Really slow logons

[dezt]

We've just go a new server, dual 3Ghz dual core xeon with 4Gb ram and 600Gb hdd space. I want to use this server as the DC that handles logons.

I have installed windows server 2003 R2 and have run DCpromo on it to make it a DC. I have then transferred the FSMO roles from the old server that used to service logons and I have transfered profiles from the old server to the new server but for some reason, logons are really slow. Is there anything I have done wrong? or is there something else I can do to decrease logon times, mainly for the staff?

[Joedetic]

Ensure that the DNS server for clients points to your new DC.

[eejit]

How slow is slow? Can you time a PC to the logon screen and then again to the desktop.

[dezt]

I've moved the DNS to the new server, and set DHCP to point to the new server for DNS.

[meastaugh1]

Have you checked that the new settings have actually been inherited by the clients?

 

No complaints in the workstation/server event logs? DCDiag/Netdiag/DNSLint?

 

Were/are you using folder redirection? Is the old DC still online and available (albeit without DHCP (if it was hosting it previously), FSMOs etc)?

[BKGarry]

If the Appdata for the logon had changed locations make sure you redirect it in GPO Folder Redirection Settings, This Solved it for us

[m25man]

I'm with meastaugh1 on this one.

 

Install the Support Tools and run DCDiag.

If that fails you have a problem.

 

A very common mistake made by admins when adding DC's is the FSMO roles, especially Infrastructure Master and Global Catalog locations.

 

Once these get messed up your logon times will go out of the window and you will be chasing your tail for weeks.

I recently came across a site where this had been screwed up and after repairing the AD the login times went from 3 mins to 5 seconds!

 

Remember, if you are going to have more than 1 DC then make sure the Infrastructure Master FSMO role is on one DC and the GCAT on the other otherwise you will have FRS replication errors and eventually Directory Failure.

[dezt]

Right then, i've run DCdiag and it had a problem with systemlog, i checked the event viewer and the problems reported were all relating to drivers not being present when I RDP into the server. apart from that error everything else passed ok. I have made sure the GCAT is on 1 DC and the Infrastructure Master is on a different DC, now i'll try and log on and i'll time the logoon and get back to you all.

[dezt]

1 min to get to logon page from first switch on, and about 20 secs for a test account. i'll just see what happens when some staff try to logon on monday.

 

Thanks for the help so far.

 

Correction, just found out the PC I was using had a locally cached copy of the test user profile on it, tried on a different PC and it takes 3 - 4 mins for logon with the head of PE's user details.