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Workstation lockups?

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Here’s one that I can’t quite figure out. I have a user who reports that his computer locks up when he tries to open or save a file to a network drive. Symptoms include:

– Only network access is impaired. All functions or programs on the local workstation run fine when the app locks up.
– The app lockup happens sporadically, but most often after a print job has run. Doesn’t matter if the printer is local or networked. But sometimes it locks when he hasn’t printed.
– The error he gets is “Cannot access file “xxx”, drive Q: does not exist” when saving a file, or the app in question hangs when opening a file.

To troubleshoot, I’ve tried:

– replacing the computer, twice, with clean copies of Windows 95 installed each time. Clean install of all apps as well.
– Removing the USER.DAT from the home directory for regeneration during the second PC install.
– Replacing the patch cord from the computer to the wall jack.
– Replacing the patch cord from the punch-down block in the phone room to the hub.
– Changing the port on the hub.
– Replacing the hub.
– Stringing a new cable from the wall jack to the phone room.
– Replacing the printer cable (hey, why not?)
– Swapping out every piece of hardware attache to the PC with the exception of the local printer (we don’t have a spare).
– Updated all software on the PC (but we only started updating when the problem started happening. We didn’t touch the PC before and he swears blind that he didn’t either).
– Called Microsoft tech support. They listened for about one minute before blaming Lotus Smartsuite 9 as the cause of the problems. Lotus Smartsuite and Notes are the only software that runs on the PC. No help from Microsoft (not that I expected any…)

Anyone have any ideas? Greatly appreciated. If not, stay tuned for a post of the video of this guy dropping his PC out the 18th floor window. Thanx!

Anyone have any ideas?

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Workstation lockups?

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Have you looked at your mappings? Is this done through logon script or do you add mappings manually. The reason I ask is what if you map by hand and then you logon and get the mapping and it overlaps causing some sort of communication error. This isa wild guess but no one has answered so why not. Perhaps looking at this from another point of view will help, have you stood on your head yet? J/K
Have you replaced the nic that is installed?

Workstation lockups?

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Thanks, but nothing had changed in the mappings when the problem first started to occur. And the NIC was replaced when the computer was swapped out. Thanks, tho.

Workstation lockups?

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Replaced the NIC when the PC was replaced. Drives are mapped in the login script and are visible in Explorer and through My Computer. Can view any file, can navigate any folder, but the apps lock when trying to open from or save to the network drive. Thing is, though, he’ll work OK for while, say 30 minutes to two hours, then it’ll lock. No other drives are mapped at any time, manually or through a batch at any time.

Workstation lockups?

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Right then!

It looks like you are having fun!

Firstly, let’s identify whether it is the PC or the user (You might laugh, but hear me out!)

Get someone else to use his computer (WITHOUT MOVING IT) for or day or so.

If the fault keeps occurring, then it’s still a hardware/software fault.

However, if the fault doesn’t raise its ugly head, and I’m guessing it won’t, then you need to concentrate on what makes the original user so special.

You mentioned a login script, therefore, Iassume you’re probably using an NT server or something similar. Try deleting his profile from the server. Be careful though, you may lose emails and other things depending on your setup.
You might prefer to create a brand new userid for him and make sure he uses it for a day or so. – I bet that cures it!

If you found that another user gets the same fault when using that PC, then you might want to prove it by asking your troubled freind to use someone elses PC. You should not expect him to have any trouble.
If this is proven, then I would replace the network card. (I think you’ve probably already done that though, so I guess it’s a profiles issue)

Hope this helps!

Workstation lockups?

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Hi! Yeah, I did try a new user ID before posting, but the problem happened almost immediately. Also tried whacking the USER.DAT in all locations, but no dice. Can’t move the user, as he is the receptionist for the area, and is in a fairly unique spot. Turned out to be the local printer when all was said and done (figures, the only part I DIDN’T have!).

Workstation lockups?

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I would suspect you have drivers that are incompatable with the “drive” routing, get the latest drivers for 95 , but if you want to assure the person isn’t the culprit , upgrade to 98 , as it has a slightly better user buffering method of operation , it allows some decent self repair if accidently distressed such as a hang.
Luck

Workstation lockups?

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Windows 98 didn’t help. Thanks, though. Turned out to be the local printer in the end. Oh, well. 🙂

Workstation lockups?

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Use a hosts file. You can use the lmhosts or hosts file. Look in the win directory for hosts.sam and or lmhosts.sam. The Sample (sam) file describes its basic use with examples.

You can create a hosts file and a lmhosts file with a text editor.

The most common use is to give baby (the client) a failsafe route to momma (the server). Example: Server address of 10.0.0.2 with a server name of server.
10.0.0.2 server
Use a tab between the tcp/ip and the name. Once you have saved it as a text file, rename it and drop the .txt extention. Yes no extention.
The hosts file is mostly for tcp/ip mappings while the lmhosts has some extra features that are explained in the sam file. I use the hosts file religiously for Outlook, and Outlook Express.

If you need copies of the files for the explinations and samples let me know and I will email them to you.

Good luck

Lee

Workstation lockups?

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Hi! Communication was a problem, but not in that way. Seems that it was a communication problem with the local printer. Thanks all the same, though. Appreciate it.

Workstation lockups?

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