Something has changed with file sharing

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I have a computer on an active directory network that I use as a file server for photographs and other files. Up until about a week ago I could copy files to and from shared folders on this computer. Then it became impossible. I can still copy files from the computer but copying to it has become ridiculously slow (like 15 hours for 15 10 MB files) and it often times out completely. I can still copy files to and from shares on other computers on the same network and I can still copy folders locally on the server computer. I tried restoring the computer to its state a few months ago when everything worked by actually restoring a previous full backup and that did not help the problem. Does anyone have any idea what happened and what I can do about fixing it? Other than a local computer problem, it is possible that something was changed by the network administrator. Is there a setting in Windows policy that could slow things down like this without totally blocking access?

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This is a business, not a home, environment, correct? I’m wondering if the NetAdmin “redistributed,” “reDelt the cards” network access ’cause of additional folks added to the ‘Net? And, if some are streaming work-related YouTube instructional videos, that could slow it down for everyone. Keep us posted on your success in determining what is happening!

"Take care of thy backups and thy restores shall take care of thee." Ben Franklin, revisted

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This is a business, not a home, environment, correct? I’m wondering if the NetAdmin “redistributed,” “reDelt the cards” network access ’cause of additional folks added to the ‘Net? And, if some are streaming work-related YouTube instructional videos, that could slow it down for everyone. Keep us posted on your success in determining what is happening!

Yes it is a work environment. The characteristic that argues against redistribution is transfers between other computers on the same switch are still fast. I don’t know all of the powers of our network admin, but it seems that if it is purposeful change, only this one computer among many has been targeted.

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If it’s just your computer, then disregard my earlier comments completely, doesn’t apply at all. Something’s afoot in your computer, and I haven’t a clue. I’ll be watching this to learn from you and the others here!

"Take care of thy backups and thy restores shall take care of thee." Ben Franklin, revisted

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If it’s just your computer, then disregard my earlier comments completely, doesn’t apply at all. Something’s afoot in your computer, and I haven’t a clue. I’ll be watching this to learn from you and the others here!

I haven’t been able to test it yet, but one thought that I had is that the network card is somehow messing up. Is slowing down something that a bad network card might do?

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Has your company got an IT section? If you have then they would the best people to deal with your problem. At least, this was the case with my last employment – I would just phone the helpdesk and raise a ticket and the techs would (try and) fix the problem.

Eliminate spare time: start programming PowerShell

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Has your company got an IT section? If you have then they would the best people to deal with your problem. At least, this was the case with my last employment – I would just phone the helpdesk and raise a ticket and the techs would (try and) fix the problem.

We do have an IT department, but to be honest file sharing is something they currently tolerate, but may soon block. My alternative is to dump my 105 GB of files on their expensive real server (as opposed to a PC with a large hard disk like I do now) and I fear doing that for a number of reasons although I might soon have to go that route. If it is something that I can fix locally that is preferred but I may eventually involve IT.

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As to the bad switch port, that I can change when I get back to work.
I don’t think the hard disk is bad because local file copies are fast.
I am suspicious of the network controller, but I’ll have to get another one to try it out.

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This is unlikely to be something your admin has done as that sort of power isn’t normally available on a switch.
I’ve seen bad switch ports do this sort of thing. Check for corrupt packets on the switch port.
Also check the ping times to the computer in question.
It is also possible the server has a bad disk / controller.

cheers, Paul

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Why not dump your 105GB files onto an external hard-drive, connected to your computer? Oh, wait! That’s no good if you have to file share, disregard. The only other option is to let your IT person know how important to the business the file-sharing is.

"Take care of thy backups and thy restores shall take care of thee." Ben Franklin, revisted

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If the data is business related it should be hosted on your servers, then it will be backed up. If it’s not business related I’m surprised IT haven’t already removed it – there’s nothing worse than someone’s personal music collection hogging server space, not to mention the potential legal issues if the music isn’t legit.

cheers, Paul

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If the data is business related it should be hosted on your servers, then it will be backed up. If it’s not business related I’m surprised IT haven’t already removed it – there’s nothing worse than someone’s personal music collection hogging server space, not to mention the potential legal issues if the music isn’t legit.

cheers, Paul

First of all it is business related, but what it mostly consists of is photos of research projects which is why it is big. I mentioned that there were several reasons why I didn’t want to put it on a “real” server and you hit one of them directly, but in reverse. I may not be enough of the forgiving type, but in the past data on the servers was lost for many people with no hope of recovery. The IT department might have improved, but I don’t want to test them if I don’t have to. If I put the data on my own computer, then I can and do easily back it up regularly. The IT department does not answer to me, my boss, my boss’s boss, or his boss. It might respond to the fifth level up, but even that is questionable.

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in the past data on the servers was lost for many people with no hope of recovery.

Any IT dept that loses data should be shot. Storing company data securely is their basic function.
Your manager should be able to send a request for the data to be stored on a server, mentioning the concern over loss of data and see what IT says. If you are still concerned copy the files locally as a backup.

cheers, Paul

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I agree that IT is probably not doing the job that they should be doing and I can possibly backup the server locally even if it is slower than local to local backup. As to making money, my company is the government, we only spend. However , we really are diverging from my initial question. I’m not trying to determine how I should best store my data, but what happened to my PC server to make it suddenly get slow and what can I do about it. The answer to this question could have other general applications to some other computers if something happens to them.

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It took me a while to find a solution to my network file-sharing slowness problem, but I did find one and I thought I’d post it for future reference.
Our company has IP phones at my location and they were connected up to our office network ports and the computer was daisy-chained off of them. Reconnecting the computer directly to the network port without the phone in-between solves the speed problem. Apparently it is not all phones since other computers work just fine this way and this one used to work fine, but something must have changed in the phone to cause the massive slowdown. I don’t know if the phone has failed in some way or if its settings have changed in some way, but the solution is to simply not daisy-chain the computer.

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Since youse all are making monies from these files: OP, buy yourself via company funds a 1-2TB external drive [a good one that let’s you pick the backup/restore program]. Systematically, backup this giant collection once, twice weekly, even more if you all add more and more files on a daily basis. Because I only do full-image backups, I have no idea how long an incremental backup would take. Face the reality, those business files need to be on a business server for all to access. Back ’em up onto an external drive once daily, twice weekly, you pick it.

"Take care of thy backups and thy restores shall take care of thee." Ben Franklin, revisted

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Without network card stats from the problematic computer we can’t rule out network card / switch port, but it could be AV software checking your uploads before writing.

cheers, Paul

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I’d say Paul’s idea about AV software maybe a very good possibility. Gov offices are on the alert because of recent hacks (including where I work). IT folk don’t want to get the blame for poor security. ( I just had to change my very secure 13 character pw to 15.) A more thorough scan may have set for file transfers..

Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.

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“…my company is the government, we only spend…” I come from what was East Germany, ’58. What the government spends is what I consider glad-rent for being here in the USA Spend on! I’m glad to be here, instead of there [back then].

"Take care of thy backups and thy restores shall take care of thee." Ben Franklin, revisted

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You have a faulty phone, it’s just a two port switch that should function at line speed.

I’s still be getting the data hosted on the servers.

cheers, Paul

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