Question : Server stops seeing shared folders on laptops

Dear Experts,

I have recently set up indirect synchronization for one of my customers, and in order to get that to work, I need a shared folder available on the server, and a shared folder available on each of the laptops that synchs with it. The problem is, I create the folders on the laptops, the server can access them at first, and then almost immediately it can no longer access them. It can still see them, but if I try to access them, it gives me an error message that says it can't access them.

My customer's Server runs Windows Server 2003. There are also 3 laptops that connect to the server sometimes while in the office, and sometimes remotely via VPN. Laptop A is a Dell running MS Vista Home Premium. Laptop B is a Gateway running MS Vista Home Premium. Laptop C is an HP running XP Professional.

The laptops can see shared folders on the Server just fine, but they also need the Server to be able to see a shared folder on each laptop called "DB_Dropbox".

Here's how I create the shared folders: On each of these laptops, I create a folder on the C drive called "DB_Dropbox". I then right-click that folder and select "Sharing...", and select "Share this folder on the Network", and let it keep the exact same name as the folder itself.

At first, I can access the shared folders from the server just as I expected to: I can go to the Server, open Windows Explorer, and although I might or might not be able to see it at first, I can type in \\LaptopA\DB_Dropbox and the Server will open up that folder just fine. But it seems as if the 2nd or 3rd time I try to access that folder from the Server, the server gives me an error message saying that that folder is inaccessible. (I will get the exact error message for you and post it this afternoon when the customer is available again). By the way, the Server can access anything that was previously set up in the customer's "Shared Documents" directory and its subdirectories just fine.

I set up Laptop A last week, and it seemed to work fine. The synchronization completed, so I believe that the server was able to see the shared folder. I apologize, because I don't know for sure whether or not it's still working now... the customer will try it tonight and I'll let you know.

I set up Laptop B a few days later. It worked at first, but now the synchronization doesn't work, and the Server can no longer access \\LaptopB\DB_Dropbox". I can see that folder from the Server, but if I type it in or click on it, the server tells me that it's inaccessible.

Laptop C was just set up, and it failed even more quickly. If I remember correctly, I set up and shared the folder from the laptop, switched to the server, was able to access the empty directory, switched back to the laptop, ran the synchronization, it failed, I looked back at the Server, and the shared directory was no longer accessible to the Server.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure that putting the "DB_Dropbox" folder into the "Shared Files" directory would work, because I've read articles that say that for Indirect Synchronization, the Dropbox folder really should sit on the C drive. Maybe that's wrong? But I'm not sure.

Not knowing much about what might cause this, we have tried to (at least for now) give all possible permissions to all users and groups.

One more clue: Right before I set up LaptopB and LaptopC, we noticed that both were members of a different Workgroup than everyone else. The customer moved these two laptops from Workgroup2 to Workgroup1 so they'd be in the same workgroup that everyone else was using. I THINK this happened BEFORE I created the new folders and shared them. So I wouldn't think that this is the problem, but I could be wrong. Also, even now if I create a new folder and share it, it may be accessible to the Server once, but then it stops being accessible.

I am doing all my work remotely through GoToMeeting. I don't think this is causing any problems, but am trying to give you all the info I can. When I connect via GoToMeeting, the customer is physically present with both the Server and the laptops, so he can check these things for me. We have confirmed that the problem is exactly the same when he physically works on the server and laptops, so we don't think GoToMeeting is a factor.

If you have questions, please fire away, and I'll answer them as soon as I can.

Thanks in advance,

Answer : Server stops seeing shared folders on laptops

Blimey it sounds like Access has caught up with Lotus Notes of the early 1990's being able to replicate changes now eh :-)

Seriously though, you say " I can see that folder from the Server, but if I type it in or click on it, the server tells me that it's inaccessible".

You can see it, does that mean you can see the computer name drilling down under the network and then the share but get "access denied"?
If I type it (\\pcname\shared?) etc. does that mean Access denied too?

As there is no domain here (and home laptops anyway) it sounds most likely an authentication issue.  The user/password that runs the synchronisation on the server should surely have to have a matching user/password on each of the other machines, and the other machines a matching user/password on the server.  

With these being "Home" machines this could get pretty messy.

If this is a businnes, it all sounds like it is crying out for the 2003 server to be a Domain Controller for it's own domain or a self-contained SBS 2003 etc. and therefore laptops logging into the domain and no authentication issues, just set NTFS and share permissions, job done.  Of course the home OS's would have to change to so no small job!!

Steve