Network application closes unexpectedly

Hello,

We are facing the following problem:

We have an application, written in Delphi, which is available from an
"application server" through a shared folder. In this shared folder are
located the program executable itself, as well as all needed DLLs. From the
client workstations, the application is launched from the shared folder, and
DLLs are also downloaded as needed. Sometimes the application is launched
directly via \\server\share\app.exe, sometimes via a mapped drive X:\app.exe
(with X:\ mapped to \\server\share).

This has been working perfectly for years, using Windows NT 4.0 servers are
Windows NT 4.0 / 2000 Pro workstations.

We have now problems with XP Pro client workstations, where the application
will randomly abort without any error message (it simply disappears from the
screen). The event logs do not show any error message, and we could not get
any audit failures with the standard Windows auditing tools (Local security
policy, Local policies, Audit policy)

The only way we can reproduce it at will so far is to unplug the network
cable, or disconnect the share while in the application. Then, on next user
action (e.g. menu selection), the application will disappear...

So, we have very little information on what can possibly cause the
behaviour.

Our questions:

- Does it look like a known problem to anybody?
- Does anybody know how to identify the root cause of the problem? or how to
trace such problems in a simple manner?

Thanks in advance,

Kind regards,

And a happy new year to everybody

Dominique

this may help. quoted from http://www.ChicagoTech.net
XP disconnection issue

1. Try to disable autodisconnection feature first.
2. If disabling autoconnection doesn't fix the problem and other
workstations don't have the same issue, check the hardware settings, for
example, configure the computer' network cards for half duplex. Most Hubs
don't support full duplex.
--
For more and other information, go to http://www.ChicagoTech.net


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"Dominique Deleris" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hello,
>
> We are facing the following problem:
>
> We have an application, written in Delphi, which is available from an
> "application server" through a shared folder. In this shared folder are
> located the program executable itself, as well as all needed DLLs. From
> the
> client workstations, the application is launched from the shared folder,
> and
> DLLs are also downloaded as needed. Sometimes the application is launched
> directly via \\server\share\app.exe, sometimes via a mapped drive
> X:\app.exe
> (with X:\ mapped to \\server\share).
>
> This has been working perfectly for years, using Windows NT 4.0 servers
> are
> Windows NT 4.0 / 2000 Pro workstations.
>
> We have now problems with XP Pro client workstations, where the
> application
> will randomly abort without any error message (it simply disappears from
> the
> screen). The event logs do not show any error message, and we could not
> get
> any audit failures with the standard Windows auditing tools (Local
> security
> policy, Local policies, Audit policy)
>
> The only way we can reproduce it at will so far is to unplug the network
> cable, or disconnect the share while in the application. Then, on next
> user
> action (e.g. menu selection), the application will disappear...
>
> So, we have very little information on what can possibly cause the
> behaviour.
>
> Our questions:
>
> - Does it look like a known problem to anybody?
> - Does anybody know how to identify the root cause of the problem? or how
> to
> trace such problems in a simple manner?
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Kind regards,
>
> And a happy new year to everybody
>
> Dominique
>
>

Dominique,

I have a few questions...
1. Are you running WINS? (I have seen this happen before; we needed WINS to
make applications on a NT4 server work reliably even with DNS working
perfectly.)
2. Are you SURE there isn't an intermittent network problem dropping
connection? Try a program like WhatsUP or ADRem (I prefer Adrem) to verify
that you have a consistent connection to the network. Maybe you have a
flaky switchport, or a ProxyARP problem... or a bad network cable.
3. Is DNS a problem? Try a line in LMHOSTS to make sure. If that fixes it,
fix your DNS.
4. Does this happen to everyone? At the same time?
5. Are you out of concurrent licenses? Or the maximum threshold set on the
share?

I know those aren't in any good order, but work your way up the OSI model.
Check the physical connections, then your network path, then your naming,
then your server, then your share, then the app..

--
Ryan Hanisco
MCSE, MCDBA
Flagship Integration Services

"Dominique Deleris" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hello,
>
> We are facing the following problem:
>
> We have an application, written in Delphi, which is available from an
> "application server" through a shared folder. In this shared folder are
> located the program executable itself, as well as all needed DLLs. From
the
> client workstations, the application is launched from the shared folder,
and
> DLLs are also downloaded as needed. Sometimes the application is launched
> directly via \\server\share\app.exe, sometimes via a mapped drive
X:\app.exe
> (with X:\ mapped to \\server\share).
>
> This has been working perfectly for years, using Windows NT 4.0 servers
are
> Windows NT 4.0 / 2000 Pro workstations.
>
> We have now problems with XP Pro client workstations, where the
application
> will randomly abort without any error message (it simply disappears from
the
> screen). The event logs do not show any error message, and we could not
get
> any audit failures with the standard Windows auditing tools (Local
security
> policy, Local policies, Audit policy)
>
> The only way we can reproduce it at will so far is to unplug the network
> cable, or disconnect the share while in the application. Then, on next
user
> action (e.g. menu selection), the application will disappear...
>
> So, we have very little information on what can possibly cause the
> behaviour.
>
> Our questions:
>
> - Does it look like a known problem to anybody?
> - Does anybody know how to identify the root cause of the problem? or how
to
> trace such problems in a simple manner?
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Kind regards,
>
> And a happy new year to everybody
>
> Dominique
>
>

"Ryan Hanisco" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> 3. Is DNS a problem? Try a line in LMHOSTS to make sure. If that fixes
it,
> fix your DNS.

DNS would be the HOSTS file. WINS is the LMHOSTS file.

--

Phillip Windell [MCP, MVP, CCNA]
www.wandtv.com