Question : Windows Server 2008 File Server inaccessible from clients

I have recently installed a new domain for a client, based mostly on Windows Server 2008.

The client has four sites - 3 remote sites have a single 2008 DC on site and are linked to the main site, via VPN, which has a 2008 DC acting as the file server, and a 2003 DC hosting Exchange 2007 SP1.  There is also a 2008 Terminal Server here.

Every PC in the domain connects to their local DC and then RDP's to the terminal server and works through there.

Over the last few days, we have found that it takes around 20 minutes for the clients to log in to terminal server.  Investigation of this found that the File Server could not be accessed over the network (and the users Termina Server profiles and home drives are stored on the file server).  I can log into the terminal server through RDP, but again this can take 15 to 20 minutes to complete.  The only thing I can then do is restart the machine to get things working again.  I think the server may be crashing as well, as the moment I click restart a continuous ping from another machine will suddenly drop - you would expect there to be at least a few replies while it shuts down and restarts.

The only error I can find in the event logs is from the HP Foundation agents which says "The Host Remote Alerter detected an error while attempting to retrieve data from key = CompaqHost\OsPerf\Component\LogicalDisk in the registry.  The data contains the error code."

I cannot find this error anywhere on the internet, but is it indicating that there is a problem with the CPU?

I know the client locked their server room over the weekend without making sure their air-con was on and the servers all shut down due to over heating - could the CPU have overheated to the point it was damaged?

Otherwise, I am at a loss to explain what is going on.

Answer : Windows Server 2008 File Server inaccessible from clients

Symantec endpoint?  If so disable it ;-) and try again.  Symantec is well known for their firewall product preventing local LAN access ;-)

-D-