Error Message

[Fairlight]

On Thu, Nov 29, 2007 at 07:22:42PM -0600, Henry Melancon, the prominent pundit,
witicized:
> As I mention before to Nancy, I am no network expert.  I have an IT
> department that does not like Filepro.  They call it an old upgraded DOS
> program.  My manager wants to keep Filepro because it has been so reliable
> in the last 15 years.  Filepro is in a fight for it's existence at my compay
> and I need help.

This doesn't require an expert.  At least not for phase 1 tests.

Have My Network Places open and navigated to the point where the computer
name of the server that fP claims is "unreachable" is presented, but don't
navigate into it.  Just highlight a share on the system in question.

Wait, and leave that window there, with the relevant share highlighted.

The second this error happens in fP, hit Enter in Explorer, which should
bring up a list of files and directories on the share on the remote host.

1) If it does, then it's either a very -fast- and intermittant network
issue, or it isn't a network issue.

2) If it doesn't, and presents you with a message about the share not being
available, it's the network.

Also, another phase 1 test would be to have a separate window open in the
above fashion, but navigated all the way into the share.  If the share goes
away like fP thinks it does, and -Explorer- complains, it's a network
issue, pure and simple.

> IT tells me there has been no connection interruption on the computers with
> the proBlems.  I am sorry to bother you guys.  Is it not important to
> maintain Filepro users????  I would think you guys would want to help the
> novice.....If we all disappear, Filepro will have a lot less customers!!!!

Sure it's important to maintain -any- users.  Unfortunately, your network
stability is your IT department's bailiwick.  They may claim there's no
outage, but that error is not specific to fP.  In fact, that error is (and
I would bet on this) nowhere -in- the fP binaries.  It's a Windows system
error that any application will generate -when a share becomes unavailable-
(read: when the network goes *poof*).  Anything from Explorer to...name an
application...will give the same error in one visual form or another.

> I believe this to be a network problem and I have to convince IT.  I am just
> looking for suggestion and wanting to make sure it is not a problem in the
> Filepro Configuration.  I will do my own trouble shooting if need be.  Sorry
> to bother......

Try both the tests above.  They can't dispute whether it's fP or not if you
can prove that Windows Explorer does the same blinkin' thing.

Once you can prove that, hopefully they'll get on the ball and find the
issue.

Out of curiosity, are you running cable or wireless?  If wireless,
that could be it.  I've had wireless desyncs here that will cause this
behaviour.  If cabled, is it happening to more than one client system?  If
it's only happening to one client, then try getting the cable swapped out
between that box and the switch/router.  Preferably even to a different
port on the switch/router if possible.  If it's happening to all of them,
try getting the cable to the server itself swapped out.

There are a tonne of things to be looked at and tested, and not all of them
require any large level of expertise.  It takes zero skill to navigate
Explorer to the other computer's directory and let the window sit there.
Believe me, if it really is going away, Windows will kick up an error box
saying virtually the same exact thing and will grey out the content pane of
the explorer window.  That's one of the most basic tests you can run.  I
suggest you start there.

mark->