23 replies to this topic

[awraynor]

I have a problem with Win7 that is driving me insane. Literally every Win7 machine in my house is having the problem to some degree.
By programs I mean Outlook, Win Explorer, no program is immune. The suspect software will hang and the title bar will show
"program not responding". Sometimes it will recover, sometimes you have to kill it. The Dell Zino does it, the Dell Notebook,
my older quad core box, even my Corei7 with a 3rd Gen OCZ SSD and 16GB of RAM will do it. It doesn't occur everytime, but it
will happen multiple times during a computing session.

For a short list: I have changed ISP's, modems, routers, added RAM, changed to SSD, complete new install, different AV, you name it.
Trolled forums and I tell you I am not the only one with this problem by far. My main box was built and installed by PCDoc so it can't possibly
be my good with that box.

The funny thing is my Q9550 had the problem under Win7, but it is now a Hackintosh box and it runs flawlessly; so I guess I can't blame
that hardware for the problem or the network on that particular box?

In event viewer any errors related to shadow copies, but isn't that necessary for WHS bakcups? I am going to shut that service down and see if
that helps? Any ideas, I am out of them.

[pcdoc]

I would pick the worst box and start removing what has been installed. This is a classic case of software that is driver based or running in the background.

[jmwills]

Is every piece of software present across the network. If not, this could be malware run wild. Look in the Task Manager to see what is running,


What AV is running on the clients? Shadow Copies is not your problem.

[fredp1]

I've started to see some strange problems on 1 of the 4 machines since the Update rollup 2 was installed.
The problem Im seeing is the client is slow, cannot run backup, cannot install windows updates (waited over 30 minutes). The uninstall to the WHS connector is taking well over 30 minutes too. Shutdowns are very slow.

I'm trying to pin it down to the update.... It could be related.

[jmwills]

Are you running WSUS form the Server or getting updates directly from Microsoft? Your's is the first I've heard of this issue and the problems, to the best I can tell with Rollup 2, is all Server Side related.

[jazzerjay]

I've started to see some strange problems on 1 of the 4 machines since the Update rollup 2 was installed.
The problem Im seeing is the client is slow, cannot run backup, cannot install windows updates (waited over 30 minutes). The uninstall to the WHS connector is taking well over 30 minutes too. Shutdowns are very slow.

I'm trying to pin it down to the update.... It could be related.

I'm not sure it's the update since not all of your 4 machines are having the issue and perhaps the update has only intensified the issues that were happening before. I would build a plain/vanilla box or VM and install nothing but the connector and begin testing.

For a short list: I have changed ISP's, modems, routers, added RAM, changed to SSD, complete new install, different AV, you name it.
Trolled forums and I tell you I am not the only one with this problem by far. My main box was built and installed by PCDoc so it can't possibly
be my good with that box.

That's a lot to change, I would caution to not make sweeping changes that effect your entire environment as the "shotgun" solution. Too often, both personally and professionally, I've seen so many options thrown in to fix a problem that no one knows if what they did fixed the issue or a culmination of events. (There was one time that we were all throwing tools and scripts and patches and registry fixes at a server only to find out the problem was on a different box.)

Good luck, can't wait to hear your results!

[ImTheTypeOfGuy]

I have heard of a problem like this in the past with running gmail through OUtlook. It primarily affected Outlook but I heard it would affect the entire system as well. If you are running gmail through Outlook you might try removing it and see if it resolves your problems.

[ikon]

I have heard of a problem like this in the past with running gmail through OUtlook. It primarily affected Outlook but I heard it would affect the entire system as well. If you are running gmail through Outlook you might try removing it and see if it resolves your problems.

Another reason for me NOT to use gmail.

[awraynor]

All these changes have been over the course of over a year, as the problem has persisted that long. On the new SSD I am running fully patched Win7 Ultimate with G Data AV. I just uninstalled Postbox, an Outlook alternative along with Dropbox. That leaves me with Win7, WHS connector and an AV on this box, nothing else. Yet even explorer continues to not respond. I have fully scanned the box with MSSE and G Data after booting from their respective installs, nothing found. I am at a loss as all Win7 machines on the network have programs that hang one time or another.

[jmwills]

I've used Outlook with Gmail for years, no problems.

Just a thought, have you tried giving all your machines static IP Addresses to see if that helps. Do you have any way to test a new router (yes I see where you changed) or at least update the firmware.

Does the same issue(s) exist if you run in safe mode wiith Networking?

[fredp1]

All these changes have been over the course of over a year, as the problem has persisted that long.

Hmmm, since you had these problems for a while then its may not be the connector. ( my problems arent any where near as painful as yours).

Check for malware an such. Have you got any network drive mapping... If so disconnect them and monitor.

There was someone who had similar problems recently that when they replaced their AV program with MSE (Security Essentials) the pc was working fine.

[jmwills]

Also, is there a switch between the clients and the router?

[ikon]

Have you:

• rebooted the machine and, immediately after booting, started Task Manager or, even better, Process Explorer, so you can see what's using up the CPU (if anything)?
• tried running a machine without it being connected to your LAN; just run WinExplorer and some other SW locally?
• tried running a machine connected directly to your server, to eliminate everything else on your LAN?
• checked your logs?

Just some thoughts....

[awraynor]

1. No networked drivs.
2. Started with a Linksys router with DD-WRT, now DIR-655 running stock. Also upgraded all switches to gigabit, now on 12 meg cable changed from ATT DSL.
3. I have tried MSSE, Norton and G-Data, no real difference.
4. No excessive CPU consumption, RAM and CPU all below 20%.
5. Will try desktop off the LAN
6. Every Windows machine, wired or wireless has issues with the same problem, so it makes me suspect of my LAN. My house was prewired for ethernet and everything
is hardwired, but the laptop.

[jmwills]

And the laptop is running fine?

[awraynor]

Nope, every windows machine on the network will have programs/utilities, etc. stop responding at some point during every computer session.
The funny thing is they aren't necessarily network dependent software, but other than being Windows machines that is the one thing that they
have in common. And I have basically during the past year replaced my entire network except for the inwall wiring. New ISP, router, modem,
switches, ethernet patch cables, etc.

My hackintosh doesn't seem to have a comparable problem. I do however have a windows 8 test box which I haven't really messed with it
because I can't stand the interface. May try it a little more and see if it behaves the same way.

Edited by awraynor, 25 February 2012 - 07:08 AM.

[ikon]

One other suggestion. Put a spare drive into one of the machines, disconnect the Ethernet cablle, do a fresh install of Windows, run it for a bit to see that it's OK, then connect to the network and keep testing to see if, and how long it takes for, it to start exhibiting the problem. That should confirm if it's the LAN or not.

If that test is successful, I would repeat it but, when you connect it to the LAN, only directly connect it to the internet router - eliminate all of the rest of your LAN.

Oh, and have you tried running just 1 computer on the LAN with everything else shut down (except the internet router)?

[jmwills]

The only thing in common about these machines is the LAN, specifically the internal wiring. I'd bet that is where your issue is.

[ikon]

The only thing in common about these machines is the LAN, specifically the internal wiring. I'd bet that is where your issue is.

That doesn't explain the hackintosh though.

Given that this has been going on for a year, I might also try bringing all the computers into one room, along with a switch, and wire them all to the switch using patch cables. eliminate the built in wiring. If there are still problems I would be looking to find 1 computer that's messing it up for all of them, very likely a bad NIC. I would plug the server and only 1 computer at a time into the switch and see how it goes.

[Masquerade]

Hi - I've started to see this problem with my Windows 7 Ultimate on a Dell studio laptop. It seems to hit Outlook more often than not - though it did hit Access the other day. No - I'm not using WHS. In addition, an Outlook process hangs around for a while (could be a few minutes) after I close the application down. What I've recently changed is using Outlook at access RSS feeds. Ummmm