SMB causing Microsoft Office slow loading?

[qaasaq]

Hi,

I am managing a number Macs that we are looking at upgrading to 10.4.2/3 (currently running 10.3.9). During this upgrade we are looking at adding them in a win 2003 server domain. The problem that I have come across is when a network user logs on and opens Microsoft Word 2004 (with the latest updates) is takes about 50 seconds for the program to open. If I test the same computer with a local account, Word opens straight away.

I have also tested having the users home directory on a Mac OS 10.3.9 server (still logging into the domain) which seems to cut the loading time of word down to about 20 seconds, but still seems long when it happens every time that Word opened, not just the first time.

So... . I was wondering if anyone else has had trouble with the time it takes to open Microsoft Word when a computer was on a Windows 2003 Server?

Some details:
Windows 2003 Server hosting home directories with SMB
Tested with OS 10.4.2 & 10.4.3 & Mac Office 11.0 & 11.2.1


Any info would be very helpful

Thanks.

 

[sourcehound]

Hi,

I am managing a number Macs that we are looking at upgrading to 10.4.2/3 (currently running 10.3.9). During this upgrade we are looking at adding them in a win 2003 server domain. The problem that I have come across is when a network user logs on and opens Microsoft Word 2004 (with the latest updates) is takes about 50 seconds for the program to open. If I test the same computer with a local account, Word opens straight away.

I have also tested having the users home directory on a Mac OS 10.3.9 server (still logging into the domain) which seems to cut the loading time of word down to about 20 seconds, but still seems long when it happens every time that Word opened, not just the first time.

So... . I was wondering if anyone else has had trouble with the time it takes to open Microsoft Word when a computer was on a Windows 2003 Server?

Some details:
Windows 2003 Server hosting home directories with SMB
Tested with OS 10.4.2 & 10.4.3 & Mac Office 11.0 & 11.2.1


Any info would be very helpful

Thanks.

I've had absolutely no problems when loading Word since version X from a network home directory. If your having issues, it might be due to a delay or slowness in DNS resolution. Check using "dig" on the command line and see how long it takes to resolve the addresss of the server hosting the home directories from a workstation.