[solved] Help! Client loses network every two hours (1 Viewer)

[HTPCSourcer]

Hi,

Since a good week one particular client (HTPC from my System profile) that is connceted to a WS 2012 Essential domain server appears to be losing its network connection in fixed intervals, about every two hours. When this happens the PC cannot be pinged and can't ping anything either. Ipconfig shows all values to be correct, it's like the network controller deactivated itself. When I reboot or just run the network diagnosis, the system recovers - for another two hours period.

Things worked well until recently so it must be related to something that happened on the PC itself. Because of daily backups to the server I have not been actively using restore points, which would make reverting to some earlier stage very simple. I am surprised though that there isn't any because normally the regular Windows updates should have created some at least.

Complete PC restore from the server-stored backups requires booting a small salvage System frmo a USB stick. PC is booting but then does not find the Server.

Anybody ever experienced anything like this? Any ideas?

Thanks,
HTPC_Sourcer

 

[Luca Brasi]

What does the eventlog say at those times? Maybe something related to power management on the nic.

 

[HTPCSourcer]

Thanks for stepping in

The only error that I see is DNS not reachable. I will take a look at it again for any other message. However, after all the hassle I had already deactivated the "computer can deactivate the device to save energy".

At this Moment I am running a new test with a new user Profile: rebooted, launched MePo and started TV. Netweork Connection Screen is now at 1:25. We'll see what happens in half an hour. If it Fails again I will analyze the Event log and Report here.

 

[HTPCSourcer]

Hhm, while under the old profile the pC would not stay connected longer than two hours, I cannot reproduce this with the new profile from another user. The conection is now up 2h50 and TV is running for 2h15 now. Go figure...

I will remove the profile in question, recreate it and launch the standard setup with automatic user logon, which I have defined in the registry for the HTPC user.

 

[Luca Brasi]

So it did lose connection before while having traffic on the nic? Or was it idle back then? If so you might wanna try what happens if you let it stay idle.

 

[HTPCSourcer]

Connection was lost while playing TV, i.e. lots of traffic. I sure can experiment around letting it stay idle - but this is the productive machine and I need to get it up and running again asap.

Two issues remain, both don't appear unsurmountable:

Removing the Profile is not as easy as I thought. I was able to remove it from the list of users on the Client via control Panel/user Management, however, I cannot delete the respective directory on the Client in order to start from scratch and create a new Profile with the same name. Do I Need to delete the user with this name form the Server first, then delete the Directory and then recrete the user on the server?

Also, MePo will not start correctly from the new Profile unless I do explicitely launch it as admin. Otherwise it hangs at "Loading plugins". Maybe MediePortal was installed for the old user only, in which case a repair/update install under the new Profile should do the trick.

 

[HTPCSourcer]

Removing the Profile is not as easy as I thought.

For those interested in this: it can be done in the registry.

• Navigate to HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\Current Version\ProfileList
• A list of sub-keys with long S000.... can be seen. Every line is a different computer account.
• Each account is showing ist respectie Name in the right Panel
• Delete any account that is no longer needed
• Log off and log on again
• Delete undesired directories of outdated users in C:\User

Another logoff/logon, change user now allows the creation of a new profile with the same user Name. Note that has the same Name, but not the same Computer account numebr and is therefore treated by Windows as a different account than the old one. Any manually set access rights to the old user with the same Name will be lost.

 

[HTPCSourcer]

Ok - the System is now running continously without breaking off, and keeps going.

So apparently all problems were somehow linked to the profile. ut I have absolutely no clue how a profile, which was functioning since months would suddenly cause the NIC to fail.