Problem:
Are there any problems with using Windows Vista as a file server?
Resolution:
There is a problem when you try to use RM indexed files and Microsoft Vista as a file server: record locks do not function properly.
The problem is a Microsoft defect and it is fixed with a Microsoft SP1 release for Vista. Since this is a Microsoft scheduled release, we have no date when it will be available.
There appears to be at least four choices to get around this problem at the moment. We will include the information about the Microsoft hotfix and how to disable SMB2 in the registry, but the Vista SP1 is the safest route. There might be some risk in taking the hotfix and/or the registry modification.
Solutions:
Don't do Vista-Vista file sharing, or
Wait for Vista SP1, or
Apply the Microsoft hotfix, or
Disable SMB2 in the registry.
The following hotfix is available form Microsoft.
"Access may stop responding when you open a remote database" ( http://support.microsoft.com/kb/935366/en-us )
Microsoft says that:
(1) "customers will need to call Microsoft support and ask for the hotfix to KB 935366. The fix will be included in Vista SP1."
(2) "if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next service pack that contains this hotfix."
Liant cannot distribute the hotfix.
On the same Microsoft forum ( http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=1548374&SiteID=1 ), We found the following information about how to disable SMB2 on Vista. Note that this information does not come (directly) from Microsoft. Also note that the writers indicate that this (disabling SMB2 on Vista with a registry change) may be a very bad idea. I believe that the Hotfix discussed in knowledgebase article 935366 is the "official" Microsoft response to the problem (at least until Vista SP1 is available).
This appears to be a problem with the new SMB2 protocol developed for Windows Vista. For a brief description of what SMB2 is, See: http://wiki.ethereal.com/SMB2
Disabling SMB2 on the machine that hosts the share seems to solve the problem. Share works fine when a Windows XP machine hosts the shared folder because XP does not support SMB2 and the machines connecting will use SMB.
So far this is an undocumented problem only known by Microsoft's internal support staff, so use this information at your own risk. It is unkown if disabling SMB2 will have any other side-effects. To disable SMB2 on the machine hosting the shared folder, add a registery value named SMB2 under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CONTROLSET/SERVICES/LANMANSERVER/PARAMETERS and set it to 0. Reboot.
We are recommending that our clients set up an XP machine to host the share until the problem is addressed in a real MS Knowledgebase article with proven results or until a fix is provided.
