Topic: Word Files corrupting in RAM

[sbryan]

Next question:

We have an ongoing problem where users with open Word files will literally see them corrupt on screen with large sections being replaced with garbage - I have seen this happen myself. This has only occurred since we move to the e-smith /SME server. After some other research I turned oplocks and fake oplocks off in the smb.conf file, which has reduced but not elimanted the problem.
Has anyone else seen this?

[irian]

you might have a RAM problem with your server.

Martijn

[sbryan]

RAM problem as in 'not enough' or as in 'faulty chip'?

[CharlieBrady]

you might have a RAM problem with your server.

Martijn

I'd suspect first a problem with the client. I don't suspect RAM problems on the server if this is the only symptom.

[sbryan]

This occurs on all workstations which have not been altered since moving from NT to SME. Did not occur under NT so I am assuming something wrong with the server or server setup.

[mbachmann]

Yes but it sounds more like a codepage/character set problem on the client-side to me.

[sbryan]

That didn't make much sense to me - my ignorance! Have put the term into Google for some reading but am none the wiser really. Below are the only charset/codepage references in the smb.conf file. Can't check at the moment if these exist in the Regional Settings in the Control Panel on the computers that are playing up, will do that when at work (Tried remotely but seems everyone is listening to me now and turning them off at night!)
If the clients have these settings in their Regional Settings would that eliminate this as a cause?

display charset = ISO8859-1
dos charset = 850
unix charset = ISO8859-1

[irian]

Just had a similar problem with Russian files on an English XP Pro PC.
I needed to install the Russian language pack and that solved it.
Are you working with different languages?

[sbryan]

Only on some PC's - they use Japanese, however these haven' exhibited the problem, or at least they aven't reported it.

[sbryan]

We have just upgraded the server, by moving the HDD to a new machine. It has a P4 3GHz and 1GB RAM, while speed of access has improved all the other issues persist, including this Word file corruption

[thedude]

I'd try checking for macro viruses or other types of viruses. The file server really doesn't do anything with the file other than store it. The client program opens the file and is responsible for viewing, etc.

Generally, if RAM is bad, Linux will let you know right away. At least that's been my experience.

You could possibly eliminate the server as the problem by copying the file directly to the workstation and opening it from there. If you get corruption then it isn't the server, if you do, then it is likely the server.

[bushinc]

>all the other issues persist, including this Word file corruption

Do you have virus/spyware protection?  Is it updated?
If you copy one of the docs to your local pc and disconnect from the server does the problem continue?
Have you updated Office/Windows with the latest service packs?

Good luck with your issue(s).

[sbryan]

We use SOPHOS and update it hourly for viruses, have not scanned for Spyware although SOPHOS catches some of that. Will do so.

Will also try using a computer in isolation.

We run Office 2K still with all updates. The only thing that changed when this started was moving from NT to e-smith

[bushinc]

> The only thing that changed when this started was moving from NT to e-smith

That don't make no sense! (Quote from "O Brother, Where Art Thou?")

Do these Word docs have macros?  Maybe look at the processes running on the PC's to see if there's one that could be causing this.  Maybe the Word autosave function is causing the problem.  
Since you're a couple of releases behind with Word, you may be able to get away with installing OpenOffice and see if the users like it better.  We use Office XP or 2003 (some OpenOffice).  I haven't seen your issue.  That's all I've got, good luck.

[sbryan]

No macros - Autosave is turned off (at least it was, would be a good thing to confirm I guess)
Have tried to wean them onto OO - I use it exclusively - but if it ain't MS then it can't be any good after all MS is the 'industry standard' - the problem does not exist with OO

[bushinc]

> Have tried to wean them onto OO - I use it exclusively
> MS is the 'industry standard'
You're right, I've only been able to get OO on plant PC's that are mainly used for our ERP system and webmail.

I guess you could try upgrading to Samba 3.  SME6.5RC1 has it, but it's still a release candidate.

[jackl]

Sbryan,
    This is just a shot in the dark but i can vaguely remember the details, we encountered a similar problem and using uninstall and office eraser to remove MS Office, and then after a fresh install all was well, Perhaps you could try this on one workstation perhaps to see.
The actual cause of this problem I can't remember but I think it had to do with the CD it was installed from.

Regards
Jack

[sbryan]

Thanks will give that a go, extensive searching for Adware and Spyware has turned up nothing but innocuous tracking cookies. Hmmm, thinking....we install from a copy of the CD on a network share so that it is always available when Office decides it needs to add something else - but there have been problems with those shares - and is easy to test.

[sbryan]

Just a follow up for completion. The problem has not gone away completely. However we discovered that the Share housing the Office CD's was no longer available, when we fixed that most of the corruption stopped. However it still happens if we do things like change users groups, figure what happens is that this process is so slow that the network is effectively out of action for long enough for some Word clients to get upset. (On our system to add a user to a group can take well over a minute after you click on submit)

[vincentmeek]

Had a similar problem, turned OpsLock off on the workstation side and problems Disapeared.

Works on window 2k and Xp

See:
http://www.rtsco.com/rtnews06.htm or

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;818396

Or

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/296264/

for tuning