Intermittent connection to Windows 7 shared folder from Windows XP workstations

How to Optimize Windows NT Server Using the Registry. The windows 7 computer is acting as the server.

I maintain a small network for an accounting office. My client has a Windows 7 Professional server which is sharing Internet access and sharing a folder to 2 Windows 7 workstations and 2 Windows XP workstations. I have the folder mapped as drive "L:" on all the workstations.
Everything works fine for the Windows 7 workstations. They are able to access the Internet and read/write files in the shared folder all day, every day.
Everything works fine for the Windows XP workstations at first, but then they lose access to the shared folder after awhile (sometimes hours, sometimes overnight). They retain access to the Internet, however. I am sometimes able to reboot the Windows XP workstations to see the shared folder again, but other times the connection just comes and goes at an apparently random schedule

To configure the Server service, follow these steps:

1. In Control Panel, double-click Network.
2. On the Services tab, click the Server service, and then click Properties.
3. There are four configuration options for the Server service listed here:
   1. Minimize Memory Used
   2. Balance
   3. Maximize Throughput for File Sharing
   4. Maximize Throughput for Network Applications

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

When you configure one of the four options for the Server service, the information is saved to the following two registry keys:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\lanmanserver\parameters\size

Your choices for this registry key are 1,2 and 3.

1 = Minimize Memory Used
2 = Balance
3 = Maximize Throughput for File Sharing and Maximize Throughput for Network Applications

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\LargeSystemCache

Your choices for this registry key are 0 and 1.

1 = Maximize Throughput for File Sharing
0 = Maximize Throughput for Network Applications

Some programs, such as SQL and Exchange, set this value during an installation. For these programs, the optimal setting is 0.
0 = Indicates that the computer does not go outside its cache pool and use program memory to perform I/O functions.

1 = Indicates that the computer looks outside of its cache pool and uses program memory to perform I/O functions. This occurs if the cache is full.


Reboot the server or:

net stop server
net start server