W2K Slowly Dies on Network

[Scout]

This is a machine I'm putting together for my wife and I'm having all kinds of network problems. I thought Win2k was the ticket to build a stable system... ummm mabe... if I can ever figure this out.

It seems very erratic on my LAN, sometimes visible, other times not, and copying files computer to computer sometimes freezes, other times is successful.

I can access the web via my DSL... for a while anyway, then it locks up my connection. Explorer will close and a reboot cures the problem... for a while... It's not a router problem as I normally have another computer using this drop with no problems.

When I try to access AOL via dial-up, the connection is dropped after just a few seconds, and after that, my DSL connection won't work either.

I'm outta ideas... Anybody got any advice on what to do with this?

Configuration -
Abit WX6 motherboard (Intel 810 integrated video & sound)
Celeron 550
256 meg SDRAM
Creative Modem Blaster (Winmodem) DI5630-4
Linksys LNE100TX v4.1
Win2000 Professional SP2 installed
Several other Microsoft updates also downloaded and installed like the AOL patch and the 810 chipset update...
I have also downloaded and installed the W2K drivers for the network card from Linksys and the Modem from Creative.



Scout

 

[blah]

If you could get a "real" netcard it would cure most of your network problem, but in case you dont have such an opportunity, borrow from someone just to try. Intel pro or 3Com will do it. Otherwise 810 chipset is all you need for funky system ) so get a better chipset (mobo) if you can (even SiS will do it, they have all on mobo sets and it works nice with Win2k). On the other hand, just reinstall Win2k, install SP2 right after the installation, load all the drivers after, dont install any "updates" from MS site for a while (while "testing" the system at least) and see if that helps. I think it will though, have fun.

Post, we'll do the "search"...

 

[Scout]

Really? I gotta believe that Microsoft supports Intel on the 810 don't they? My wife uses this machine for nothing but word processing and Internet... Is the 810 known to have problems with Win2k? I never read that anywhere... and besides, I got this board for $39 brand new!

And you're saying there's a difference between a $19 network card and a $45 network card??? (heh heh) Hard to believe! But doggone it, they SHOULD work!!!

So mabe you're right... I'll flatten and redo it... of course you know the definition of stupidity is don't you? - Doing the same thing and expecting different results!

How cum Microswift can't just make this stuff work???

Scout

 

[blah]

Hey, I did not mean to upset you, I said "on the other hand" for that matter. I just told you how would I "fix" the stuff if I were you (get good parts in the first place (for basic work I would need parts which have Windows native drivers), works 100%). In your case everything should work as it is though (even cheap stuff is cheap stuff), but it has to be set right. Get the latest drivers for 810 from Intel's site, and whatever else you have and spend 1 hour to rebuild the system. That is all.

I think you had something went wrong during some program installation (I dont know what you have on PC besides OS), and from my own experience I can kill Win2k just by installing some kids game or load wrong display driver. So that is why I was suggesting reinstalling the OS. In any case you have OK system for word processing and such, I set one such system up just a couple of days ago (Intel 810, for word processing as well ) and it works fine. Hope that helps, have fun.


Post, we'll do the "search"...

 

[blah]

Sorry for bothering, take a look at <A HREF="http://forumz.tomshardware.com/network/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=1034#1034" target="_new"> this</A> post, I think they have the same problem with the NIC card as you have. Might wanna talk to that guy to get more details.

Post, we'll do the "search"...

 

[Scout]

Don't get me wrong.. I'm not upset at all! I appreciate your input and I'll probably reload it when I get a chance... cause everything else I've tried hasn't worked. I usually try and figure something like this out rather than reload cause I learn something in the process...

It's interesting you say W2k is so sensitive... so the stability is only if you set it and forget it? Disappointing. I know the other Microsoft products have similar problems... it's easy to screw everything up.

Last week my friend's ME load got totally hosed when he tried to reload Windows ME... kept "blue screening" and would only boot in safe mode. We finally gave up, nuked it and reloaded... all is well, but good grief, you'd think this stuff would be a bit more robust! In the end though, none of us probably appreciates the complexity of the software running in these machines now-a-days!

Scout

 

[Scout]

Hummm, it does sound similar... not sure I have any insights for him though

Sigh... so exactly what model of network card do you recommend and how much $$$ is it?

Scout

 

[blah]

You see, Win2k was made for business in mind, so it is like you said, give it basic stuff so it knows about it and play with it just in the way what it intended to. Mostly it is drivers that screw stuff up, not the Windows. So once it set up right, it is awesome thing to have. Even my kid has hard time to break WinME once it is working right (I usually delete _Restore folder from within Win2k partition so it works like a dream)

As far as a network card, I heard Netgear are good and what nice about them, they are dirt cheap (in our shop they are 12 bux), but I did not try them out myself. I have 3Com and Intel, so I dont bother with anything else. But at work I had whole bunch of different ones, even very old, and they are usually work if Windows can find them.

I figured out that the best thing to "cure" the OS is to reload it once it starts failing. Usually I set the thing up, load drivers, apps and make an image of the drive with Ghost. When I screw something up, it takes just 5-10 minutes (depends what system I want to load) to "restore" the drive to the clean, original setup, and I am up and running with the smile again. I use it for WinME, 98SE and dual boot with Win2k Server. So it works the best for me. Very much recommend it. Saves lots of time and most important - our precious nerves, heh


Post, we'll do the "search"...

 

[Scout]

That Ghost software sounds good... Is that a download somewhere?

BTW I tried the Win2k on a different computer and the network problems went away, but it burped when I tried to load my printer driver (Arghhhhh...) It's one of the new HP printer/scanner/copiers. There seems to be a USB issue of some sort because it won't connect, although it identified and installs it when you plug the USB in. Doing some reading at HP, they say load SP1 or better and it should work... so I loaded SP2 and it still don't work!

I think I'm gonna give up on Win2k and go back to ME...

Scout

 

[blah]

Well, the bestest way to load any new drivers on any OS is find it in the Device Manager and update it from there pointing to the folder with driver. I was installing all of my hardware that way for more than two years now and nothing goes wrong. The reason I start doing it is because when I was using install option from CD itself, something always was going wrong. Especially with Creative's stuff, they always load 100+ megs of useless stuff, for "customer's benefit" of course. So you might try that as well with your new HP thing. Win2k has perfect USB support. All my staff works fine with it, HP printer 930C as well. Anyway, I just wanted to ask if the other PC that you did not have any problems with your network had the same network card in it (just for my future experience).
Have fun.

Yeah, and info about the Ghost you can find <A HREF="http://www.symantec.com/sabu/ghost/ghost_personal/" target="_new"> here</A>.

 

[wmunn]

if this is any help or not?
the only times I have ever suffered from the problem you described, it was a lan card that the default drivers for had a problem. it was easily fixed by downloading an updated driver from the manufacturer.

 

[Scout]

I've actually tried two different NIC's in these machines..
Linksys LNE100TX v4.1
Netgear FA311

Scout

 

[Scout]

OK, here's a new problem. I gave up on Win2k, but I find that it has hosed up one of my other computers on my LAN. This other Win98 computer can't seem to address my DSL router due to a problem that occurs when a Win98 computer associates itself with a Win2k domain server.

I was using this Win98 computer to talk to the Win2k beastie when I was trying to make it work.

Anyway, I find in the Microsoft Knowledge Base this article:

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q242/0/00.ASP?LN=EN-US&SD=gn&FR=0&qry=Vdhcp&rnk=6&src=DHCS_MSPSS_gn_SRCH&SPR=W98SE

Apparently there is a fix, but Microsoft wants to sell it to you! Major bummer! Anybody know what the fix is? It's described as a DNS issue where Win98 sends the wrong message to the router and it doesn't recognize it. I'm not totally sure that this is the problem, but I do know all my network settings are correct, the computer worked before, and the only change was it was talking last to the Win2k machine...

Scout

 

[CALV]

Bloody RIP OFF, and on the next line they have the cheek to tell you that its a confirmed problem, ok, MAYBE you can get the money back from the extortionists, "MAYBE" it says LOL.
But, check the date on the file, it may be free by now, I cant check thier ftp site as im @ work and have limited access, but may be worth a look.


Next time you wave - use all your fingers

 

[kal326]

I dont know, I would definately try using a nic in place of the linksys one on that machine to test it. I had a linksys NIC that went out a while back and it started doing the same type of crazy sh|t. I was on a Lan based internet, sometimes things would work just fine. Other times I couldnt get a thing or it would stall and lock. Just try a new nic or swap one out from another machine as a test.

You can prick your finger, but don't finger your prick!