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Problems after SP3 1
- Thread starter forumit
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SP3 sometimes requires several restarts to fully install (not sure why but that's been my experience. I guess it depends on how many pre-SP3 updates were already installed). If you're not logging in with an Administrator account, that remaining process may not be completing properly and the system will essentially lock.
Also, in some cases, your video driver will change during the update and you may not see a proper screen.
Try logging in as Administrator a few times and see if the issue clears up. If not, try logging into Safe Mode and check your Device Manager settings, to see if any unknown and/or additional drivers were installed.
Also, in some cases, your video driver will change during the update and you may not see a proper screen.
Try logging in as Administrator a few times and see if the issue clears up. If not, try logging into Safe Mode and check your Device Manager settings, to see if any unknown and/or additional drivers were installed.
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So, with the laptop, everything was working fine until you put the machine on the domain? Are you perhaps using roaming profiles? There may be something unique (such as shortcuts on the desktop to network paths or USB devices) about those users that is causing the system to lock before the desktop can appear. Check the desktop and Start menu of those users and look for anything that may be specifically referencing a hardware or network device that may not exist on that specific machine.
Do you get the blank screen regardless of the security level of the user logging in? You could try setting the user (temporarily) as a local Administrator and see if that cuts through the conflict that Windows is encountering. In some cases, Windows needs to make administrative changes ONCE and then the user level can be brought back down.
Also, on a separate note, have you run any memory tests? Sometimes a bad spot of RAM can show up within the OS as a stalled desktop.
In any of those three situations, a reboot might potentially get around the issue but only on a temporary basis. Finally, when the system DOES boot properly, does your Event Log show any errors from the previous attempt? There might be something there that would give you a clue as to what's going on.
Do you get the blank screen regardless of the security level of the user logging in? You could try setting the user (temporarily) as a local Administrator and see if that cuts through the conflict that Windows is encountering. In some cases, Windows needs to make administrative changes ONCE and then the user level can be brought back down.
Also, on a separate note, have you run any memory tests? Sometimes a bad spot of RAM can show up within the OS as a stalled desktop.
In any of those three situations, a reboot might potentially get around the issue but only on a temporary basis. Finally, when the system DOES boot properly, does your Event Log show any errors from the previous attempt? There might be something there that would give you a clue as to what's going on.
Is it always the same "some users" that seem to be having this trouble, or does vary in users on a daily basis? If it was the same few users does removing them, and the machines, from the Domain, rebooting, then rejoining them fix the problem?
If it's the same users that seems to run into this problem, then I would suspect their profiles or security rights as the issue. The issue is not limited to one machine, and you can (at least temporarily get around it) so would NOT recommend messing around with the computer and its domain setup. I would instead try the following:
1. Login as an Administrator
2. Delete the profile of the failing user account
3. Restart the machine and login under a NON-FAILING account that has NOT logged into this computer before.
ASSUMING THIS USER LOGS IN PROPERLY:
If all is OK at this point, then the default user profile on the machine is working OK. Now, restart the machine again and try logging in as a FAILING USER. The desktop should come up and both LOOK and WORK properly. If it doesn't come up at all or the desktop looks different that the last user, then you're using some type of ROAMING PROFILE in your network and that's probably where your problem lies. I haven't worked with roaming profiles but, as I said earlier, things like differences in hardware and shortcuts to hardware-specific locations within the profile would cause the desktop to lock.
ASSUMING THIS USER DOES NOT LOG IN PROPERLY:
If it FAILS like the others, then your default user profile is bad on this machine and you need to re-do it. Easiest way to do that, if available, would be to copy a working profile as DEFAULTUSER under the Advanced tab of the System Control Panel. If you don't have a working profile available, I've always just started from scratch with the OS. There's probably a way to copy a profile from another system but I've never done it.
Hopefully, this test will at least narrow the list of suspects.
1. Login as an Administrator
2. Delete the profile of the failing user account
3. Restart the machine and login under a NON-FAILING account that has NOT logged into this computer before.
ASSUMING THIS USER LOGS IN PROPERLY:
If all is OK at this point, then the default user profile on the machine is working OK. Now, restart the machine again and try logging in as a FAILING USER. The desktop should come up and both LOOK and WORK properly. If it doesn't come up at all or the desktop looks different that the last user, then you're using some type of ROAMING PROFILE in your network and that's probably where your problem lies. I haven't worked with roaming profiles but, as I said earlier, things like differences in hardware and shortcuts to hardware-specific locations within the profile would cause the desktop to lock.
ASSUMING THIS USER DOES NOT LOG IN PROPERLY:
If it FAILS like the others, then your default user profile is bad on this machine and you need to re-do it. Easiest way to do that, if available, would be to copy a working profile as DEFAULTUSER under the Advanced tab of the System Control Panel. If you don't have a working profile available, I've always just started from scratch with the OS. There's probably a way to copy a profile from another system but I've never done it.
Hopefully, this test will at least narrow the list of suspects.
Some things to look at.
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