Help!  My files keep corrupting when using SMB 2/3

Data corruption can be a headache, even more so when it’s within a database and the last restore point means rolling back several hours worth of work!  Don’t let SMB issues get you down …

 Banish those SMB woes! 

The Scenario :

You have a nice fast network running SMB 2 (or 3).  File access speeds are great and everything is running fine but then, out of nowhere, you keep ending up with a corrupted file or database no matter how many times you repair it.  This is one of those situations that can drive you CRAZY!

We came across this exact situation ourselves while configuring a new network for a client.  Their previous system consisted of an old Windows Server 2000 unit (somehow it had managed to keep running all this time!) with Windows XP machines on a domain.  They had an old Access 2003 database shared from the server which they each had a shortcut to and, for the most part, everything ran without issues.  Roll forward to the year 2014 and the new setup is a Server 2012 R2 Micro Server with Windows 8 Pro machines on domain and … *drum roll* … an Access database that kept corrupting!

The Approach :

After working our way through an exhausting list of possibilities that could be causing the corruption, a headache that I’m sure a lot of you can associate with, it came to light that the issue only occurred when SMB 2 (or 3) was enabled on the network.  As soon as we forced the network to run in the old SMB 1 mode the Access database worked without hiccup, however, as soon as SMB 2/3 was re-enabled any access to the database by multiple users resulted in a corrupted .MDB file.

I’m sure, at this point, that a lot of people would just cut their losses and run the network using SMB 1.  Whilst this would have the net result of everything working the real caveat of this approach is the network speeds.  When using SMB 1 there is no caching and data has to be accessed in real-time whereas with SMB 2/3 the caching utilised leads to a much quicker response time when working with shared data hosted on a server.  To leave SMB 2/3 disabled just felt like a step backward.

The Issue :

The issue itself lies within the decisions that Microsoft made with SMB 2/3 and how to optimise the cache of file meta information such as size, update time and whether the file exists on the server.  As a result of this design decision the SMB 2/3 protocol, with its default configuration, ‘breaks’ applications that rely on shared and concurrent data access, which in our case was the MS Access database.

Anyway, time to move onto the part you are really here for …

The Solution

The solution to the issue is one of those that is so obscure, you wonder how you ever stumbled across it, yet so simple to implement.

NOTE: You do not need to make these changes to the server, only the client machines.

Located within the registry of the client machines is the key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanWorkstation\Parameters

Within this key create the following DWORD (32-bit) values:

• FileInfoCacheLifetime
• FileNotFoundCacheLifetime
• DirectoryCacheLifetime

Set each of the new DWORD values to ’0′ and then reboot the machine.

Non-Manual Solution :

If you are not a fan of manually editing the registry or would rather have a one-click (or double-click as the case may be) solution then you can download and use the provided .Reg file which will add the three values mentioned above.

Please be assured that the download from our site is virus free, however, as always we would advise you to always scan downloads for your own peace of mind.

  Download – File

Conclusion

Sometimes you look at something and think ‘Why on Earth did they choose to do it that way’ and believe me when I say we have come across our fair share of those!

With regards to the SMB issue the decisions made by Microsoft are correct for 99.9% of situations and when you are not using ‘old’ database systems that are sensitive to concurrent data access (ideally you should be looking to use SQL) everything works great.

Unfortunately this is one of those situations where it really does benefit from upgrading your systems throughout and not just in parts.

Sign RDP files with certificate is driving me mad!

Have you deployed a server 2012 configuration with Remote Applications?  If you have then I’m sure that, like us, you find the whole process of signing RDP files with certificates a pain!

Easily sign with RDPSigner

Microsoft ‘kindly’ decided to change how Server 2012 handles RemoteApp distribution and as such no longer offers the ability to generate RDP files … *sigh* … We cannot even generate an .msi file in which to extract them from either!

The only methods that we have now to generate RDP files are to either:

• Create them manually – using something like NotePad
• Copy an existing file and edit it manually – Once again using something like NotePad
• Set up RemoteApp access on a Windows PC and grab the files it creates

In each of the above situations though we only have basic RDP files, what about if you want them signing with a certificate???  Well there’s only one option really, sign them yourself using rdpsign.exe, a certificate, the certificate thumbprint and command prompt … In short, a rather cumbersome and annoying process.

The Solution

As with our other Tips & Tricks articles you can find the technical explanation of how the solution works in the ‘Geek Speak’ section at the bottom of this article.

The solution … *drum roll* … RDPSigner

We were so fed up of having to handle all the certificate signing of our RDP files manually that we built RDPSigner to make the whole process not only easier but a lot quicker.  The idea behind RDPSigner was to turn the ‘command prompt rdpsign.exe’ approach, with the cert and thumbprint, into a simple drag/drop interface … no more typing!  We can now happily sign any number of files in about 3 seconds

You may download and install RDPSigner from the link below.  Please be aware that if you are installing this utility onto a server itself (rather than a workstation machine) then make sure to use the ‘Server’ version of the utility so as to not affect any other server files.

Please be assured that the download from our site is virus free, however, as always we would advise you to always scan downloads for your own peace of mind.

  Download – RDPSigner            

  Download – RDPSigner Server

NOTE:  Some software can adjust the ‘Environment Variables’ on your machine to the point where RDPSign.exe will not be detected.  If you find that all attempts to sign files are failing you will need to manually add an entry back into your Environment Variables.

1. Right-click ‘Computer’ and choose Properties

2. Choose ‘Advanced Settings’

3. Click the ‘Environment Variables’ button

4. Edit the ‘PATH’ option from the list

5. At the end of the string of text add: %SystemRoot%\SysWow64

How to use the solution

RDPSigner was built to be easy to use so you could happily skip reading this section and begin signing those RDP files straight away, however, for those of you that like reading about something before installing it (which we would always advise you do!) then here goes.

Once RDPSigner is installed you can access it from the shortcut on your desktop, from the ‘RDPSigner‘ directory under the start menu or if you are on Windows 8 then from the recently installed programs under the start screen.

. The RDPSigner icon

When you load RDPSigner you will be met with the main interface (below).  This is the core area of the application and is where all the magic happens.

Below is the process and explanation of each area of the application:

To sign RDP files add them to the list by either:

• Drag and drop the RDP files into the file area
• Add files to the file area using the + button and browsing for them
• Remove any files not required by selecting them and clicking the – button

Once your required RDP files are in the list click ‘Sign Files’.

If all files are successfully signed then you should see:

If any of the files fail to sign then you should see:

The system will also show which files have failed down the right-hand side of the files area.

Conclusion

If you have had nothing but headaches over creating and signing RDP files then I hope that you find RDPSigner a useful utility to add to the tools at your disposal.

I have always been a believer in finding easier ways of achieving common / repeatable tasks and if my ‘solutions’ can help others then I call that a success

Please feel free to share RDPSigner with whoever you see fit, but please do mention Sherr Technologies in the process … Happy Signing!!

Windows 8 keeps locking randomly – Help!

If you are thinking the same then you have probably had the the issue of Windows 8 just randomly locking on you for no apparent reason.  We have and it is down-right annoying!

Say no to Windows 8 lock screen!

We went through all the Windows settings for power, including the advanced settings and some that had to be ’made visible’ using the registry, however, regardless of what settings we set the system would still decide to go to the lock screen after an amount of time.

After searching around the Internet we came across a small utility that attempted to solve the problem by periodically moving the mouse cursor on screen in an attempt to ’trick’ windows into thinking it was still being used.  Sadly this approach turned out to be just as fruitless as once again the system locked after a period of time.

Things were getting rather tiresome, especially when it was the PC attached to our monitoring platform to keep an eye on the status of all our servers etc.  Turn away from screen, turn back to see status and … GRRRR … lock screen!

The Solution

For those of you out there who want to know the ‘ins and outs’ of how the solution works please see the ‘Techno Speak’ section at the bottom.

Right … onto the solution itself … ‘Win8 LockStop‘

So what is Win8 LockStop?  Simply put, it’s a small utility we developed that runs in the System Tray and ‘forces’ the PC to stay active so that it never enters a locked state.

Unlike other solutions that simulate mouse movement (and which, from our experience, still don’t stop the locking as they are not detected as ‘real’ user input) our utility forces the activity at a system level.  Rather than ‘tricking’ the system into thinking it is being used Win8 LockStop is instead ‘telling’ the system that it is.  In other words we are not giving the system a choice in the matter.

You may download and install Win8 LockStop from the link below.  Please be assured that the download from our site is virus free, however, as always we would advise you to always scan downloads for your own peace of mind.

  Download – Win8 LockStop

How to use Win8 LockStop

Once Win8 LockStop is installed you will find it in the System Tray.

… Win8 LockStop System Tray Icon

By default Win8 LockStop will be running and keeping the system from locking.  If, however, you want to revert back to allowing the system to lock you can disable the utility by simply double-clicking the system tray icon.

… Win8 LockStop disabled

Win8 LockStop will launch with Windows automatically so you don’t need to worry about manually starting it each time you turn the PC on.

Should you wish to uninstall Win8 LockStop then you can do so from the usual ‘Programs & Features’ under Control Panel.

Conclusion

Firstly, thanks for taking the time to read this long post, I hope it has been both interesting and informative!

I hope that you find Win8 LockStop useful and that it saves you the countless hours of headache and subsequent Internet searching to try and find a solution to ‘stop Windows 8 locking’.

Please feel free to share Win8 LockStop amongst your friends / colleagues / enemies (show them who is the better person!) and anyone else you see fit.  All that we ask is that you kindly mention Sherr Technologies in the process  … Come and like us on Facebook