Topic: Need suggestions -can't access my files

[Bluephoton]

I have had SME 7.3 in server only mode for a couple of years as a raided storage system for pictures etc.

A few days ago my Windows XP system I was using to access the server through a router crashed (hard drive became unbootable).  My new system is running Windows 7 and from what I have read cannot connect to SME 7.3 (I could not access the server through a browser or map the drive in W7).

Having reached a dead end I found an old drive and reloaded Win XP on the dead machine.  I was able to start the server-manager through Firefox and all the settings appeared as I had initially set them up.  I was able to map the drive to the new XP install and I can see all the server files in Explorer on the XP machine.

The problem I have now is I can't access the files!  When I try to copy them from the SME server to my XP machine hard drive I get the following error message "Cannot copy [File Name]: the specified network name is no longer available."

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

[Bluephoton]

I am not sure what it means but if I go into "Manage disk redundancy" I see the following:

Personalities : [raid1]
md2 :active raid1 hda2[0] hdb2[1]
488279488 blocks [2/2] [UU]
md1 :active raid1 hda1[0] hdb1[1]
104320 blocks [2/2] [UU]

unused devices: <none>

ALL RAID devices are in clean state

Why would the blocks be different in the 2 hard drives?  Does this indicate a bad drive?

[idp_qbn]

Have you read any of the documentation?
This is really fundamental stuff.......
Simple explanation, glossing over many technicalities:-
(a) md1 is the partition(s) where the boot files are kept
(b) md2 is the RAID partitions where the OS and DATA are kept.

Your SME server is in good condition.
You have problems with connecting WinXp and WIn7

Now go and read the documentation .... and search the forums for advice. Use the search in the dark blue bar (starts with "WIKI" and end with "LOGOUT")

By the way, I have no trouble mapping a drive to WinXP and WIn7 boxes. You need to make sure the username and password on both Windows and SME are the same. Even better to make sure theWindows Workgroup is the same as the SME domain. 

Cheers
Ian

[Bluephoton]

Ian

Thanks for the reply.  I did spend a lot of time reading through the documentation but did not find anything that helped me.

My problem is not in mapping the drive I can do that and see all the files on the server I just can't do anything with them without getting the error I mentioned above.

The feedback that my server appears to be in good shape is helpful, at least I know the problem is not there.

As for having the same password I used the server for a couple of years with no username/password on my XP box.  It would simply ask for the SME password whenever I tried to access the mapped drive in windows explorer - once it was entered it would not be required again unless I rebooted.

Thanks

Paul

[Bluephoton]

Ian's info that W7 should work was news to me as bug reports I read indicated it didn't and wouldn't be expected to until SME 8.

I managed to get my W7 to at least see the server but when I try to map the drive it just says "you don't have permission to access this server" and the same error regarding " the specified network name is no longer available"

[idp_qbn]

Bluephoton
I didn't do anything special to get the Win7 box to map a drive on the SME Server.
BUT ...and it is a big BUT ....
I don't use a Windows Domain, just a Window Workgroup.
It is my understanding that Win7 won't join domains under SME 7.x

Still, I better go check to see if what I said is still true.
Yep, it's true - just checked. BUT - I it is Win7 Ultimate. Don't know what happens with Win7 Home Premium.

Cheers
Ian

[Bluephoton]

Yes Ian your info was good its the joining domains that is the problem with W7 not workgroups which I didn't get on first reading.

Can anyone suggest a reason why I would get the error "you don't have permission to access this server" when trying to map the server in W7?  I can use Firefow to logon to server-manager with the same W7 and make changes but get the same error when I try to map.

I am also using a windows workgroup (and I checked they all have the same name).  I am also using windows ultimate.

Paul

[janet]

Bluephoton

You said "it" used to work OK with XP. Now you say with a rebuilt XP box "it" no longer works, also the same with a Win 7 box.

So the problem appears not to do with Win7, it's more likely a setup error somewhere or a Windows networking issue.
You have told us very little about how you setup your Windows boxes network wise etc.
Do you login to the network on each workstation (not the domain), if not I'm not so sure you can access the server shares. Is the user you login to the workstation as, also a user on the sme server, who has group memberships (access rights) for the ibay(s) you are accessing ? Is the user a Administrator user ?
Have you checked the Windows log files and the sme server log files, ie  messages & smb log files for errors or clues ?

Have you googled for that specific error message, you may get some clues ?

[Bluephoton]

Thanks for the reply Mary.

When I had the server working I was not using windows log on.  The XP box would just boot into the main users desktop and had full administrative privileges.  I had the server mapped as a drive so when I first booted up and tried to access the drive through explorer there would be a pop up box to input my user name and password before I could use the server drive.  Once I had logged in this way I would not have to relog in until I rebooted the XP box.  This method worked fine for about 2 years.

When I lost the boot drive on my XP box I reinstalled and set up the same way (I made sure the new XP was part of the "workgroup" in windows, the same as the server).  This is when I encountered the error I have mentioned previously.

I then tried to access through the windows 7 unit and encountered a similar error although I could map and see the drive it said I did not have permission to access the server and should consult the administrator....

I tried setting up a new account on W7 with full admin privileges and the same password as the one I used to access the server but that produced exactly the same error.

I did google the error but did not find any useful information.

I don't use Ibays I just have a user setup with unlimited space allocation on the server.

I don't know where to find the logs you mentioned but I will read up on that and see if I can find any useful info.

[janet]

Bluephoton

I had the server mapped as a drive so when I first booted up and tried to access the drive through explorer....

Please describe how you do this mapping and what commands you use.
When you say "explorer" do you mean Windows Explorer.

I just have a user setup ..... on the server.

Do you mean you map a drive letter to the users home folder and only save files in that location on the server ?

I don't know where to find the logs you mentioned....

On sme in server manager View log files panel, select log name
On Windows see Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Event Viewer, select function and log required (it varies between versions)

I'm wondering whether you have a persistent network connection that is broken or locked, from when your XP crashed. You may have to run a command to delete the broken persistent connection before connecting it again.
Something like
net use /delete M: /yes
or
net use * /delete /y

[Bluephoton]

While in windows explorer I right click my computer and select "Map Network Drive".  In the window that pops up I entered "\\SME Server Name\Username" and assigned it to be drive X.

Do you mean you map a drive letter to the users home folder and only save files in that location on the server ?

Yes I was able to create directories and use the server for file storage from windows explorer and windows applications - I am guessing that's probably not the way to do it properly but it worked for me.

I did something and now can't get the server to boot (http://forums.contribs.org/index.php/topic,45817.0.html). If I can get the server to reboot I will check the log files.

[janet]

Bluephoton

I STRONGLY suggest you stop trying to find alternative workarounds for retrieving your files, and concentrate only on investigating and resolving the original issue.
As I see it there is (was) nothing wrong with your server, it seems to be a network login rights issue.

While in windows explorer I right click my computer and select "Map Network Drive".  In the window that pops up I entered "\\SME Server Name\Username" and assigned it to be drive X.

It may be that the credentials being passed from your workstation to your server are for a different user (ie the automatically logged in user), as you have now set up other workstations and the default user may actually be different. Even though you log in with a username and password they do not match up correctly. Usually only the logged in user can access their home folder.

Given that scenario, I think a workaround fix is appropriate and should work OK.

create an ibay
make your user name a member of that ibay
login to the server as root
copy all the folders and files from the users home folder to the new ibay
change the ownership of folders and files using a chown command so the files are accessible by anybody
map a drive to the ibay
access your files

It should be easy and straight forward.

If you want to go that way, I will provide the specific commands and steps so ask again here.

[Bluephoton]

What you are saying about it being a logon issues makes sense Mary and I would like to try your recommendation if you could supply instructions.

Thanks

Paul

[janet]

Bluephoton

Off the top of my head, I'll correct any errors if I notice them

Let's assume your existing user with data is user1

In server manager
create a group say group1
make user1 a member of group1

create an ibay say ibay1
make the ibay1 owned by group1
eg
select options write group1 read group1 (or similar)

exit server manager

On the server console (keyboard & screen attached to server) or via ssh Putty connection, login to the server command prompt as root using the admin/root password

cd /home/e-smith/files/ibays/user1/home

mv /home/e-smith/files/ibays/user1/home/*  /home/e-smith/files/ibays/ibay1/files/

cd /home/e-smith/files/ibays/ibay1/files/

chown -R user1:group1 *

on Windows XP map the drive as usual but to the ibay1 name instead
eg \\servername\ibay1 assigned to drive X:

You can create a (windows) text file called login.bat and place it in your start up folder with the following contents, so it will run automatically
net use X: \\servername\ibay1

Try accessing your files

[Bluephoton]

I have 342 mb of material stored on a 500 mb drive.  Will this make it impossible to copy all of this info to the new Ibay I create?

cd /home/e-smith/files/ibays/user1/home

I am curious how would you enter a command since after booting up and logging in to the server all I get is the server console there is no command line?  If I exit the console it just goes back to the login prompt.