Folder redirection issue

[Big Jim]

Customer runs a SBS and 4 client machines, couple of power cuts during the day and they call me that one user has lost all icons on desktop etc.

I did a bit of troubleshooting, in the end I backed up user docs and deleted user account and recreated, I also took the machine off the domain and whilst trying to rejoin the domain discovered that the client had had a new broadband service installed and the new router was handling DNS at the same time as the server, so I reconfigure the router and all machines start behaving more normally.

However folder redirection does not work for this user at all with the new user account. I then leave it for a day or so as I am busy, I reconnect and all folders apart from downloads and documents have redirected to the central redirection location on the server.

The even log shows an error for each one of these folders,
folder redirection 0x1031 the request is not supported

I thought I'll try create the folders manually and see what happens, if I try to name a new folder to either downloads or documents I get an error saying this operation can only be carried out if you are connected to the network.

If I recreate the folder directly on the server using the admin account it does not show on the client account/machine.

 

[Big Jim]

I seem to have resolved this by temporarily disabling offline files and manually creating the folders

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

I also took the machine off the domain and whilst trying to rejoin the domain discovered that the client had had a new broadband service installed and the new router was handling DNS at the same time as the server

DHCP (and/thus DNS) running from something other than a domain controller...yeah it can take a while but in the long run, issues that are related to proper communication between a member computer and active directory start to surface. When you have a network that is based around a Windows domain, DNS should never...ever...ever...be anything other than a domain controller (or on larger networks...another server that is a member of the domain running DNS). DHCP should be run from one of the servers, and hand out only the internal DNS. Not the router. Not the ISPs DNS servers. Not any public DNS like Google or OpenDNS or Q9's.

When folder redirection breaks, it can take a while to hammer back into place sometimes.

 

[Big Jim]

DHCP (and/thus DNS) running from something other than a domain controller...yeah it can take a while but in the long run, issues that are related to proper communication between a member computer and active directory start to surface. When you have a network that is based around a Windows domain, DNS should never...ever...ever...be anything other than a domain controller (or on larger networks...another server that is a member of the domain running DNS). DHCP should be run from one of the servers, and hand out only the internal DNS. Not the router. Not the ISPs DNS servers. Not any public DNS like Google or OpenDNS or Q9's.

When folder redirection breaks, it can take a while to hammer back into place sometimes.

Customer was confused when I said his "new" router had contributed to this problem, that router has been in place for 18 months apparently.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Yeah it can take a long time for active directory related/dependent issues to surface. Network will appear to work fine...netbios allows browsing of shares. For simple networks you can go for years without knowing anything is wrong...if you're not using anything really AD related. Just...DNS is the foundation of active directory, without it...the house comes crumbling down...eventually.

 

[Big Jim]

Yeah it can take a long time for active directory related/dependent issues to surface. Network will appear to work fine...netbios allows browsing of shares. For simple networks you can go for years without knowing anything is wrong...if you're not using anything really AD related. Just...DNS is the foundation of active directory, without it...the house comes crumbling down...eventually.

They probably had loads of weird little issues but never contacted me about it.

They run Sage and the DB is on a network share on the server, it still worked though. but whilst I was fixing this particular users account someone shouted that sage wasn't working again.

as soon as I changed the router setting to the correct DNS, they rebooted and no issues.

What I am curious about it whether I actually needed to do anything with this users account or not, ie would changing DNS in the first place have resolved the issue.
This is the only server (apart from my own) that I handle, I am not very experienced with servers, and I didn't set this one up.
I do worry that its going to go pop one day though its probably about 8/10 years old running 2012 SBS.

Customer is always thankful when i come and fix problems but I don't think they have a huge IT budget, they normally request new hardware and about 6 months after a I quote them they go ahead with it. Also takes me 3 months of chasing them to get the bill settled.

 

[Mick]

This is the only server (apart from my own) that I handle, I am not very experienced with servers, and I didn't set this one up.
I do worry that its going to go pop one day though its probably about 8/10 years old running 2012 SBS.

If there are only four users SBS seems a bit over-kill. If/when it goes EOL - or just 'Phut!' - consider a NAS as a replacement. Sage won't like it if SQL's involved, but you can always share that from one of their workstations.

 

[Big Jim]

If there are only four users SBS seems a bit over-kill. If/when it goes EOL - or just 'Phut!' - consider a NAS as a replacement. Sage won't like it if SQL's involved, but you can always share that from one of their workstations.

I don't know if I want to try and handle this with a NAS, there are around 6/7 users on 4 machines (some part time staff) and although everyone has their "main" desktop they hot desk regularly.

Also have around 6 email addresses that are shared so whenever there is a new user they have to be setup on each work station they are likely to be used so that I can configure all the emails in outlook for them.

That being said if I offer them a cheaper option of using a NAS they would probably take it.

 

[Mick]

Are they running in-house Exchange, then? This would be a good opportunity to dump that, too...
Plus, they could - if it helps sell the idea - work from home a lot easier with a NAS. The hot-desking needn't matter - they just log-in to the NAS from wherever they are - a bit like they do now from the sound of it.

 

[Big Jim]

O365 hosted exchange.

Working from home not really an option mainly due to the dynamic of the business.
phones/orders/sage/drivers etc.