we are running a windows server 2008r2 sp1 domain controller and a 3com gigabit switch to which 7 windows 7 pro computers are connected. We are only using the windows server to distribute a few printers and as a network share (z drive).
we are storing all files (word documents only) centrally on the server (z share), and files are accessed and written to the z share.
Problem is that file access from the z share on the windows 7 client computers is at best buggy. we are able to browse the z-share, but as soon as we want to search the z-share for files (f.i. use file explorer with "content: memorandum") the green progress bar shows and no search is performed. something like alphabetically sorting a directory on map/file name on the z-share also shows a green bar with no sorting. manually going to the files works.
One thing i noticed, sometimes not all files that one user created and stored on the server is visible and can be found by another user. I prefer to disable all offline file caching setting, because that feature is not used. no files should be made accessible offline. i don't know where to change that on the server side.
I am reluctant to experiment on the server end (2008r2 sp1), so i tried a few suggested solutions on the client end (windows 7 client)
I tried disabling offline file caching
i tried properties (z share) ==> advanced and map optimizing and several options there
i tried disabling the smbv2 protocol and disabling the smbv1 protocol (using
sc
i tried disabling windows defender
i tried accessing the z share via ip and server name (the share is mapped via its servername, e.g. dennis-dc1\share). still the same
file searching on the clients c drive ('own harddrive') works much better, file searching on the server also works.
any suggestions or solutions that i can test on the client side, as mentioned i am reluctant to change something on the server side. if a solutions works, i prefer to change it on the server side.