checked.
2. Ditto for the router and cabling.

I'm afraid I feel like "The Weakest Link" at this point. Very frustrating problem and the young lady lawyer is not happy.

Thanks guys.

-Robert

 

[spidey07]

This is a completely re-producable problem? Does it happen on any other PCs? Any other network related weirdness?

You might try to get a sniffer trace, that would help a lot. Oh, check licensing on the server as well.

 

[chess9]

Spidey07:

Thanks for the reply. No, it doesn't do this on any other client in the office. Also, this is a big law firm and all their software appears to be originals, but I'll have one of our guys double check that. I would think if the software were bogus we'd have this problem elsewhere in the system. Everything else works fine.

I'm suspecting either the client box from Dell (this new stuff does not seem to be up to standards of production from just a year ago), or the cabling may be twisted or too close to an electrical wire. I also am wondering if it is a software problem with MES. Have you ever had this problem?

Thanks,
Robert

 

[chess9]

Anyone have any ideas before my career goes now the tubes.

Thanks.

-Robert

 

[igiveup]

What version of Exchange Server are we talking about here? 5.5? 2000? Also, what do you mean by "kicked"? As in it says you don't have permission to log on? Or a general lack of service that is hard to trace, without an error message?

 

[Tallgeese]

Interesting one. Sounds like you've (most likely) eliminated any physical layer errors as possible causes.

Have you checked the Event Viewer on the Exchange Server? Prolly some interesting info in there.
I'm a bit fuzzy on why users are having to connect to a mapped (J) drive to check e-mail.
Feel free to PM an explanation for that part of the setup, 'cause I'm thinking therein lies the problem.

We definitely need to know the following:
* Exchange version & SP level
* Windows version & SP level
* Amount of RAM, HD space available
* Any other applications showing ANY flakiness on that user's machine at all?
* Make of NIC (never hurts to check)

<< the young lady lawyer is not happy. >>

I feel your pain. I work for accountants.

This time of year is always the start of a 4.5 month period I like to refer to as:
"A Preamble to Springtime....AND WHAT THE !%^#$@#^&!$&! DO YOU MEAN I CAN'T SPILL COFFEE ON MY KEYBOARD AND STILL USE IT TO FINISH THIS TAX RETURN IN THE NEXT FIVE MINUTES?!?!?!?!?!"

I've started to indoctrinate my crew with the following mantra: In a sluggish economy, never mess with a service professional's billable hours!

 

[chess9]

Igiveup:

Thanks for the the reply.

Yes, this is 5.5 2000 for the server. Wind 98 SE for the client She gets the lack of permission error message, but oddly, after several tries, it lets her log on.

That's why I've been thinking itwas a hardware problem. These intermittent problems will drive you nuts! It happens about
3 or 4 times per day.

Thanks!

-Robert

 

[chess9]

TallGeese:

Thanks, too!

Yes, I replaced the NIC first thinking that was probably it because Dell put a generic POS into the box. I replaced that NIC with
a LinkSys one. No help, of course.


She has 128 megs of ram and about 15 gigs of hard drive space left.

Don't know the SP version, I didn't set it up but will check. No other applications are affected.

NO OTHER MACHINE HAS THIS PROBLEM!

I think I'm going to run a new CAT 5 cable directly from her box to the router today and have her try to replicate the problem.
If the problem doesn't repeat, then we know the source.

I'm sympathetic to the young lady, because computers can be so annoying some time. Thank God!

Thanks again!

-Robert

-Robert

 

[vi edit]

Have you noticed the machine getting kicked off the entire network itself - not just the exchange server?

I'm wondering what would happen if you tried to download a huge file off of the internet to see if you lost complete network connectivity. If it drops that download then you know that it's not a something on the exchange server.

Does anybody else have a way of testing constant connectivity...some sort of network monitor that senses a connection drop?

 

[vi edit]

Also - are you running a statip IP or DHCP network?

Is there any chance you could have any IP's crashing together?

 

[igiveup]

One thing I noticed about Exchange server 5.5 is that you need to match the user permissions that it uses to the ones that the account has on the domain. I have user rights on an account on exchange, but the default group for the domain was domain user. That worked fine. When I changed properties on exchange to give a user more rights to manage the public folders it bombed on me. Wouldn't let the user in. Gave me that same type of error message. Even though the user was a member of the administrators group, that wasn't the default group. It threw everything off. Changed the default group to match the new one (Administrator) on the Exchange Server and voila. It worked.