SOME FILES REMAIN OPEN AFTER APPLICATION IS CLOSED

Nobody in Italy seems to know which is the cause of my problem, may anyone help me !?!

When I close an application (e.g.: my network Clipper application with DBF files or the accounting software with Btrieve files)
some files remain still open on the server, as it appears to Server Manager, both in the Shares and In Use windows on my Username.
It seems to me that if another user opens the same application the results is that the files are closed on my Username and remain open on the other Username, even after the application is closed.

I've a COMPAQ PROLIANT800 SERVER with NT 4.0 SP5 installed and:
>> 15 Win98 stations (Pentium 166/200/350/400Mhz) with NIC Intel PRo/100+Management Adapter and latest drivers (e100bnt5.sys rel.3.36.10.0000)
>> The network configuration is the same on all stations (Microsoft network, NetBEUI predefined protocol, TCP-IP protocol fully automatic, Microsoft Files and Printer sharing, access to the NT domain (PDC) trought login script)
>> DHCP Server and DNS are on the Wingate gateway station
>> WINS is on NT server
>> Hub Allied Telesyn 10/100 24 ports automanaged
>> Wires UTP class 5 certified

This may not be much help but you are not alone!

I visited a client yesterday and needed to shut down the server. I chased up some apparently "open" files to discover the users had last accessed them the previous day. This doesn't seem to cause a problem but it is a little disconcerting, to think that NT might be lying to me!!

You say that this is a problem to you but just what is the problem? If it is just that Server Manager is misreporting open files, I don't see it is a problem, just inconvenient. If, however, your users are unable to open the file because someone else is holding it open, even after they have closed the application, then that is a problem.

Please advise.

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Howard Marsh
HWM Consulting Pty Ltd
Queensland, Australia

Who wrote these applications? Are the files being closed by the application? Is there a server component of the application or is the server just being used as a file server?

If it is used as just a file server are you mapping a network drive to a share on the server or are you using a UNC? If you are using a network drive, what happens when you disconnect the drive - does the open file handle go away?

[This message has been edited by GregL (edited 11-04-99).]

Thanks so much for your helpful suggestions.
As per GregL reply I've verified the following points:
>> the applications close all the files
>> server is used just as a file server
>> I map network drive (I https://discussions.virtualdr.com/ to a share on the server
>> if I disconnect the drive the file handles go away on Server Manager

Thank in advance