WIN2K Server problems

Let me start by explaining our setup as best I can.

We run 6 servers, all with WIN2K Server installed. One of the servers has Citrix installed and several programs for use by our remote locations. The server that everyone logs into is also our Exchange 2000 server. Another one is used just for file sharing and 2 others are used for 2 different industry related programs, not important which programs for the problems I'm encountering.

First problem: when using Citrix there are delays or hangs that last anywhere from 3 to 10 seconds, sometimes longer. Nothing shows up in the event logs. Tried watching the performance monitor to try and catch a glimpse of something unusual but the only thing thing unusual is that the performance monitor stops registering anything and the hard drives are being hammered.

Next problem: after installing service pack 3 on the Citrix server we can no longer print from 2 programs within Citrix. One is an obscure program that's industry specific, the other is Paint Shop Pro 7. While playing around trying anything and everything we found that if you print to Adobe Acrobat Writer from either program you can then print to any of the other printers, at least until you close the program. The next time the program is opened the same thing happens, no printing until you print to Acrobat Writer first.

One last problem (for now): also after installing service pack 3 to the Citrix server numlock stopped working on the keyboard. Citrix has a script to fix this but I need to know how to run the script during the logon process so that people don't have to run it manualy. We use a batch file to map several drives when people login but this being a vbs script I don't think it will work in a batch file.

Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.

 

You can call vbscript in a batch file using the syntax "start cscript myfile.vbs "

If you don't want to uninstall SP3, MS did release a post-SP3 hotfix that was supposed to fix some printing issues. 328020 is available on request.

 

Thanks for the quick reply, I'll check out the article by M$ and definitely will use the syntax suggested.

Thanks again!

 

I have the same 3-10 seconds hang on my Win2k server SP3 with Citrix 1.8 Sp3... If anyone know how to fix, please help!

 

I don't use Citrix, but installing SP3 on our print server made all the HP printer drivers corrupt and changed them from PCL5e/PCL 6 to just a PCL listing. The print devices still worked, but with output corruption and other intermittemt errors. Re-installing drivers fixed this.

When I installed SP3 to my own workstation, acrobat printer would not work at all and I had to completely remove acrobat and re-install. I didn't know about the post-sp3 hot fix and will look at it too

 

Add a write cache to your disk controller. You could also try the registry hack mentioned in 317357.

 

The fix from M$ mentioned above (article 328020) worked for me, all of my printers now work from all programs.

The only thing I have left is the hangs. The people who sold us the server et al are coming here in the next couple of weeks with a different server because they seem to think it's a hardware issue.

On the other hand they've been in touch with M$ who had them install some monitoring software. Reports have to be downloaded and sent to M$ for analysis. From that they will either ask for more tests or provide some sort of corrective action.

I will post back if we ever get an answer.