[hackergal]

Hi all

I have a client with a Small Business Windows 2000 server. Nice enough setup - P-III dual processing, enough disk space, running Exchange etc. and no problems in that department but, once or twice a week they have to shut it down and restart it for various reasons - sometimes the big Canon all in one rental machine will not work - then the server gets restarted and it's fine. Other times, some users can't get onto the shared drive - another restart. Especially on a Monday. Is this machine tired or could there be another problem? I have installed the most recent service pack as there was a sharing violation in Excel but it has now been fixed up.

Please guys - I have to go there on Wednesday!!! Don't wanna look too stupid - even if you can suggest a few things I can check to rule certain problems out - I am not too clued up on Server - other OS fine.

Thanks

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This is not exactly a problem that is easily solved given your info (which I am sure you don't have much more, given you are not present with the machine).

The especially on Mondays thing, is interesting. Is this server on a UPS? If the power is cutting out briefly, I have seen situations where a pc that is automatically set to reboot after a power loss will have issues--it appears running, but it is not.

You mention shared drives and the printer--Since you are accessing both remotely from the server, what happens when a person logs in locally -- in some offices, staff never do and in fact, it is often discouraged, but what happens if they do? Can they print from the server? Access those shares locally?

In control panel, make certain hibernate is turned off...some pcs just has a hardtime waking from hibernation. Update the bios, if possible, as this is often a advanced power management issue

Check the event viewer for any errors...especially networking errors. Swap out the NIC.

How is the Canon printer connected?

[gerryf]

This is not exactly a problem that is easily solved given your info (which I am sure you don't have much more, given you are not present with the machine).

The especially on Mondays thing, is interesting. Is this server on a UPS? If the power is cutting out briefly, I have seen situations where a pc that is automatically set to reboot after a power loss will have issues--it appears running, but it is not.

You mention shared drives and the printer--Since you are accessing both remotely from the server, what happens when a person logs in locally -- in some offices, staff never do and in fact, it is often discouraged, but what happens if they do? Can they print from the server? Access those shares locally?

In control panel, make certain hibernate is turned off...some pcs just has a hardtime waking from hibernation. Update the bios, if possible, as this is often a advanced power management issue

Check the event viewer for any errors...especially networking errors. Swap out the NIC.

How is the Canon printer connected?

[hackergal]

OK here goes. Yes on a very big UPS which is working fine and gets tested regularly. Everyone has roaming profiles which they are supposed to be on to get their email etc. Whether a laptop user just gets onto the server via his local machine or the users log in, sometimes, they just struggle to print. Another interesting point that I saw when I went last week is: there are two large 3com hubs - must be 32 port each. I did not have anything to do with this infrastructure but it seems that some of the ladies on one side of the office never have problems but the other side does. I am wondering if we have a bit of a dodgy hub? We have a logon script and everyone can see the shares and printers 100%. The logon is on the "all users" startup menu on all pc's and laptops. The only hibernation that is on is the screen - everything else is "never"

We also found that in c:\ProgramFiles\exchsrv\mdbdata\ the log files that are generated are as much as 9 gig over a two week period. Is there any way to switch this off? We just make sure that on every visit, the first thing we do is delete them as we have had the exchange server stop due to running out of disk space already. LOL The NIC is onboard and I am just a girlie tech and don't fancy getting that baby out of its rack and changing it, but perhaps I should give it consideration. Thanks for your help - but it seems we are still at a loss here...

P

[gerryf]

OK, let me sit down...

Arghh!

c:\ProgramFiles\exchsrv\mdbdata\ are transaction logs and are VERY important files on the exchange server

You should not delete these files by yourself!

(yikes)


That information will be deleted when you perform a full backup of the exchange information store with an exchange aware backup program--the fact it is getting so large indicates you are A) not using such a program, or b) backing up too infrequently.

On the other issue, when I said log on locally, I meant log on locally to the SERVER--ie, hook a monitor and keyboard up and see what's going on there. As noted, most offices will not and SHOULD not be logging on locally (though I have seen more than a few where the receptionist is happily typing away on the file server because they need an extra machine--course, I've also found servers in the bathroom, standing on a old nightstand in a water filled celler, propping up a three legged table...sigh.

Where were we...yes, I like the idea of a dodgy hub. The fact it is a hub and not a switch would indicate that its fairly old (no benefit to hubs these days, they're not even cheaper).

Another idea--jabbering nic on a workstation. Can you isolate the problem to a few users, and if so, does removing them from the network address the issue?

*jabbering nic, means a NIC that is just spewwing noise--on a HUBbed network, this can lead to massive collissions

You didn't mention

domain,or workgroup?

[hackergal]

The reason for file deletion is they phone and say the mail is down - we check and there is no space left and these log files are taking up like 9gig. We backup daily onto external drives - one for Mon, Tues etc. using microsoft backup and a 2nd drive that does a Friday backup. Then the owners take one drive off the site. No one works on the server - I will log on locally if I am there to add a user or something, but nobody works on it.

Domain with all the bells and whistles that go with it. Maybe I will do a small "audit" of who has the most problems and unplug them and see which hub they belong to. There are just a lot of users and they bill their clients by the minute so down time there is just a serious issue. The boss tells me if I have to down them, it's fine but they whine and carry on - you know how it goes. Maybe lunch time would be good. Thanks for the help but I think they need a new server LOL - I can sell them such a great one!!!