Link to home
Start Free TrialLog in
Avatar of maingateinc
maingateinc

asked on

Server loses shares and permissions upon reboot

Hi all,
We have a server, MS Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition, SP 2.  It's one of our primary servers for file sharing on our network.

For some reason, whenever the server reboots, it loses all of the sharing and security permissions on every shared folder!  The folders and directories all reside on the G:\ which is this server's data partition.

Any help is much appreciated
Thanks
Avatar of Mike_Courtney
Mike_Courtney

IS the server service starting OK.
Any errors in the app log pertaining to it.

Is it the NTFS permissions that are lost or the share permissions?
Check to make sure your devices are loading properly.  Are you using a raid controller?  What method did you use to share folders?  
Avatar of maingateinc

ASKER

Server service is starting OK

The only errors om the app log are from a program called ExtremeZ-IP.  I beleive this program relates to mac users and file-sharing.  I wonder if this could be the cause?

The share permissions are definately lost, I don't think that the NTFS permissions are lost, but they may be.

How do I check and which devices for loading properly?  This server is using a RAIDcontroller, I wouldn't think anything is faulty there because everything operates normally as far as physical access goes, no RAID errors either.  The method for sharing is just right clicking the folder in the data partition and clicking sharing and security... then sharing tab and setting permissions
Was the server configured as a file server?  If so, setup shares within the File Server Management console using the "share a folder wizard" instead of applying share permissions to individual folders.  
Ok so I'm looking at the File Server Management.  Under Manage Shared Folders all of the folders are listed along with their paths, and their permissions are set ok.  However like I said if the server reboots the shares are all lost.  It's not just the permissions that are lost, but the share is removed entireley.  So we are forced to share again each time and configure permissions
They'll be listed there if you set them up again individually, but reconfigure all shared drives with the sharing wizard and reboot.  If thats not the case, it may be your RAID controller firmware or driver.  Typically restarts re-enable sharing, not cause them to be lost...  :(  
Do you have all updates applied?  Make sure you're up to date with drivers and Windows updates.  Also make sure you have a current backup...
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
Avatar of Mike_Courtney
Mike_Courtney

Link to home
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
Start Free Trial
I really think you're just incorrectly sharing a folder or drive, causing Windows to revert to default settings.  I also encountered this problem when I was having issues with my RAID controller and backplane driver.  
If you modify special shared resources, your system will revert to default settings upon reboot.  Starting from scratch and using the sharing wizard is a good method to properly setup your shared folders and determine whether some of the shares you were making were not supported.
I will try some of these steps you guys have given after hours tonight - I will post results tomorrow, thanks much so far
I tried adding the shares again with the wizard as someone suggested but on reboot the shares were still lost.

Restarting the server service in services.msc did restore all of the shares, thank you!!  Though we're still unsure of why the shares are lost to begin with, it is an easy and quick work-around
I think you've got something interfering with the server service
I'd look initially at the MAC software