Slow Logon on Laptop 2

[cyberspace]

Before anybody shouts at me, I have searched other threads and used suggetions, but i've not found anything that's exactly what I am after, more to the point, the problem is still there.

The directors of the company I work for use laptops to connect to the network from home via a VPN.

When logging on, wether connected to the internet/network or not, the logon is set to log on to the domain.

On one laptop, recently, the logon is now very slow. Typically the message about not being able to locate roaming profile pops up, which is correct since they arn't connected to the network at the time of logging on, so the local profile is used instead.

Are there a sort of "top 3" for resolutions of this kind of problem?

Many thanks.

 

[linney]

Are they updated with the latest Service Pack and other updates?

"The roaming profile cannot be found" error message when you log on to your network from a Windows XP-based computer

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;831651&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

http://www.google.com/search?source...oaming+profile+cannot+be+found"+xp+slow+logon

http://groups.google.com/groups?ie=UTF-8&q="The+roaming+profile+cannot+be+found"+xp&qt_s=Search

http://www.google.com/search?source...en&q="The+roaming+profile+cannot+be+found"+xp

 

[Irish1957]

Dont know if this will help. Have had some very slow laptop logons. Most time due to someone having mapped a network drive which is no-longer available to that machine and has the reconnect on logon check box ticked

 

[cyberspace]

Thanks for the tips guys, plenty to work with there

 

[cyberspace]

Well that was a while ago but still having the problem, just never got round to fixing it, but today i am updating some stuff and can't believe how my boss can put up with the slow logons.

The event logs are showing 2 errors:

Firstly:

Source: AutoEnrollment
Event ID: 15

"Automatic system enrolment for local system faile to contact the Active Directory. The specified domain either does not exist of could not be contacted. Enrollment will not be performed"

Secondly:

Source: Userenv
Event ID: 1054

"Windows cannot obtain the domain controller name for your computer network (The specified domain either does not exist or could not be contacted), Group Policy processing aborted.

The second one seems to be DNS related, according to the info for the Event ID. Dont get the first one though.

Any more info will be most appreciated.

'When all else fails.......read the manual'

 

[cyberspace]

a quick update..

it seems there must be some kind of script running.

I deleted some icons from the quick launch, restarted and they wernt there. Hooked the laptop up to the network, still took a while to log on, and when it did log on..those icons are back.

So there is something there...I have looked in local computer policy and its all shown as "none" for group policy, and I dont know what i should be checking on the server because these icons only appear on this laptop...

Im determined to get to the bottom of it.


'When all else fails.......read the manual'

 

[cyberspace]

So....since i hooked it up to the network and logged on, i have disconnected network drives etc.

Now when I reboot, before i get the 'Ctrl+Alt+Del to logon' screen, it sits saying "Preparing network connections" for a couple of minutes.

Then when the password is entered, it logs on straight away! So as one issue goes away, anoter one comes up, so the total time is roughly the same.

No new entries in event log, they are the same as before.

What a pain...

'When all else fails.......read the manual'

 

[linney]

Preparing network connections.

http://www.google.com/search?source...:en&q="Preparing+network+connections"+slow+xp

http://groups.google.com/groups?sou...:en&q="Preparing+network+connections"+slow+xp

Event ID's.

http://www.eventid.net/events.asp

The policy "Always wait for the network at computer startup and logon" is found:
Computer Configuration/ Administrative Templates/ System/ Logon, looking at that may be worthwhile?


Slow Logon to Windows 2000 Domains
faq779-4017

 

[markdmac]

I'd start with checking the DNS settings on this laptop. Make sure they do not have any ISP DNS listed.

Next I would ask, does this user also have a desktop? If they only have a laptop, then I would eliminate the roaming profile since a notebook should not need that since the PC itself can roam.

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

 

[cyberspace]

Thanks for the above advice.

Alot of that I had checked but I will give it all a good read, i tried quite alot to get this to work...learned a fair bit in the process mind so it has been a useful exercise.

I seem to have solved the problem.

When logging on the office domain was selected, usually when this is the case and no connection is present, the local version of the server profile is used and logon is still fast. I made a new local profile (ie added a laptop user to the laptop as opposed to the domain) with exactly the same logon credentials, and set up a VPN connection using this profile.

Tested it, everything is working and authenticating as it should, offline files can be accessed etc. So that might not be a solution to everybodys problem but it's certainly an easy one to try!

As a matter of course, how do you disable roaming profiles?

What makes me wonder is that the other boss has the same laptop with the same config and his logs on straight away! Strange - i would like to get to the bottom of it eventually!

'When all else fails.......read the manual'

 

[CBradshaw]

exactly what VPN client are you running?

We had exactly the same problem running Symantec VPN client. We found that a) there needed to be a hotfix applied for Windows XP sp1 operating systems. Service Pack 2 however did not require that hotfix.

The problem was to do with the VPN driver on the network adapter.

 

[cyberspace]

It's NCP now - but it used to be Symantec. Im quite sure it has been removed since, but the laptop has been SP2 since new.

Both laptops have NCP and used to have Symantec and yet only one is misbehaving!

'When all else fails.......read the manual'

 

[CBradshaw]

I'd definately check the Network device, and make sure that Symantec VPN Driver isn't still ticked on the adapter

 

[cyberspace]

Thanks for that - I will check next time it's in!

'When all else fails.......read the manual'

 

[gbaughma]

I have seen this problem multiple times.

Key words: Domain, DNS

Your first DNS Entry *MUST* point to your domain controller. That's where it gets it's authentication, profiles, etc.

I had this same thing happen on a LAN where we installed Active Directory. The first DNS entry wasn't pointing to the DC, and it was taking upwards of 5 minutes with "Loading personal settings", etc. Once I pointed the first DNS entry to the IP of my DC, it's instant logons now.



Just my 2¢

"In order to start solving a problem, one must first identify its owner." --Me
--Greg

 

[rflora]

I had slow logons on the desktops and laptops, and turned out for me it was a dns issue. My DNS queries on the Domain were failing. Once i fixed that, the desktops and laptops logon became normal.

 

[cyberspace]

I have read many comments about the DNS. The thing is, the laptop is only hooked up to the network here for Admin purposes. Usually, the IP/DNS settings are set to automatic and come from the laptop users home router. They then use this connection to connect to the office via NCP VPN client.

'When all else fails.......read the manual'

 

[cyberspace]

well now the other boss' laptop has started doing it :/

This time though, you enter password, click ok, then the password screen greys out for a few mins and then logs in.

I have flushed DNS and removed the static IP that's used when its in the office.

The C drive was very full so freed up a load of space...

but it's still happening.

I'd love to know why these laptops were set to join the domain when they were first bought if they are never in the office.

When removing it from the domain, the log in is faster but the other services take much longer to start up so its a lose - lose situation here and I am rather fed up with it!!

So is this a different matter to the "Preparing Network Conenctions" issue?

'When all else fails.......read the manual'

 

[cyberspace]

Well, i've EVENTUALLY solved it.

And it's something i really didnt expect.....it was down to the on board WLAN card.

After exhausting all the methods and suggestions above and from microsoft etc, I decided to look for other things "worth trying" and came accross a post with reference to wireless.

So i disabled the WLAN card (through Network Connections), shut down, waited a few mins.....then on reboot, login was immediate, desktop loaded straight away. No "preparing network connections" screen and no greyed out delay.

Quite a sense of achievement lol - i hope this comes in handy for someone else in future as its completely resolved my problem.

'When all else fails.......read the manual'