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03.07.2008 at 09:40AM PST, ID: 23223586

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6.6

WIndows XP slow to open files

Zones: Miscellaneous Networking, Windows XP Operating System, Personal Computers

Tags: Microsoft, Windows Explorer, Windows XP Pro, Networked Computer

Hi all I have an issue that has affected several of my networked computers. The issue works like this:
If a user tries to open a file either on the local drive or on a network share it will take nearly two minutes to open. If the user opens the same file through its corresponding program then it opens with no issue. (txt. document opened through notepad works fine, same with Word, Excel, Amada, etc.)
I have done a lot of reading here on the site and I have tried out some of the ideas with no success. So far I am only working on one computer as a test machine. Since I am dealing with Registry Settings, I figured I will only try and ruin one machine instead of all of them. :)
Testing and troubleshooting so far:
1. Disabling the NIC will allow files to open with no issue on the local drive
2. We did take down an old server this week
3. I tried removing all instances of the server name through regedit
4. I removed all shortcut links through My Network Places
5. I tried Netsat -an to see if I could see a specific issue and I saw a lot of time waits to the DC but that was all
6. I used TCP View but in all honesty I have no idea what I am looking at/looking for
7. Checked by opening MS Office programs and looked to see if any instances of the server name was saved through them. No old server name was found.

New Issues
1. After removing all instances of the old server name through Regedit, the issue remains and now if I disable the NIC there is no affect on the lag time. It still takes nearly two minutes to open a file through explorer.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. It would be fantastic if someone could help me look at and understand the packet sniffing and either point me to a good arcticle or walk me through it from expereince.

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Question Stats

Zone: Networking

Question Asked By: NetworkOperations

Solution Provided By: RDAdams

Participating Experts: 7

Solution Grade: B

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03.07.2008 at 10:20AM PST, ID: 21072874

Rank: Master

NetAdmin2436:

<<2. We did take down an old server this week
This is most likely the cause. It wasn't a DNS server was it?

Do this from a workstation.
start --> run --> cmd --> ipconfig/all

verify that the old server's IP no longer appears in the DNS, or gateway, or wins.

03.07.2008 at 10:20AM PST, ID: 21072876

Rank: Wizard

flubbster:

It does sound like the system is continuosly trying to map a network drive/file and you are seeing the timeout associated with it. If not, then you just may have a CLSID permissions issue. This can happen after removing certain software and also be caused by certain Antivirus programs. Do this please: Go to Admin Tools and look at the services that are running. Look specifically in the list for one that says "Starting" instead of "Started" Also, take a good look at the DCOM Service. This service has a timeout of 2 minutes, which it sounds like you have. Also look at the RPC Service. Let us know what you find please

03.07.2008 at 10:25AM PST, ID: 21072919

Rank: Master

NetAdmin2436:

More.....
If your TCP/IP settings are set to automatically obtain IP addres and still getting the old server's address under DNS or WINS.....then on your DHCP server, you will have to change it's scope options if it's still including the old server.

Make sure you delete any mapped drives to the old server as well. And make sure there are no scripts running at login that is trying to map them.

03.07.2008 at 10:27AM PST, ID: 21072939

WOODTECH:

I would look at DNS as an issue. Was the old server a DNS or WINS server?

Try a IPCONFIG /FLUSHDNS as well to make sure the old server isn't the first it is looking to.

try going to the server via IP address instead of name, see if this imporves performance (if only to trouble shoot)

03.07.2008 at 10:30AM PST, ID: 21072964

NetworkOperations:

NetAdmin2436: In answer to your question, no this was not a DNS server. It was merely a file print server. Also I show no record of the IP address when I did an ipconfig /all.

Flubbster: I checked the services and found none at the Starting phase. I also looked at DCOM and RPC both were started.

03.07.2008 at 11:09AM PST, ID: 21073302

NetworkOperations:

Mapped drives have been deleted and the scripts were changed to remove the old server name and apply the new server. The server is offline so trying to hit it by IP or by name simply fails.

03.07.2008 at 11:16AM PST, ID: 21073339

Rank: Master

NetAdmin2436:

flushdns on both clients and dns server(s)?

To be clear, is this happening with any and ALL file types? or just certain types of files?

03.07.2008 at 12:22PM PST, ID: 21073864

NetworkOperations:

I dont have access to flush DNS from the DNS servers. They are located off site and I do not have access rights. I have however asked for a senior person to look into the matter on that end.
To clarify this issue happens with all file types.

03.07.2008 at 12:45PM PST, ID: 21074010

NetworkOperations:

Its been a while since I have dealt with higher end server issues and network troubleshooting. Doesn't restarting the computer flush the DNS settings?

03.07.2008 at 12:54PM PST, ID: 21074053

NetworkOperations:

Just for the purpose of troubleshooting I flushed dns with no success.

03.07.2008 at 01:44PM PST, ID: 21074376

Rank: Master

NetAdmin2436:

To my understanding Yes, restarting a computer does flush DNS. Hmmm....running out of ideas.

03.07.2008 at 01:45PM PST, ID: 21074385

Rank: Master

RDAdams:

Are you working with network shares across a WAN?

03.07.2008 at 01:52PM PST, ID: 21074425

NetworkOperations:

Yes we are

03.07.2008 at 01:59PM PST, ID: 21074470

Rank: Master

RDAdams:

If you turn off the WAN shares and use explorer to open a local file does it work correctly?

Accepted Solution

03.07.2008 at 09:15PM PST, ID: 21076028

misterjoetwo:

Try turning off the "List of Most Recently Used Documents"

On XP...
Right click on taskbar and click properties.
Click Start Menu Tab
Click Customize
Click Advanced Tab
Uncheck "List my most recently used Documents."
Click OK.

This list can capture file settings on network shares across the wan and cause lots of grief if it is no longer available. So it just looks and looks. So I just don't keep the list.

03.07.2008 at 09:35PM PST, ID: 21076056

Rank: Master

shasunder:

1) heres a common problem in Windows XP that can make network browsing very slow.

If the 'My Network Places' folder contains a shortcut to a network share, then each refresh of the explorer window will attempt to read icon information from every file in the remote location, causing the system to slow to a crawl.

Removing all shortcuts from 'My Network Places' will return the system response to normal.

Every time you open a file via a UNC name, Windows XP will automatically add another shortcut to the 'My Network Places' folder - so the issue tends to get worse over time.

For additional informations please visit
http://www.ss64.com/nt/slow_browsing.html

2) When you try to open a file from a network share, the file may take longer than expected to open.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/814112

3) Documents slow to open when connected to network
http://windows.ittoolbox.com/groups/technical-functional/windows-xp-pro-l/documents-slow-to-open-when-connected-to-network-469899#
http://windows.ittoolbox.com/groups/technical-functional/windows-xp-pro-l/documents-slow-to-open-when-connected-to-network-466230#

4) Have you checked your firewall and virus-scanning settings it maybe that
when you are transferring data the firewall checks it and so does the virus
scanner.

5) when opening a file whether locally or network,
windows by default searches all local and network sources. It also check for a mapped network drive that no longer exists. when it is mapped to a network printer that is no longer
available may be it become slow.

6) Try checking for spywares, virus using good anti spyware and virus and use CCleaner (available for free to remove temporary files and clean your registry). This may make your machine to perform faster

03.10.2008 at 09:56AM PDT, ID: 21088088

NetworkOperations:

Sorry for my late response to these entries...
RDAdams: Would you be willing to list out what method you would use to turn off the WAN shares? I want to make sure that I am not doing it in a way that could potentially casue more confusion. I can tell you that when I disabled the NIC the local documents opened fine from the local drive.

msiterjoetwo: I did try disabling the list of recently used documents and it did not resolve the issue.

Shasunder: I have removed all links within My Network Places with no success. I have checked virus and firewall with no resolution to this issue. I suspect that with the server off there may be an IP or otherwise hidden pointer back to the server that I can not find. I have checked registry and removed any and all mappings; printer, drives, etc that would refer to the powered down server.

Does anyone know a way that I could translate what netstat -an is telling me?

03.10.2008 at 10:23AM PDT, ID: 21088322

abailey101:

You say you disconnected network mapped network drives. Did you do this through Windows Explorer? You could have a maped resources without a drive letter assigned to it. From a command prompt type "net use" and verify that the server is not listed.

03.10.2008 at 01:33PM PDT, ID: 21090115

NetworkOperations:

abailey101 you have hit on something that I totally missed. After using the command prompt as you suggested I did in fact come across the server in question. It did show that the drives were disconnected. What would you suggest I try now?

03.10.2008 at 06:56PM PDT, ID: 21092377

WOODTECH:

Try "net use * /delete"

03.11.2008 at 04:48AM PDT, ID: 21094732

abailey101:

Woodtech's answer will disconnect all drives that you have mapped. You can als do "net use driveletter /del" or you can do "net use \\server\share /del" if there is now drive letter assigned.

Assisted Solution

03.11.2008 at 02:08PM PDT, ID: 21100378

NetworkOperations:

Guys I am sorry but I ran out of time to test your suggestions. I will be testing first thing tomorrow and will update tomorrow after testing.

03.14.2008 at 12:43PM PDT, ID: 21128786

NetworkOperations:

I did finally discover the solution. As it turns out there were registry strings under Microsoft Office and under Amada 2005. These strings were the cause of the slowness. Although I had previously tried editing the registry and removing all instances of the old server name, I did in fact miss those two programs. Once I removed any registry setting that pointed to the old server name the client machines worked like normal.
I really appreciate the help I got from all of you. However I am not sure how/who to award points to. Several of you guys suggested things that got me thinking and it was those thought tangents that lead me back to the registry. The two that helped me the most were abailey101 and RdAdams. Please let me know if this is air and I will distribute the points equally between you two.

03.14.2008 at 12:48PM PDT, ID: 21128834

abailey101:

sounds ok to me

RDAdams

03.18.2008 at 06:18AM PDT, ID: 21150620

Sorry for not getting back to you prior. We just ensure we do not map any drives across the WAN.

If someone in say Calgary needs access to a drive on a share in London we just place a shortcut on the desktop to the share. The users have access but their system doesn't have to scan the London share each time a "browse" is requested from the OS.

We notice anywhere from a 10% slowdown to 60% depending on which WAN links are being crossed. All of our WAN links are T1 or better.

No worries on the points...just glad I could be of some assistance.

WOODTECH

03.18.2008 at 07:01AM PDT, ID: 21151015

No credit when someone else refers to my answer?

NetworkOperations

03.18.2008 at 08:59PM PDT, ID: 21158408

Woodtech, I only used the netuse command to see what was being listed, I did not actually delete any drives through command prompt. I should have accepted an earlier post from abailey101, instead of the one I selected, but it was late and I was tired so I grabbed one at more or less random. My apologies for misleading you as it is not my intention to treat you in a way that would make you feel as if I was being unfair.

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