Netware 4.x/WinXP Involuntary Standby Mode Issues 1

[Primis]

Hey all.

I've run into an issue where we're having a batch of Dell OptiPLex GX270 WinXP machines somehow being thrown into Standby mode without them being set to anywhere in Windows or the BIOS.

Basically what happens is we'll do as fresh install of everything on the systems and get everything setup for the user, and all is fine. Then at some point down the road we'll need to login as network Admin on that workstation and the machine then wants to go into Standby Mode after being idle for 15 min. It *should* go into Screensaver and lock the workstation, not go into Standby though. And I know for 100% certain that it is in fact Standby Mode, because if we leave an Excel sheet or something that's stored on a network drive open while idle, we get an error saying it can't go into Standby due to the network file being open. The Standby itself seems to have no real issues, except that it shouldn't even be going into Standby int he first place.

We've think we've confirmed it's not policy being passed down from our domain, as the problem does not occur if Client32 is not ever installed and the domain setup. I've also updated ForceWare video drivers (all the systems have GeForce FX 5200 cards) on a whim, just to make sure it wasn't a video driver issue and have made sure no Nvidia Desktop Management is enabled (I've seen weirder problems caused by vid drivers in the past). Combine that with the fact that the local Power Management settings in Win XP and the BIOS are all disabled, and the only thing I can think of involves it somehow picking it up from somewhere in Novell policy when Admin is logged into, even though I'll be danged if I can find it?

Does anyone have *any* ideas where this is getting inherited from, or if it even is at all? The fact that it doesn't happen unless Client32 is present keeps leading me back to Novell being the culprit. This has been driving us batty for months now. Thanks.

 

[Primis]

I figured I'd post what I found, since I even thoguh I got no responses I *know* by similar search engine queries that I'm not the only one who's ever run across this problem.

Here's what seems to have happened. Apparently, logging in as network Administrator account does *something* to overwrite or modify the locally-stored Administrator settings. The other user accounts will NOT reflect this change, as they simply show the settings inherited from the domain. However, if you log in as Administrator and check the settings, you'll note Standby Mode is enabled (even though it was totally disabled upon first setting up the system).

Basically... those locally-stored settings that somehow got changed manage to somehow override the setting inherited from the domain, even though when you go into the settings on a normal user account it shows the proper inherited settings. So fixing this locally under Administrator does seem to fix the problem.

This problem is not duplicatable without Client32 installled though, it seems. So Novell must modify or write somethign to the locally-stored Administrator profile upon logging in later for some reason.

Hope this ends up helping somene else. We spent a long time trying to figure out what was going on with this.

 

[marvhuffaker]

By default, Novell doesn't do anything to control policies or profiles.. It's not going to happen unless you specifically set it up this way. I find it odd that you are noting this behavior as a Novell 'problem', but don't know where it's coming from. Certainly you have an understanding of your network infrastructure and topology?

Are you using ZENworks? DLU? Or are you pushing policies out from a script? In most cases, even if Novell "IS" controlling the policies, you are still using standard Microsoft methodologies.. The Novell pieces just bring it into a centralized point of management.




Marvin Huffaker, MCNE

http://www.redjuju.com

 

[Primis]

marvhuffaker -

Well, I consider the fact that the problem does not occur if I don't ever install Client32 to be a pretty good indicator that it's something on the Novell side that's causing it. If I don't have Client32 installed on the workstation, the issue never pops up -- the Administrator profile gets written to the local machine but its setting do NOT override anyone else's. Novell over the phone was also stumped and tried to blame Dell (which doesn't explain why non-Client32 workstations of the exact same model don't have it).

I'm not terribly interested in digging further at this point because we're ditching Novell altogether here in the next month or two now. In the meantime though, should someone else run across this same problem (and if you poke around Google enough, you *will* find a bunch of queries on this same problem), I thought they might appreciate anything that resembeld a lead on the cause, since I found nothing myself and only got finger-pointing from any of the companies involved.

 

[marvhuffaker]

The point is that even if it is something Novell is controlling, it's still a microsoft policy and you must have configured it yourself because it won't happen automatically.

Marvin Huffaker, MCNE

http://www.redjuju.com