XP Prof workstations on 2003 Server, login takes 50 mins !!

[eas1511]

OK we have a number of laptops, all decent spec (tho' varied), all running XP prof sp2 (I plan to upgrade that ASAP).

Users all have roaming profiles, and home folders on server, which synchronise to offline folders.

From time to time, a user will experience this EXTREME delay, while logging on, as the laptop loads settings.

The only solution I can find to this is to delete the NTUSER.DAT file in the profile, all is then fine for a few days/weeks, then I get a delay again.

Why is it happening, is there a solution?

I'm thinking of automating a routine to delete all ntuser.dat files overnight each day, but there must be something better.

 

[TheLad]

Are there any errors in the Event Viewer when this occurs?

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"Insert funny comment in here!"
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[PScottC]

Issue is usually related to AD issues such as:

--Incorrectly demoted DCs
--Incorrectly removed child domains
--Global catalog problems
--Incorrect IP addresses for DCs in DNS
--Clients pointing to wrong DNS servers
--IP Subnets and Sites setup incorrectly

I fixed a domain that had all of the above issues. Once fixed 90% of all machines logged in normally.

A secondary issue we found was that XP SP2 did not function correctly with older versions of McAfee. Once this was resolved all machines were able to logon in less than 60 seconds.

PSC

Governments and corporations need people like you and me. We are samurai. The keyboard cowboys. And all those other people out there who have no idea what's going on are the cattle. Mooo! --Mr. The Plague, from the movie "Hackers

 

[eas1511]

Hmm, well ....

I'll re-check the event log, don't think I saw anything significant last time.

I will have a look at the DNS configuration. I've inherited this heap of ...... from a 3rd party support company who left no documentation at all. I have no idea whether it was a promoted DC or anything. I am trying to arrange a time to reconfigure the lot (preferably wsith a new more powerful server.

Although I'm intrigued. If it was to do with DNS surely that would affect any login from a particular PC, rather than a particular login from any location?

McAfee isn't an issue. I have removed all traces of any mcAfee product from the systems (I believe), and replaced it with AVG 8.0 which I use on other sites.

Thanks for your answers, any other suggestions?

 

[Hondy]

maybe extremely large profiles perhaps? Or network bottlenecks?

 

[eas1511]

No hondy, profilesz are not exceptional.

Anyway, as I say, they load fine for a few weeks, then suddenly become slow until I delete NTUSER.DAT, after which they load fine again.

I really hoped this was a known problem, and someone could say "oh yes, do ....." and I could fix it.

I can see I'm going to have tgo get a new server in PDQ (really not worth reistalling the current one).

 

[PScottC]

Hondy has a good point... If the user is trying to pull a profile with a 100MB .pst/.ost Outlook file over a 384K WAN link, then his/her logon time will be astronomical.

PSC

Governments and corporations need people like you and me. We are samurai. The keyboard cowboys. And all those other people out there who have no idea what's going on are the cattle. Mooo! --Mr. The Plague, from the movie "Hackers

 

[eas1511]

Thanks, but no, these are very small basic profiles.

They want to install office 2007 and start using outlook across the school, but I won't touch it until I get this problem solved.

 

[PScottC]

Then start drilling into AD Sites & Services, ADUC, and DNS and look for DCs that no longer exist. Be sure to check the ._msdcs zone in DNS.

PSC

Governments and corporations need people like you and me. We are samurai. The keyboard cowboys. And all those other people out there who have no idea what's going on are the cattle. Mooo! --Mr. The Plague, from the movie "Hackers

 

[archwayguy]

Turn the offline file synchronization off.
Could be causing an unknown issue with the NTUSER.DAT files.

 

[eas1511]

archwayguy,

Do you think so? The problem is that the teachers rely on offline capability, so if I turn it off I take away a hugely useful resource.

Do you have experience of this exact problem?

BTW the profiles are not included in the synchronised files.

If synchronisation is the problem I'll have to find another way round.

 

[archwayguy]

I can't say if it is your problem or not, but I can say that I have had problems with this before and the file synchronization was the issue. I'm sure there is another problem at the root of it that was holding up the file synch process, but I just don't have the resources to fully investigate it when it occurs.

Try turning it off for one user, log them out, and see what happens. If it zooms then you know at least where to start your investigation to get it fixed so you can continue to use it.