When using word files on a file, Microsoft Word becomes terribly slow

[starriol]

I installed a new Windows 2003 server to make it a file server.

When some people here work with word documents on the server, the Microsoft Word slows down a lot. You type and then see the letter 5 secs later on the screen. This didn't happen with an old Windows 2000 server we had, neither happens when working with documents on the desktop.
It happens with both Office 2000 & 2003 and it happens with 2 PC with very similar specs (around 1.2 Ghz processor, windows 2000 sp4 and 128 of ram).

Any ideas ? Problem on the server? Perhaps the new switch I used? Low ram to work from the server? Thanks.

 

[starriol]

OK... the changes that I did after installing the new server were moving the router & cable modem to a spot near the server.
It looked like this:

Switch 1 ----- Switch 2 ----Router ---- ADSL

, the "-" signs mean an UTP cable connecting the devices. Also, switch one went to the server directly, without any other switch or router in between.

Now, it looks like this where we have the most switches:

Swtich 1---- Switch 2

And the server is connected to switch 1 via a cheap switch and the router is connected to the switch too.

Perhaps that new switch is the problem?

I'll check it out right now. Any more ideas guys?

 

[starriol]

I tried that, connecting the server directly to Switch 1, where the clients PCs connect and the same problem ocurred.

Does the fact that the windows sessions takes around 2 minutes to start after entering the user and pass have anything to do with it? Why could be this? I'm using a Windows 2003 server and I'm not too expert at configuring it... I'm taking classes now...
Oh, and adding 128 more ram didn't help one of the machines

Some guy in another forum suggested the slow loading time after logging in in the workstations could be because of misconfiguration of the DNS:

When using Netdiag from Microsoft's Windows Support Tools, I get the following errors:

DNS test . . . . . . . . . . . . . : Failed
[WARNING] Cannot find a primary authoritative DNS server for the name
'server.ces.'. [RCODE_SERVER_FAILURE]
The name 'server.ces.' may not be registered in DNS.
[WARNING] The DNS entries for this DC cannot be verified right now on DNS
server 192.168.0.151, ERROR_TIMEOUT.
[WARNING] The DNS entries for this DC are not registered correctly on DNS se
rver '192.168.0.10'. Please wait for 30 minutes for DNS server replication.
[FATAL] No DNS servers have the DNS records for this DC registered.


DC list test . . . . . . . . . . . : Failed
'CES': No DCs are up.

CES is the name of my domain.

192.168.0.151 is the IP of my only server. It SHOULD be working as active directory, DNS and active directory server... but I'm getting problems...

Ah! I read in some post in another forum that with one domain controller I should have only one DNS server. 192.168.0.10 is the alternative DNS server since that is the router, so that is used in the clients and the server.
Could that be a problem? If I stop using it I lose access to the Internet.

Thanks. This may seems offtopic to some, but I believe it has a lot to do with it.

 

[spidey07]

Definately sounds like some kind of name resolution/dns problem.

you shouldn't have your router as a secondary DNS server. It's a router. Just have a single DNS server and let it use root hints for Internet resolution.

logging in should take seconds. I'm not a server guy but I believe most problems with acting slow are DNS related. Heck, most AD problems are DNS related.

 

[RebateMonger]

If you haven't already done it, make Widows Server 2003 your one and only DHCP Server, DNS Server, and WINS Server. Set all client PCs to automatically configure their IP addresses and DNS addresses via DHCP from your Server.

Then reboot your client PCs and see if things work better.

As spidey07 said, allowing client PCs to get their DNS information from both a Windows Server and from a hardware router is asking for trouble.

 

[starriol]

^^^^ Yep... that sounds true. Ok, I'll make my server a DHCP server too... it's a very good idea. Also, is it necesary for it to be a WINS server? Be have not wins server on the network right now.

And my main question is: "you shouldn't have your router as a secondary DNS server. It's a router. Just have a single DNS server and let it use root hints for Internet resolution." How do I do that??