Network Share Access Denied After Limit Met, Then a Disconnect

• Microsoft Windows NT operating system version 3.1
• Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server version 3.1
• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 3.5
• Microsoft Windows NT Server version 3.5

SYMPTOMS

When two computers access a shared file or application on a network share where the limit of connections is set to two, a third computer is still unable to access the shared file or application even after one of the other two computers have closed the file or quit the application.

CAUSE

By design, a dormant network connection remains alive for 10 minutes after a computer quits a shared file or application on a network share.

In the case above, the computer that closed the shared file or quit the shared application still has a dormant network connection and because the network share is limited to two, the third computer is still unable to access the shared file or application.

NOTE: Microsoft Windows for Workgroups version 3.11 behaves the same way.

WORKAROUND

To delete a dormant network connection:

• From the computer with the dormant connection, use the following command to delete the connection:

        NET USE \\server\share /d
  

  -or-

• From the server, an administrator can use the following command to delete the dormant connection:

        net sess \\computername /d