MAC and Windows Networking

PricelineNegotiator

Well-known member
Hey guys,

So we've been having some issues with the two most recent releases of macOS (10.12.4 + 10.12.5) networking with our file server. My networking knowledge is rather limited, but my setup did work before these releases.

Basically, our files are all stored on a large HDD inside of a normal PC running Windows 10 x64. We have two Macs that interface via standard networking (I've heard SMB and some other protocols thrown around on this forum, but I am unaware which I am using). The Macs can access the files just fine, and see all the files as they are on the server, but there is a ~10% chance that if you open, close, then open again (perhaps 2 hours later) the same InDesign file, InDesign notifies you that the file is read-only because someone else is using it. Well, the problem is that no one else besides one computer has accessed the file, so there is something wrong where the Mac is either not properly relaying to the PC that it has closed the file initially, or the Mac is not reading properly that the file has been closed. The only fix that we have is to turn off the Mac, but the restart cycle takes about 15 minutes from start to finish. Obviously not ideal. We will be purchasing some new iMacs when Apple decides to drop the iMac refresh to make things move a bit more quickly, but I can't gamble on whether new iMacs will solve the problem or not.

My bottom line question is, is there a utility that can enforce and uphold networking performance between Windows 10 x64 and macOS 10.12.5? Has anyone ran into this, or similar issues? I'm losing my mind. We have almost zero reprints month-to-month, but we've had two in the last month due to this issue. I need a fix.
 
Windows 10 isn't a great file server. The first thing I would do is disable SMB 1.0 which is outdated and a security risk but MS still has it enabled by default. On Win 10 right click the start button and then click 'Control Panel'. Click 'Programs' and then click the link for 'Turn Windows features on or off'. In the next dialog scroll down to 'SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support' and uncheck the box. Click OK and it will tell you to restart the PC so do that. Not sure if this will solve that problem but it might. I do use a Win 10 box for file sharing at home and haven't seen this issue. And this setting should be changed on all Win 10 PC's anyway. The other thing I would do is edit the hosts files on all of you Macs to list your Win 10 box in it and also edit your hosts file on the win 10 box and add all of your Macs in there.
 
You might want to check outs an app called BatChMod. It's a free app that allows you to change or reset file permissions.
 
Well, Windows 10 is a client OS, not a server platform. If you upgraded that to e.g. Windows Server 2016 (or any other server OS), then adding HELIOS Universal File Server software should solve your issues. Universal File Server runs on your server and adds file sharing, synchronization, and Spotlight search for Mac, Windows, web, iOS, and Android users. In your case, the included native AFP networking for Mac clients provides full compatibility for editing Adobe files on network volumes. Contact me for a 30 day "test drive".

Tom Hallinan
HELIOS Software GmbH
http://www.helios.de
 

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