Windows Server 2003 - Shares Appear to Drop Randomly

Hi was this ever resolved by Microsoft? I'm having EXACT same issues. The funny thing is that I'm also using a HP Proliant Windows Server 2003 DC box running Symantec Endpoint 11. We recently uninstalled Symantec and left it off for a week.
I had no problems for a week.

However I then began to worry about virus threasts so we reintalled Symantec using the server pack install. We thought maybe the problem was that we used the client install before. Long story short my DC went down again today. So I uninstalled Symantec again and will call them for the upgrade tomorrow. Just curious if anyone officially resolved this. :D
 
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From reading through the thread (interesting stuff) it looks like Symantec is not always involved. As far as Symantec goes though..... I made the decision to move away from Symantec just as they were rolling out the End Point series of products.

All of the horror stories of End Point blowing up servers and after having Symantec Mail Security drop several of my customer's servers every so often, I decided enough is enough. No such issues with NOD32 for AV and ORF for spam.

With this issue, there does seem to be some connections to low RAM on the server and users doing wacky things. Prolly not all the same exact issue in each case.
 
I just found this thread searching for help on the same problem. I also have a 2003 Standard serving on a HP Proliant.

I hope the original poster can give us an update.
 
Check the Event Viewer for failed or crashing services.

Particularly the Server, Workstation or Netlogon service.

See what you find in there and post back here.
 
Just like the OP, nothing in EV.

My problem is exactly like the OP.

I actually just got called a few minutes ago and am in the middle of the problem. I am VNC'd into the box and RD'd into the box.

If I open "My Computer" and try to drill down into the shares that are shared from this server from this server, I get an explorer lock up for a few minutes. I can drill down on the Local drives the shares are on, but not on the exported shares in the same explorer window. Same thing trying to get properties on the shares.
 
The only super strange issue I've seen on 2003 recently is caused by the /3GB switch in boot.ini after receiving a particular Windows update from early this year. Try removing that switch if you are using it.

Other than that, check your ram, remove either CPU if it's dual (try one at a time), remove all but one ram stick or half the ram at a time. I have numerous 2003 server file shares at work running on a variety of Proliant servers, with a variety of storage choices and have never seen this exact issue. Of course make sure your firmware and Proliant support pack is up to date.
 
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I know this is an old thread, but i found it while googling my problem.
I seem to be having the same issue. Win2k3 x64 R2. Everything works great, for weeks at a time, but then randomly the server shares just drop off. No warnings/errors in event monitor, the rest of the server is fine. It is just the WindowsShares that jsut drop out. Reboot fixes it. Anyone ever seen a fix for this problem?

If it matters:
DFI NF4 SLI-DR Expert
4x1GB OCZ 3200 DDR
AMD Athlon 64X2
Symantec Anti-Virus Corp Editon 9
 
koolaidkitten said:
I know this is an old thread, but i found it while googling my problem.
I seem to be having the same issue. Win2k3 x64 R2. Everything works great, for weeks at a time, but then randomly the server shares just drop off. No warnings/errors in event monitor, the rest of the server is fine. It is just the WindowsShares that jsut drop out. Reboot fixes it. Anyone ever seen a fix for this problem?

If it matters:
DFI NF4 SLI-DR Expert
4x1GB OCZ 3200 DDR
AMD Athlon 64X2
Symantec Anti-Virus Corp Editon 9
Click to expand...

I got a fix for you possibly.

This problem was causing serious DOS for a Dentist's office I service. Took a few weeks to find it.

What I found was that there were encrypted files showing up in a commonly accessed directory. Mainly Word docs and excel Spreadsheets. Whenever someone accessed these, all hell would break loose.

I had to go back and delete the encrypted files. There are some search scripts out there to find them.

Nobody was using encryption or knew how to do it. I don't know why they got set that way, but it was reeking havoc till I got rid of them.

Hope this helps. It was staggering how much this was affecting their office function.

They now have a statue of me out front!

But I'm having trouble keeping all the bird crap off of it!
 
Just because a service has failed to start does not mean it will log in the event view.

Check the following services. Verify each is running properly, ALSO stop and restart each one and check to see if you're able to connect after each step.

I 'm going to start in the order that I believe is most likely to cause this issue.


Computer Browser
RPC
Server
Workstation

If I were a betting man, I'm going to say the Computer Browser Service is failing.

And the reason it is failing is probably something wrong with either DNS or WINS. If you want o test this, start checking checking your DNS and nbstat.
 
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Mackintire said:
Just because a service has failed to start does not mean it will log in the event view.

Check the following services. Verify each is running properly, ALSO stop and restart each one and check to see if you're able to connect after each step.

I 'm going to start in the order that I believe is most likely to cause this issue.


Computer Browser
RPC
Server
Workstation

If I were a betting man, I'm going to say the Computer Browser Service is failing.

And the reason it is failing is probably something wrong with either DNS or WINS. If you want o test this, start checking checking your DNS and nbstat.
Click to expand...

Im actually leaning towards its some kinda screw up within 2k3 R2 x64.
I used to run 2k3 standard, no problems, have another server running 2k8 R2 x64 no problems. I didn't have any issue like this til 2k3 x64.
WINS can't be a problem because it is not installed.
I dont see any DNS issues, would DNS even matter unless im tryin to access shares via server name. Shares are still gone if i explore server via IP addresss.
 
Computer browser service not functioning properly will still take down your ability to connect to another machine.

DNS only matters if the router is using it. If you're packets arn 't making it to the correct location...well.... that itself ends the story.
 
We have exactly same problem as in original post by partner1220.
- Network shares drops randomly.
- DNS works fine, but shares does not.
- On event log there is complete cap between start of jam and restart. So no info for any problem.
- Server service can not be restarted or killed.
- Server can not be restarted, it has to be done by hard reset.
- Shares to other server works fine.

We have this on virtual Windows 2012 server, which works as AD, DNS, DHCP and File server. Main server also 2012 is a Hyper-V server. It has two virtual servers - AD mentined above and image database server. During jam everything like shares, network etc. works fine on image database server. During jam AD is hard to log on even as administrator (due to dead sharing and GPT:s locating on share). And it can only be restarted by stop or reset button on Hyper-V master (so luckily I can solve problem remotely).

Now I have found some encrypted directories and at least one is created withing 15 minutes of one crash. So hepefully this is the problem.

Anyway this has been reported on 2003 server. Hasn't MS fixed this 2012? Or could this be an other case? Is there any newer information about this kind of crash?
 
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