*Urgent* XP Pro looses access to Windows2K3 after being idle for 8+ hours...

[ArchAngel777]

Any gurus here that can solve my networking problem?

I am running a Windows 2003 Server and have 3 Windows XP Pro workstations connecting to the network. If I leave for the day and come back in the morning, all three workstations lock up when trying to access network shares. For instance, if I come back in the morning and double click on "My Computer" it will lock up kinda like it does when the system cannot read a CD-ROM disc, it does the same thing here and then says not responding... I waited for a long time, nothing worked. I closed out and ended the task and the XP Systems go to crap and crash all over the place.

Now, I know this problem must be common, because this is the third one of these I have setup for my company (with Win2K3) and they all have been doing the same thing, with XP as their client.

I am sort of at a loss, but it appears the domain server is kicking any machine that is idle for around 8 hours (overnight) off of the domain. When I reboot the computer, I can log back in and everything works

For now I am having this client shut down their machines at night and then boot them up in the morning, but I still think there should be a fix for this.

If any of you guys have a clue, please fill me in! I am not very familiar with Windows 2003 but even thouh it is similar in many ways to regular Windows 2000, I never had a problem with Windows 2000 and this...

Thanks guys,

Gabriel

 

[SNC]

I have over 50 of these installed and I have never heard of this. I would check the power settings on both the clients and the server and be sure "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power" is unchecked. If that doesnt work try "Allow this device to bring the computer out of standby" And see if that helps. I would be interested in your results.

 

[VirtualLarry]

AFAIK, this is the new default behavior for SMB shares, starting with W2K. I'm surprised that it's actually causing crashes though. It could well be that your problem is more substantial than the behavior that I am referring to. I know that there is an MS KB article on the "new" behavior in W2K. I thought that the timeout was 10 minutes though, not 8+ (maybe 10?) hours.

Do all of these workstations use the same brand/mfg of NIC? I'm wondering if perhaps there isn't something about the NIC drivers that might be afflicting the connections as well.

 

[BeanDip]

Are you running the latest updates for XP?

I have only seen this behaviour once and it happens on a XP Pro machine. In the Event Logs I traced it down to an MS article that told me it was fixed in SP1 for XP. Unfortunately when I try to update the PC to XP SP1 it blue-screens and the client doesn't have the time for me to rebuild his PC to put a successful SP1 on it. He just deals with it.

Other questions:

Are they logging into a domain?
Have you checked your event logs on both the server and workstations?
Do all the workstations have the same network cards and drivers?
Have you made any changes to the Default Domain Policy?

 

[travanx]

I have this exact same problem!! Xp Pro Clients and Win2k Server is the domain. Our computers are all using the Asus P4C800-E Deluxe MB Gigabit connections which go to linksys 8port Gigabit switches which then connect to the router/server/dsl modem. Most of the guys leave around 5-6pm and if the computer is left on, the computer in the morning around 8-9am loses its connection to the server. So the network mapped share drives kind of lock the computer up and it won't find the server at all. A simple reset of the XP Pro client fixes this. But its just weird.

Oh and everything is up to date. SP2 on XP did not fix the problem.