Microsoft Access Network Issues

[tunafish]

Basically i help run a network of around 900ish computers, i have been tasked with researching and finding an answer to a random problem

First of all we run a server setup with AD etc on a Windows 2K3 Server and the clients are XP PRO SP3 based. We seem to be having a random issue with Microsoft Access 2003.

Basically the issue is very random and not pc specific. Sometimes when a user is working on an Access database and saves it to their user area the next time they open it all the data is gone from the Access document, now if the document had wiped it's self the file size would be 0kb except the file is keeping its original size so its like the datas there but you cant see it kind of thing.

This issue only seems to happen when a user saves the file to the Server for users. It only seems to affect Access documents. Office 2003 is running the latest updates and same with the Clients WinXP.

[Skoey]

Hmmm that is an odd one.

Nothing in event viewer on the server suggesting some sort of write / temp / cache issue? Cause it sounds like shadow copy or some sort of caching is occurring / not doing its job.

Are the people using the access db's using them to just enter / edit data via a form or are they modifying the actual database, reason I ask is, their is a Access 2003 viewer application that you could install on say 3 machines (remove access full version) and get the users to use that, just to see if the issue still arises. Obviously doesnt help that much, but may help narrow down the problem.

[tunafish]

Basically, it's a just a single access database stored in a users file area and is unique to that user. It's students coursework in their private home drive. Anyway the issue is the fact there is a 1%-2% chance that when they save it like whipes the database clear or so it seems.

But they need access to be able to edit the database as they need to create an access database from scratch etc. But whats strange is the file does not get totaly truncated, it still keeps the same file size just looses the tables info.

we seem to think somehow the pc's may be loosing their connection to the server right before saving or something. However it seems strange as it DOES NOT happen to any other files being saved and only access.

Whats annoying is this has not happened in a while and by the time i am told about it the student that it's happened to has like either redone the whole database or restored from their backup or something. So i really need to get hold of a file that it's happened on to mess around with and see.