[1809, ou] Login times

[chris11256]

Hi,

 

Any suggestions on how to cut down initial login times? I'm using local profiles and the initial login can be between 4-5 minutes waiting for 'Preparing Windows' to complete. During the task sequence I have a powershell script that remove all except a few of the modern apps. The via group policy have the initial sign in screen turned off, plus the other recommended policies from Microsoft on cortana and customer experience.

 

I've experimented with a mandatory profile(following the Rankin guide) but the user gets either inistantly logged out or the desktop doesn't stop flashing black and they can't do anything. I'm more than happy to stick everyone on a Mandatory profile if I can get it to actually work.

 

The computers are traditional HDD's, so I'm not expecting 20 second logins, but 4-5 minutes will be unacceptable for the majority of staff/pupils.

 

Thanks,

[chris11256]

Sorry to answer my own post! I've just tried turning it into a default profile instead and placing it on Netlogin. Seems to have done the trick and my test pupil account can now login in between 30-40 seconds.

[BKGarry]

I think your first step is to turn on the verbose/detailed login messages, you will then see where it gets stuck in preparing windows hopefully

[FN-GM]

Are you blocking the creation of .ini files?

[chris11256]

Logging is enabled, they were wizzing through group policies(drives, printers and such) in about 15 seconds and then sitting at preparing windows.

Not blocing ini files to my knowledge.

 

The default profile in netlogon has definetly helped. After testing some more desktops it's now down to between 30 seconds and 1 minute 30(machine that had been off since term ended).

[simpsonj]

Sorry to jump into this thread, but I'm having the same issue with our 1905 build. Initial login with a local profile is around 3-4 minutes. Could you expand on what you mean by putting the default profile in netlogon?

 

Ta

[simpsonj]

To answer my own question, this chap has part of the answer:

 

https://4sysops.com/archives/improving-windows-10-logon-time/

[chris11256]

No worries, thats the same guy I used.

 

https://james-rankin.com/articles/creating-a-custom-default-profile-on-windows-10-v1803/

 

It says 1803, but has worked for me with 1809.

[simpsonj]

Ah, I remember doing this for Windows 7.

 

Now with added Powershell/Start menu shenanigans.

 

Yay

[Rob_D]

Maybe I'm being really dense, but I don't quite get it.

You're changing it so when a user logs in it copies the "default profile" from the netlogon share rather than the local PC? How dose this make login faster? Surley copying the profile from the local disk is nearly always going to be quicker than pulling it off a network share?

[Passat1983ICTech]

hi there

witch drive are you using ssd or spin drive HDD can you let us know frist

[simpsonj]

Maybe I'm being really dense, but I don't quite get it.

You're changing it so when a user logs in it copies the "default profile" from the netlogon share rather than the local PC? How dose this make login faster? Surley copying the profile from the local disk is nearly always going to be quicker than pulling it off a network share?

 

Because you can reduce the profile on the NETLOGON server to 4MB (or thereabouts) where as the local default profile can be well over 100mb in size on a 'vanilla' install on Windows 10.

 

Of course, you can make the default profile on the image you roll out smaller, but if you've already rolled out the image, putting a slim line default profile on the network is the next best option.

[ComboSmith]

Just got our logon times down from 2 minutes to 25 seconds, 40 seconds on the crusty old machines. Thanks

[simpsonj]

Failing at the last hurdle...

 

I've created the default profile I've wanted, stripped it down and copied it to the NETLOGON folder.

 

Two questions, how do I point student accounts to use the default profile? I've changed their AD profile to point to "\\\NETLOGON\Default User" is that correct?

Secondly, when I try to login as a student, I get the Group Policy Client - Access Denied message.

 

No doubt I'm missing something, most likely permissions based...

[Rob_D]

If I understand this right, the "\\dc\netlogon\Default" profile is just replacing the "c:\users\Default" during the initial profile creation part of logon. In which case, the AD profile path should point to where you want a roaming profile created, or left empty for local profiles.

[ComboSmith]

Failing at the last hurdle...

 

I've created the default profile I've wanted, stripped it down and copied it to the NETLOGON folder.

 

Two questions, how do I point student accounts to use the default profile? I've changed their AD profile to point to "\\\NETLOGON\Default User" is that correct?

Secondly, when I try to login as a student, I get the Group Policy Client - Access Denied message.

 

No doubt I'm missing something, most likely permissions based...

 

Name it "Default User.v6" and take out the AD profile bit - you don't need to configure anything it will just pick it up

[simpsonj]

Well, I've learned something new today. Didn't know you could set a default profile in NETLOGON and it would be the default across the domain!

 

For anyone else startled by this revelation, this guide will point in the right direction. Now, if I can only get NETLOGON to replicate properly...

[kennysarmy]

No worries, thats the same guy I used.

 

https://james-rankin.com/articles/creating-a-custom-default-profile-on-windows-10-v1803/

 

It says 1803, but has worked for me with 1809.

 

Trying to follow his guide but at the point of running sysprep it keeps failing with a fatal error!

 

Anyone any ideas if this could just be something stupid I've done.

 

 

Edited September 26, 2022 by kennysarmy

[kennysarmy]

Setuperr.log states

 

2022-09-26 13:12:34, Error [0x0f0043] SYSPRP WinMain:The sysprep dialog box returned FALSE

2022-09-26 13:19:13, Error [sysprep.exe] UnattendFindAnswerFile: Unable to deserialize explicitly provided unattend file [c:\unattend.xml]; status = 0x800705b9, hrResult = 0x0.

2022-09-26 13:19:13, Error [0x0f009e] SYSPRP SysprepSearchForUnattend: Failed while searching for unattend file; hr = 0x800705b9

2022-09-26 13:19:13, Error [0x0f00a5] SYSPRP WinMain:Encountered error while searching for unattend file; hr = 0x800705b9

[georgeescott]

2022-09-26 13:19:13, Error [0x0f009e] SYSPRP SysprepSearchForUnattend: Failed while searching for unattend file; hr = 0x800705b9

 

What does your unattend.xml file look like?

 

Can you post the full sysprep command you’re using?

[kennysarmy]

What does your unattend.xml file look like?

 

Can you post the full sysprep command you’re using?

 

Hi,

 

I ended up downloading the example one from this YouTube video.

 

that one seems to work

 

I'm following that video and some guides which all seem to have their own take on what to do :/

[kennysarmy]

This guide:

 

https://community.spiceworks.com/how_to/132493-create-a-windows-10-enterprise-domain-default-profile

 

Does nt' mention anything about editing the registry or deleting folders, which this guide does:

 

https://katystech.blog/windows/windows-10-and-super-fast-logon-times

[kennysarmy]

This guide:

 

https://community.spiceworks.com/how_to/132493-create-a-windows-10-enterprise-domain-default-profile

 

Does nt' mention anything about editing the registry or deleting folders, which this guide does:

 

https://katystech.blog/windows/windows-10-and-super-fast-logon-times

 

 

When I "Copy" out the Default Profile the AppData folder does not contain anything other than the "Roaming" folder - there is no Local or LocalLow :/

 

Does this matter?

[georgeescott]

This guide:

 

https://community.spiceworks.com/how_to/132493-create-a-windows-10-enterprise-domain-default-profile

 

Doesn't mention anything about editing the registry or deleting folders, which this guide does:

 

https://katystech.blog/windows/windows-10-and-super-fast-logon-times

I recently remade our mandatory profile here and I used a combination of https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/client-management/mandatory-user-profile and https://www.htg.co.uk/blog/mandatory-profiles-in-windows-10-creators.

 

I've made registry changes to remove references to the Administrator user that were hard-coded in the NTUSER.dat.

 

I also applied the following changes to avoid any issues:

• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-client/user-profiles-and-logon/slow-logon-with-blank-screen
  
• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/customize/desktop/unattend/microsoft-windows-shell-setup-copyprofile (step 6 to remove file associations from NTUSER.dat or you get loads of notifications on logon where app associations get reset)
  

 

When I "Copy" out the Default Profile the AppData folder does not contain anything other than the "Roaming" folder - there is no Local or LocalLow :/

 

Does this matter?

 

The mandatory profile shouldn't include the Local and LocalLow AppData folders, you only need Roaming.

[kennysarmy]

I recently remade our mandatory profile here and I used a combination of https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/client-management/mandatory-user-profile and https://www.htg.co.uk/blog/mandatory-profiles-in-windows-10-creators.

 

I've made registry changes to remove references to the Administrator user that were hard-coded in the NTUSER.dat.

 

I also applied the following changes to avoid any issues:

• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-client/user-profiles-and-logon/slow-logon-with-blank-screen
  
• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/customize/desktop/unattend/microsoft-windows-shell-setup-copyprofile (step 6 to remove file associations from NTUSER.dat or you get loads of notifications on logon where app associations get reset)
  

 

 

 

The mandatory profile shouldn't include the Local and LocalLow AppData folders, you only need Roaming.

 

Thanks, so mandatory profile is now the only option?