Documents slow to load after server retired

Tech-Archive recommends: Speed Up your PC by fixing your registry

From: Cristian Croitoru (c_croitoru_at_hotmail.com)
Date: 03/17/04 

Date: Wed, 17 Mar 2004 12:31:53 +1000

Apologies for cross posting, I did not now where it fits best!

I had a server 2k named B which was due for retiring.
It used to be file storage (including workgroup templates), domain
controller and print server.
The server died and we decided not to resurrect it.
However we needed to do an SQL migration and we recreated it with the same
name B.
There are no shares or printer queues currently on it, nor is a DC anymore.
There is a new server A which has storage, print and DC services.

Now for the problem:
.doc files are extremely slow to load, more than 2 minutes, but not all or
any, some locals are slow, some are not, some network files are slow, some
are not!
this happens if the server B is offline; as soon as B is online (although it
has nothing to offer!) all files load in a blink.
Note that Word by itself opens fine, the problem occurs only with some of
the old documents. Also It happens with OS 2k or XP, also with Office XP or
2003, does not really matter.

Why is this happening and how to fix it?

I have a theory but I have no idea how to fix it:
Apparently all the documents slow to open have been created using workgroup
templates stored on a share on old B; this templates have been moved on A
and the settings in tools/options/file locations have been adjusted
accordingly; templates on A are accessible and you can create new documents
based on them.
It appears something was stored in the files created using the workgroup
templates (may be a default printer to a printer queue on old B?) that
prompts Word to look for server B; if server B is up it replies "I don't
have it" and that's fine, document opens fine; if B is not available it
keeps trashing the network trying to find B, after a while it times out.

Any help will be greatly appreciated, as my users are slowly turning into a
lynching mob!!

Thank you,

Cristian Croitoru

PS If you need any other info about the config please feel free to request
it!

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Merged Word Documents VERY SLOW to open
    ... source that is linked when they created their master templates) lived locally ... server now but used to be on their old file server when the problem documents ... when you are using a .dot to create mail merge main documents and the ..dot is connected to a data source ...
    (microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields)
  • Re: Documents slow to load after server retired
    ... > I had a server 2k named B which was due for retiring. ... > There are no shares or printer queues currently on it, ... > templates stored on a share on old B; ... > have it" and that's fine, document opens fine; ...
    (microsoft.public.office.setup)
  • Re: Documents slow to load after server retired
    ... > I had a server 2k named B which was due for retiring. ... > There are no shares or printer queues currently on it, ... > templates stored on a share on old B; ... > have it" and that's fine, document opens fine; ...
    (microsoft.public.office.misc)
  • VBA Public Sub procedure not executing, Variables pulling from Active Directory
    ... Each office has its own server with the same ... The code to open up the Templates is contained in the Sub procedures. ... code looks to Active Directory to find the user location and opens the ...
    (microsoft.public.word.vba.general)
  • Re: Word documents open very slowly when connected to the network
    ... Word searches for several things, templates, links to templates or files that are embedded in the document, registry entries and if ... If that server was an original location for installing Office the MS Installer may also be looking for it if it thinks it needs to ... I see that the network activity lights activate fully when word is trying to ... we named a PC the name of the old server and now word opens all of the ...
    (microsoft.public.office.misc)