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Local file and print server not available when DC is not connected due to network disruption

Answered Local file and print server not available when DC is not connected due to network disruption

  • Saturday, October 13, 2012 5:11 PM
     
     
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    Hello All,

    During a network disruption (t1 line has been playing yo yo) my users in a satellite office used to be able to connect to the local file and print.  There is no local domain controller.  Now for some reason they can no longer do this when the line goes down. (see suspicion below)

    They get the error of can't authenticate because of DC not being available. (sorry did not capture exact error message)

    But even when I try to do a UNC to the local file and print, none of my network credentials work.  Administrator or user.

    Users can log into their machines but that is about it.

    I can remote into the local file and print and log in.

    Environment

    1) all clients in satellite are Windows 7 machines

    2) local file and print is a window 2003 server

    3) DCs are Window 2008

    To note: We have recently changed from Windows 2003 DCs to Windows 2008 DCs.  My suspicion is that this is where I need to hunt down the problem, but need some ideas to start

    Thanks for any thoughts and suggestions.

     

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  • Saturday, October 13, 2012 6:29 PM
     
     
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    Users can log into their machines but that is about it.

    This should be because of cached credentials.

    I can remote into the local file and print and log in.

    Because of local credentials too.

    Please read this for more details: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/297278

    This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties or guarantees , and confers no rights.   

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  • Sunday, October 14, 2012 6:40 PM
     
     
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    Thanks for the response.  Know I was on cache credentials when I was getting in.

    At the time when the network connection was down - I did try to UNC in from the workstation to the file and print with no luck.  Did get a prompt for userid and password.

    Tried both domain credential and local admin credential but got the message that was from the article.

    Following the map network drive directions, and selecting different credentials.  Does it follow a separate "path" in the confirming credentials?

     
  • Wednesday, October 17, 2012 11:31 AM
     
     
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    Hi,

    You can try this,

    1. Make sure there is no cached credential in Control Panel->Credential Manager.

    2. Use the IP address to access the share which will use the NTLM authentication.

    If the problem persist, there must be something wrong with the connection to DCs.

    Please remember to click “Mark as Answer” on the post that helps you, and to click “Unmark as Answer” if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.

     
  • Wednesday, October 17, 2012 6:28 PM
     
     
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    That is the problem - the DCs are not available - this is a branch office - the connection to the wide area network is broken due to wiring problem -

    1) In the past the users were able to get into the file and print and stay local (now they can't authenticate)

    2) The problem now is that - when the wire goes down - the can no longer connect to the file and print - even when it is mapped on their machines.  The file and print is not letting me authenticate.

     
  • Thursday, October 18, 2012 1:23 AM
     
     
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    Did you check the eventlog on your 2003 ? for any security's error and did you tried Laura Wang point 2 ?

    As I cleary guess your 2003 server is local to that site. Might I ask you why you don't promote it to a DC ? as if it's a satelitte's site, the fileserver ressource must be good to hold that role.

    If that 2003 is or was a DC, does it felt tombstone ?

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  • Thursday, October 18, 2012 10:10 AM
     
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    Hi,

    Now I understand your issue, you can try to map the drive by using IP address, and choose "Connect using different credentials" to use local user account on the file server to access the file.

    However, it's better to promote a DC in your office.

    Please remember to click “Mark as Answer” on the post that helps you, and to click “Unmark as Answer” if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.

     
  • Thursday, October 18, 2012 10:43 AM
     
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    Hi,

    What you are seeing is a normal behavior. Unless the client has a valid service ticket for the network resource , There is no other way to access the resources without the domain controller.

    If you have a valid service ticket for that network resource, you can access the resource till the ticket expires. The is no need for the client to contact the DC again, if it has a valid service ticket.

    But you can try to use the local machine credentials to connect to the network resource.

    Try to map with localhostname\local username


    A TGT and a service ticket are needed to access services on remote computers, but they are also required to successfully log on to a local system.  The TGT has a default lifetime of 10 hours.

    http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb742516.aspx

    Regards,
    Rafic

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