In my windows 2000 server i shared a folders so that anyone in the lan can map it for specific use. the map is ok win xp stations can see the drive but the problem is for some time they will lost the drive or cannot connect to it. i have to ipconfig/release and ipconfig/renew all the time in the windows 2000 server so that they can connect again to the map drive. what do u think is the problem regarding the disconnection of the mapdrive in workstation for sometime. sometimes for long hours it does not disconnect. Aldrin

XP will disconnect the drive after some time as a resource saving feature but it should reconnect immediately when you access it. if you have to renew IP then I think that you have to focus on that problem, not the disconnection. Are there any other problems that might indicate something wrong in the LAN itself (hub/switch, etc.)? Peter (Alert me if you want a reply)

This is why im wondering I don't think i have a problem with the LAN itself, because all of a sudden all workstations are disconnected and if I renew the ip in the server all are connected again. Do you think that it might have something to do with the simultanous access of files of the workstations to the servers harddrive that is around 20 workstations. Because I tested it that one workstation access the server drive overnight the map drive didn't disconnect. I really appreciate your help and if you still help me on this matter tnx. Aldrin

Aldrin, I would like to help, but this is an unusual problem. I tend to think the reason is not what you suggest but it is certainly something that should be looked at. A few questions (please answer all if you want me to help): This one I asked before. Do you have any other problems with the LAN - slow/can't log in... - anything else at all? Do you have a mix of 2000 and XP workstations, and if so is it just the XP ones that have the problem? Does the server ever lock up and need rebooting? Anything unusual in the the server event log files? Check the event logs of the workstations. Are they sometimes losing IPs or can't connect to the DHCP server? What do you mean "can see the server" when the mapped drive is disconnected? Can you at that time browse to the shared folder on the server? Put another way, is the problem that the folder is not accessible, or just that you have lost the mapped drive? Peter (Alert me if you want a reply)

Before anything else this forum is really great someones helping. tnx ok - Regarding my LAN I don't have any problems with it except this one. - No i only have windows xp in my workstations yes its just the xp ones that have a problem. - The server doesn't lock up if they (workstations) lost the map drive the server is still working well. - i think they are not losing their ip as well as the server. that is when i check the workstations ip its still the same its very unsual becuase how can u loose the map drive when your ip is still the same. - i mean i can still ping the servers ip from the workstations even when the map drive is disconnected. no i can't browse from workstations. there is no problem with the folder i just have lost the map drive. - you see i will explain the whole scenario ok. infra: windows 2000 advance server for the server and windows xp for the workstation. all computers are patch updated including the server with anti virus on it norton. i have an edimax router with built in firewall of course firewall features are on. working time around 6 am in the morning the supervisor is putting the jobs on the map drive on the server - one map drive Z and another map drive Y - when employees sit on their workstation in the morning and they will get their job on the server which is the map drive everything works fine - but then sometimes only, not all the time for about 2 hours or 4 hours of working when the employee saves again his finished file on the map drive suddenly he cant reached or browse the map drive but on the workstation you can still see the drive except you can't get in it. theres an error something like can reach the host drive bla bla. not just one workstation that will suffer from this but all the workstation aswell. so what i do is go to the server i will ipconfig/release and ipconfig/renew on the command prompt after this all the workstation can browse again the drives. i mean doing this is ok cause you will only have a little short time to do it but its very annoying for the employees because they have to advise all the time that this thing will happen and if the administrator is not here they don't they will have to do it by themselves. one thing im wondering is the disconnection is entermetent sometimes whole 6 hours working well and then suddenly it disconnects. hmmmm... well i hope again if you can help your very helpful. tnx very much Aldrin

Aldrin, you are welcome for the help - I enjoy it - but I am not going to think about this more until you check the event logs. They are a great resource, and the first thing that you should look at. Check both server and workstation event logs. Peter (Alert me if you want a reply)

ok, ill do that maybe from there you already help me a lot tnx Aldrin