network or file permission error

[Chris Bailey]

I do support for a small law office (four Macs and a Mac server). Recently,
I did complete overhaul upgrades (backup data, erase hard drive, reinstall
system and apps from scratch, restore data) on three of the four clients,
setting them up with OS X 10.4.4 and Office 2004 (11.2.1.). I've been
running into the notorious "there has been a network or file permission
error. The network connection may be lost." error on *one* station ever
since.

I've tried the solution involving creating a ".TemporaryItems" folder in the
user's home directory on the server (with the appropriate privileges) --
that didn't help at all. I'd read reports that opening files using the
File/Open command instead of double-clicking on the Word file in the Finder
might circumvent the problem -- no go. I've done full permission repairs on
both the server and the client -- problem persists.

I still don't know why this problem seems to be affecting only one of the
three stations, when they all connect to the server and store files in the
same place. The server is running OS X Server 10.3.9. All users login to the
server with the same account.

(I'd also run across one reference that Norton Antivirus for Mac could
possibly be a factor -- we're using Intego VirusBarrier X4 with all the
latest updates, so that's not it either.)

1. Does anyone know if this problem is less likely to happen with Server X
10.4.4?

2. Has Microsoft announced any progress on releasing a patch for this
problem?

3. Does anyone have ANYTHING ELSE I could possibly try to alleviate this
problem for the affected user?

Any suggestions would be appreciated... thanks.

Charles "Chris" Bailey
Saint Joseph, Michigan

 

[John McGhie [MVP - Word and Word Macintosh]]

Hi Chris:

The current state of play for this problem is:

1) The problem has several "causes". Microsoft and Apple have done just
about all they can to fix the problem. It's an extremely difficult problem
to even "find", and there may be other causes Microsoft and Apple have not
yet found.

2) We are all waiting on some promised Apple fixes which hopefully will
solve most of the remaining problems. There may be another fix coming from
Microsoft that might further improve things.

3) The later the version of Apple OS involved, the more likely it is that
you will experience problems. So no: taking your server up is likely to
make your problem worse.

4) The only thing I can suggest that will take the problem away is to
back-grade all of your desktops to OS 10.3.9. I have not moved up from
10.3.9 here, and I can't until this problem is fixed because I depend on
Word for my living.

I am not aware of anyone who has managed to solve this problem all of the
time for all of their users on OS 10.4. Some people never see the problem.
Some people get lucky for "a while" with one or more of the various fixes.
Others simply put up with it and use the Finder to copy closed files to and
from the network to the local disk.

Sorry...

I do support for a small law office (four Macs and a Mac server). Recently,
I did complete overhaul upgrades (backup data, erase hard drive, reinstall
system and apps from scratch, restore data) on three of the four clients,
setting them up with OS X 10.4.4 and Office 2004 (11.2.1.). I've been
running into the notorious "there has been a network or file permission
error. The network connection may be lost." error on *one* station ever
since.

I've tried the solution involving creating a ".TemporaryItems" folder in the
user's home directory on the server (with the appropriate privileges) --
that didn't help at all. I'd read reports that opening files using the
File/Open command instead of double-clicking on the Word file in the Finder
might circumvent the problem -- no go. I've done full permission repairs on
both the server and the client -- problem persists.

I still don't know why this problem seems to be affecting only one of the
three stations, when they all connect to the server and store files in the
same place. The server is running OS X Server 10.3.9. All users login to the
server with the same account.

(I'd also run across one reference that Norton Antivirus for Mac could
possibly be a factor -- we're using Intego VirusBarrier X4 with all the
latest updates, so that's not it either.)

1. Does anyone know if this problem is less likely to happen with Server X
10.4.4?

2. Has Microsoft announced any progress on releasing a patch for this
problem?

3. Does anyone have ANYTHING ELSE I could possibly try to alleviate this
problem for the affected user?

Any suggestions would be appreciated... thanks.

Charles "Chris" Bailey
Saint Joseph, Michigan

--

Please reply to the newsgroup to maintain the thread. Please do not email
me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie <[email protected]>
Microsoft MVP, Word and Word for Macintosh. Consultant Technical Writer
Sydney, Australia +61 (0) 4 1209 1410