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regsamp

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Windows 2003 Server that only a few people can access

We have a Windows 2003 Enterprise Server that is a file server that only a few users can access on a Windows network.  We have not made any changes or update to it but all of the sudden users cannot access it or ping to it.  A few users still can...There are no errors in Event Viewer or in Device Manager.  We have tried a different NIC, Ethernet cable and port on different switches.  No other servers are having an issue.  The server has been rebooted but still the same issue.  Any assistance offered would be greatly appreciated.
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smarttmelanie

Can the clients that can't connect to it, ping it by IP address? If they can, then the problem is DNS.
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ASKER

The clients cannot ping it by IP address.
What OS are they using?
Is network discovery on?
Can they re-map the dirve from their machines?
Can they RDP? (or try this from cmd prompt 'telnet servername 3389'
Have you checked windows firewall?
If you create another share on the server, can the user connect to the new share?

Is there a differnce in the time settings on the clients?
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ASKER

Clients have Windows 7 and XP Pro. Network Discovery is on. The clients cannot map re-map the drive connections when the issue occurs.  Checked Firewall settings and they are not on.  The users cannot connect to a new share.  They cannot ping or access the server in any way.  There is not a difference in the time settings on the clients.
Do those clients have their netlogon service stopped?

Have you disabled AV?

Are you seeing Event ID 2020 on the server?
On one of the broken clients, check to make sure 'client for microsoft networks' is still checked.
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ASKER

Have disabled AV on a few to try and it has not made a difference.  Not seeing Event ID 2020 on the server. Client for Microsoft networks is checked.
check this reg key 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\NetworkProvider\Order' 'ProviderOrder'

make sure RDPNP is before LanmanWorkstation
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ASKER

"check this reg key 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\NetworkProvider\Order' 'ProviderOrder'

make sure RDPNP is before LanmanWorkstation"  It is...
Maybe, check the "Server" service is running on the server.
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ChiefIT
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When you said you checked the firewall, was it on the client or on the server side?

This looks like a firewall problem on the server side.
On windows, there can be more than one firewall stacked. The windows provided one, plus the antivirus/security solution one. turn down those.

Also when the client is unable to ping the server, go to the server and ping the client.
Also run a tracert -d ip.of.the.server from the client, and a tracert -d ip.of.the.client from the server.

You need to see where the block is happening.

on the weird side, I saw issues when connecting to services from some computers to the windows server, when those computers were not using the active directory designated DNS server. services are closed to the client after an undertermined amount of time.
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ASKER

After a weekend of switching switches, flashing the bios of the server and checking many other settings it appears the NIC in the server was going bad and was the culprit.  It was having power issues and after swapping it out there are no issues at this time.
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ASKER

I've requested that this question be closed as follows:

Accepted answer: 0 points for regsamp's comment #a38336192

for the following reason:

The NIC ended up being the issue and after swapping it out it appears the issue has been resolved.