Unable to open word document from a server

[Jim]

Word 2000 on two computers in a LAN are unable to open a 22Kb word document
on a Windows 2000 server. They hang until Word 2000 times out and displays
a retry message.

All workstations are running XP Professional.

By the way, Two other computers, also running XP Pro have no problem in
getting this document. And I can drag a copy of the document across the LAN
and store it on the desktop and open the file that way.

Network cable tester shows cat5 cable is fine.

Repeated ping tests (including several 100 consecutive pings - "n 100") with
a 1024 byte packet shows 0% packet loss and response at 0 ms. But to rule
out the cables in the wall, another cable was run across the floor directly
between the NIC and an unused port on the DLink network switch with the same
results

Other applications that run across the LAN to the server work without
problems. The problem seems to be only associated with Word 2000.

Virus scans and ad-aware "spyware" scans show nothing.

User is in the "power user" group and permissions (including sharing) are
"everyone" = read/write. The partition is totally shared and the file is
visible when opening using "my networks" against the shared partitiion.

Can anybody explain what is happening here and how to fix it?

Thanks, any help would be appreciated.

Jim

 

[John Dingley]

Note sure about this, but it sounds like it is an issue with permission of
another user to open the remote word document. There is a differnece
between copying and opening remotely. Can you open a remote notepad or
wordpad document? If you can, then it is not a network issue or network
permission issue.

Very good detailed report of the problem by the way!

 

[Jim]

Note sure about this, but it sounds like it is an issue with permission of
another user to open the remote word document. There is a differnece
between copying and opening remotely. Can you open a remote notepad or
wordpad document? If you can, then it is not a network issue or network
permission issue.

Wordpad opens the document without difficulty.

I don't think that this is a security/ACL issue as this file (a form
document) was routinely accessed up to about a week ago without any problem.
And I would expect that if their were SID issues, that the document would be
"invisible" and not failing to open with a "time out" kind of error message.
And as I said, wordpad works just fine which would rule out security.

By the way, I've both "repaired" and also "reinstalled" Office 2000 from
Control Panel/Add-Remove Programs and still have the same problem.

I'm convinced that it's some sort of esoteric issue with Office (Word) 2000,
but I have no idea on how to proceed short of completely rebuilding the
entire system and reinstalling all the application on it. I'm not inclined
to do this as I'm sure that there is some simple solution somewhere for this
problem.

Any suggestions would be welcome.

 

[Mo]

Wordpad opens the document without difficulty.

But wordpad doesn't try to create temporary files in the same folder
that the original document is located. Check that the user has
permissions to create a file in the folder from the workstation.

 

[TF]

Jim

What happens if you log into the workstations as Administrator and try to
open the document?

--
Terry Farrell - Word MVP
http://www.mvps.org/word/

Word 2000 on two computers in a LAN are unable to open a 22Kb word document
on a Windows 2000 server. They hang until Word 2000 times out and displays
a retry message.

All workstations are running XP Professional.

By the way, Two other computers, also running XP Pro have no problem in
getting this document. And I can drag a copy of the document across the LAN
and store it on the desktop and open the file that way.

Network cable tester shows cat5 cable is fine.

Repeated ping tests (including several 100 consecutive pings - "n 100") with
a 1024 byte packet shows 0% packet loss and response at 0 ms. But to rule
out the cables in the wall, another cable was run across the floor directly
between the NIC and an unused port on the DLink network switch with the same
results

Other applications that run across the LAN to the server work without
problems. The problem seems to be only associated with Word 2000.

Virus scans and ad-aware "spyware" scans show nothing.

User is in the "power user" group and permissions (including sharing) are
"everyone" = read/write. The partition is totally shared and the file is
visible when opening using "my networks" against the shared partitiion.

Can anybody explain what is happening here and how to fix it?

Thanks, any help would be appreciated.

Jim

 

[Jim]

Jim

What happens if you log into the workstations as Administrator and try to
open the document?

Exactly the same thing.

Truth be told, I'm quite baffled, because it is failing on two machines
running Word 2000 but not failing on 3 others.

Further, the parameters (and the scope) of the problem are changing. I'm
still not seeing errors via ping or via a cable test, and netdiag is not
showing errors on the one machine I ran it against (all tests come up
"passed"). However, I did see a timeout on copying a different file than
the one I've been working with from the server to the local desktop on one
machine. I was able to reproduce this failure once, but not more than once.
However, it still fails on a second machine in exactly the same way, while
not failing on 3 other machines at all.

If it were just one machine, I'd suspect a NIC with an intermittent hardware
failure, seeing as it's the only thing I haven't swapped out and all
permissions seem to be correct. But because it happens on two machines,
using independent network cables and NICs, I don't think that explains the
problem. Hence I'm looking for some esoteric issue with Word on these two
machines.

By the way, NAV indicates that the file is not infected, and neither are the
two machines where it is failing.

 

[TF]

Jim

Have you installed SP4 onto the Win2K server? Which version of Norton AV are
you running?

Terry

Jim

What happens if you log into the workstations as Administrator and try to
open the document?

Exactly the same thing.

Truth be told, I'm quite baffled, because it is failing on two machines
running Word 2000 but not failing on 3 others.

Further, the parameters (and the scope) of the problem are changing. I'm
still not seeing errors via ping or via a cable test, and netdiag is not
showing errors on the one machine I ran it against (all tests come up
"passed"). However, I did see a timeout on copying a different file than
the one I've been working with from the server to the local desktop on one
machine. I was able to reproduce this failure once, but not more than once.
However, it still fails on a second machine in exactly the same way, while
not failing on 3 other machines at all.

If it were just one machine, I'd suspect a NIC with an intermittent hardware
failure, seeing as it's the only thing I haven't swapped out and all
permissions seem to be correct. But because it happens on two machines,
using independent network cables and NICs, I don't think that explains the
problem. Hence I'm looking for some esoteric issue with Word on these two
machines.

By the way, NAV indicates that the file is not infected, and neither are the
two machines where it is failing.

 

[Jim]

Jim

Have you installed SP4 onto the Win2K server? Which version of Norton AV are
you running?

Sp4: Not yet.

Nav: 2003 with the sig file from October 8.

Terry

Jim

What happens if you log into the workstations as Administrator and try to
open the document?

Exactly the same thing.

Truth be told, I'm quite baffled, because it is failing on two machines
running Word 2000 but not failing on 3 others.

Further, the parameters (and the scope) of the problem are changing. I'm
still not seeing errors via ping or via a cable test, and netdiag is not
showing errors on the one machine I ran it against (all tests come up
"passed"). However, I did see a timeout on copying a different file than
the one I've been working with from the server to the local desktop on one
machine. I was able to reproduce this failure once, but not more than once.
However, it still fails on a second machine in exactly the same way, while
not failing on 3 other machines at all.

If it were just one machine, I'd suspect a NIC with an intermittent hardware
failure, seeing as it's the only thing I haven't swapped out and all
permissions seem to be correct. But because it happens on two machines,
using independent network cables and NICs, I don't think that explains the
problem. Hence I'm looking for some esoteric issue with Word on these two
machines.

By the way, NAV indicates that the file is not infected, and neither are the
two machines where it is failing.

 

[TF]

Jim

If that is NAV Corporate, it is unlikely to be the problem. If it is the
non-corporate version, then open NAV and disable the Office Plug-in under
Options.

If NAV is not responsible, then it may be a problem with SP3 for Windows
2000 server. Did this problem start occurring around the time you installed
SP3?

Terry

Jim

Have you installed SP4 onto the Win2K server? Which version of Norton AV are
you running?

Sp4: Not yet.

Nav: 2003 with the sig file from October 8.

Terry

Jim

What happens if you log into the workstations as Administrator and try to
open the document?

Exactly the same thing.

Truth be told, I'm quite baffled, because it is failing on two machines
running Word 2000 but not failing on 3 others.

Further, the parameters (and the scope) of the problem are changing. I'm
still not seeing errors via ping or via a cable test, and netdiag is not
showing errors on the one machine I ran it against (all tests come up
"passed"). However, I did see a timeout on copying a different file than
the one I've been working with from the server to the local desktop on one
machine. I was able to reproduce this failure once, but not more than once.
However, it still fails on a second machine in exactly the same way, while
not failing on 3 other machines at all.

If it were just one machine, I'd suspect a NIC with an intermittent hardware
failure, seeing as it's the only thing I haven't swapped out and all
permissions seem to be correct. But because it happens on two machines,
using independent network cables and NICs, I don't think that explains the
problem. Hence I'm looking for some esoteric issue with Word on these two
machines.

By the way, NAV indicates that the file is not infected, and neither are the
two machines where it is failing.

 

[Jim]

Jim

If that is NAV Corporate, it is unlikely to be the problem. If it is the
non-corporate version, then open NAV and disable the Office Plug-in under
Options.

If NAV is not responsible, then it may be a problem with SP3 for Windows
2000 server. Did this problem start occurring around the time you installed
SP3?

Terry

Terry, thanks for your help and willingness to assist. I really appreciate
it.

The source of this problem became obvious the minute I ran a patch cord to
another RJ45 wall outlet and connected the failing machine to it. Every
problem went away. Right then and there. No problems opening documents on
the server. None. Nada.

Even though the repeated ping tests with large (and also small) packets
showed 100% successful transmission and 0 ms response, and even though my
network testing equipment showed nothing wrong, it continued to fail when
opening documents on the server, as well as a one-time time out trying to
drag a file across the LAN from the server. [I even removed NAV on the
workstation, and it still failed.]

But the instant I connected it to another RJ45 wall outlet, bingo -- it
works like a champ.

What fooled me was that it still failed when I ran a supposed "good" patch
cord over the floor and plugged it into another port on the LAN network
switch.

I'm convinced that either the local wall outlet is bad, or the patch panel
port wiring is bad, or the specific LAN network switch port is failing. Now
that I know what the problem ISN'T (ie., XP Pro or Word2000, NIC), I can
chase down the specific cause.

I've ordered SP4 for 2000, and I'm going to cut off the ends that patch cord
(that I'm no longer so certain is "good"), and redo them, after I make sure
the LAN network switch is good. ;^)

Again, thanks for the help.

Jim

Have you installed SP4 onto the Win2K server? Which version of Norton AV are
you running?

Sp4: Not yet.

Nav: 2003 with the sig file from October 8.

 

[TF]

Jim

Well I am pleased you have found the problem. Sometimes IT makes a monkey of
us!

Terry

Jim

If that is NAV Corporate, it is unlikely to be the problem. If it is the
non-corporate version, then open NAV and disable the Office Plug-in under
Options.

If NAV is not responsible, then it may be a problem with SP3 for Windows
2000 server. Did this problem start occurring around the time you installed
SP3?

Terry

Terry, thanks for your help and willingness to assist. I really appreciate
it.

The source of this problem became obvious the minute I ran a patch cord to
another RJ45 wall outlet and connected the failing machine to it. Every
problem went away. Right then and there. No problems opening documents on
the server. None. Nada.

Even though the repeated ping tests with large (and also small) packets
showed 100% successful transmission and 0 ms response, and even though my
network testing equipment showed nothing wrong, it continued to fail when
opening documents on the server, as well as a one-time time out trying to
drag a file across the LAN from the server. [I even removed NAV on the
workstation, and it still failed.]

But the instant I connected it to another RJ45 wall outlet, bingo -- it
works like a champ.

What fooled me was that it still failed when I ran a supposed "good" patch
cord over the floor and plugged it into another port on the LAN network
switch.

I'm convinced that either the local wall outlet is bad, or the patch panel
port wiring is bad, or the specific LAN network switch port is failing. Now
that I know what the problem ISN'T (ie., XP Pro or Word2000, NIC), I can
chase down the specific cause.

I've ordered SP4 for 2000, and I'm going to cut off the ends that patch cord
(that I'm no longer so certain is "good"), and redo them, after I make sure
the LAN network switch is good. ;^)

Again, thanks for the help.

Jim

Have you installed SP4 onto the Win2K server? Which version of Norton AV are
you running?

Sp4: Not yet.

Nav: 2003 with the sig file from October 8.