This article includes tips for troubleshooting common problems with Web & File Sharing. Some of the tips included below are also in the AppleShare IP 6.0 (ASIP) Help files.

General Web & File

You can't open the Web & File Admin program

• Verify that ASIP and OpenDoc extensions are installed and loaded.
• Verify sufficient memory is free to open the application.
• If password is being rejected, verify CapsLock key is not down. (See the section of forgotten passwords, if that's the problem.)
• If attempting to open the Admin program from the ASIP Manager application, try to open it by simply double-clicking on the Web & File Server Admin application from the Finder.
• Try opening other Admin programs, such as Mail Server Admin. Success opening another admin application would indicate that there are no problems with Open Doc and Users & Groups data file. Try reinstalling the Web & File Admin program itself.
• Test to see if the Users & Groups data file and PDS files are unusable. Replace the Users & Groups Data File with a recent backup copy, if available.
• You should back up your Users & Groups Data File regularly, as well as all the shared data on the server.

Not enough memory to start other programs.

• Choose Reset Cache from the Web & File Admin program's Server menu to flush the cache. Flushing the cache temporarily reduces the amount of memory used by the Web & File Server, thereby making memory available for other programs.
• If flushing the cache corrects the issue, you may not have reserved enough of your computer's random-access memory (RAM) for programs other than the Web & File Server. To do so:
  
  1. In the Web & File Admin program, choose Web & File Server Settings from the Server menu.

  2. Choose Cache from the pop-up menu.

  3. Increase the number in the "Reserved memory for other applications" box to allow other applications to run.
  (To see the memory requirements of each application, select its name in the Finder and choose Get Info from the Finder's File menu.)

• An alternative to resetting cache size is to start other programs before you start the Web & File Server. If you are trying to start the Mail Server, set it up to start automatically when you restart the computer. Start other programs when you restart the computer by creating an alias for them in the Startup Items folder, inside the System Folder of your computer. The Startup Items will be launched in alphabetical order. It helps to rename the aliases with numbers, indicating the order in which you want them to start up.

File Sharing takes a long time to start up

ASIP must verify the privileges for each folder against information in the Users & Groups Data file whenever file sharing starts up. A very large number of folders, each with explicit privileges, can result in this being a long process (allow at least 15 minutes). Any unusable PDS files can also cause the server to never finish starting up.

If the server eventually does start up , then try changing explicit privileges to inherited, where appropriate. See the related topic on explicit versus inherited privileges, for more details.

If the server never starts up, make sure that each volume on the desktop has sufficient disk space for a PDS file to be created. If so, one or more of the server's PDS files may be unusable. See the related topic on how privileges are stored for assistance in troubleshooting this issue.

Duplicate serial number on the network

When the Web & File Server starts up, it checks the network on which your computer resides for other computers using the same serial number as the one registered on your computer. If the same serial number is detected, an unauthorized copy of AppleShare IP software is running in violation of the Apple software licensing agreement.

Determine which computer is running software in violation of the agreement and cease using that copy of the software.

You cannot open the Users & Groups control panel

The Users & Groups control panel cannot be used once you have installed the AppleShare IP software. You use the Web & File Admin program to register users and groups instead.

If you have installed Apple Remote Access Personal Server, the instructions may tell you to go to the Users & Groups control panel to enable your clients to dial in. You'll find these dial in options have been added to your users' settings when you view them with the Web & File Admin program.

Creation and modification dates or times are incorrect

If the server's clock is incorrect:

1. Stop the Web & File Server.
2. Open the Date & Time control panel.
3. Check the time zone.
4. Reset the date and time as necessary.
5. Restart the Web & File Server.

If the computer's internal battery needs replacing, have the battery changed and then set the clock.

If the clock of a user's computer is incorrect, instruct the user to log off the Web & File Server, reset his or her computer's clock, and then log on again.

Note that the ASIP server will make adjustments for clients in a different time zone creating or modifying files on the server. When viewed at the server itself, the creation and modified dates & times will reflect the server's local time, not the time at the client's location. But when viewed from a client workstation in another time zone, the date and time will reflect the client's local time.

Administrator's Password Forgotten

Please see the following Tech Info Library article for complete details:

Article 8662: " AppleShare Admin: What To Do If You Lose The Password "

Users login become disabled

Re-enable users login in the "General" setting for that user (check "User may log on")

If this is a continuing issue, check Web & File Server Settings:Password for the option to disable login after X failed attempts. If this is a relatively low number, increase it to allow for users who may be uncertain of their password.

The access privileges you assigned to all folders, or to a single folder, on a volume are lost

Access privileges can be lost if:

• The PDS file is corrupted.
• A shared folder was moved or restored in a way that didn't preserve privileges.
• The PDS files and Users & Groups data file are out of sync.

If you have backed up the PDS file for that volume, you can restore it to the root level of the volume. Otherwise, use the Web & File Admin program to set up privileges for the volume or folder again.

Problems creating drop boxes

Drop boxes must be created inside a share point. Assign the Read Access Privilege to the share point and assign Write Only access to folders inside the share point that are to be used as drop boxes. Give the owner of the Drop Box all privileges.

Users have access to your personal files

In general, keep personal files in a separate folder that is not shared.

Verify that you have not inadvertently given administrative privileges to users.

Guest access grayed out

Server administrator must allow user "Guest" privileges to log into the file server.

Volumes grayed out

Server administrator must allow users at least "read" access to share points in order for users to mount the volume.

Users can't access new folders created on the server

Access privileges to the parent folder not set up correctly. See Related Topic on common privileges problem for more information.

Web visitors see "authorization failed" message

If logging in as a guest, verify that server administrator has allowed guest Web access.

Verify that proper privileges have been set up for the folder designed the "Web" folder; this folder needs privileges enabled, but does not have to be made a share point.

Verify that correct username and password are being used.