Server 2003 Slow logon and file access

[Sl33py]

Hi
I recently got a new customer with a Windows 2003 domain. I have not worked on servers for quite some time and I am a bit rusty.

I have the following problems. If some users don’t shut down or restart there PC and leave it on for a long time the cant access their files on the server. Logon is also very slow. They have roaming profiles that synchronize with the local PC. The PST files don’t sync, where should I store them? The server got 256 MB of RAM and a 2.5 Celeron CPU (Meets min spec :wtf: )

The previous guys cabling was shocking they split a cable into two joining another cable with insulation tape ext. so I am scared to dive to deep into this server..:erm:

 

[Grep]

step 1: copy data to external drive and throw the scrap out
step 2: buy new machine that costs at least R7k
step 3: redo cabling
step 4: copy data and rejoin machines to new domain
step 5: profit

 

[vangend]

How many users do they have ?
Slow logon on w2k3 can also be DNS problems. Make sure that the dns records on the server and workstations point to the server where DNS is running, I would guess that it is the same server.

 

[Ivork]

Hi
I recently got a new customer with a Windows 2003 domain. The server got 256 MB of RAM and a 2.5 Celeron CPU (Meets min spec

2003 with 256meg -You can't be serious!

+1 on the DNS suggestion.
Forget roaming profiles with PST files.

 

[Sl33py]

2003 with 256meg -You can't be serious!

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc739866(WS.10).aspx

I never thought i would see people split cables and make T joints with insulation tape. New cabling will be put in soon.

I also think DNS, With NOD32 HTTP Mirror I had to use the IP it could not find the PC with its name. Any good crah course artricle on DNS?

There is 15 PC on the network

 

[Conradl]

Perhaps now is as good a time as any to learn that minimum spec is meaningless. I cannot see any way that Win 2003 server could run on 256MB ram. I assume that AV would consume at least 100MB. How many disks does the machine have? If you are doing roaming profiles, and the machine is paging, then it will be slow....

 

[gregmcc]

The server got 256 MB of RAM and a 2.5 Celeron CPU

Grief! You can't be serious! You need loads more memory and dump the celeron. Hardware is fairly cheap nowadays - get a beefier CPU (dual would be fine) with min 2 GB ram. Thats the first problem.

Get rid of the taped up cables - you could be getting network errors.

DNS - do a forward and reverse lookup - if it resolves fine then its not a DNS problem.

How can you (customer) run a business on 256MB ram! If 15 users are copying large files to the server I"m surprised i hasn't fallen over

 

[Elvis007]

After you chucked this "Server" (sorry, but that ain't no server) out make sure the new one has at least 10 000RPM drives in, 15 000rpm if you can afford it,then setup raid 5. (3 drives minimum for that config)
For every role your server has add 1GB memory. So, the basic windows server install needs 1GB to function normally without using to much of the paging file, then Domain controller role add another 1GB. Never use less that 2GB on any server. But also make sure you have fast disks, you can have 10GB memory it will not help if you sit with 7200rpm drives in the server...

 

[bekdik]

How many users do they have ?
Slow logon on w2k3 can also be DNS problems. Make sure that the dns records on the server and workstations point to the server where DNS is running, I would guess that it is the same server.

running as per below can fix dns problem:

dfsutil /PurgeMupCache

But first get a proper environment, the one you've got is quaranteed to bring grief!