Windows XP hanging on start menu after logon

[craigg]

It's a weird one, something that I've noticed happening through out the last few weeks.

 

The kids log on fine then when it comes to the desktop and they try and use the start menu it wont let them. It will just display an egg timer until they restart. I don't think we have let it let it run its course yet.

 

It's just happened to a whole class hence the reason for posting this.

 

Any ideas?

[rhyds]

Is the start menu local or network?

[Michael]

It does sound like you're redirecting the Start Menu and Desktop using Folder Redirection. Problems like you describe are usually permissions related.

[craigg]

The problem is quite intermittent.

 

Our start menu comes from the network but the users also have locally installed software.

 

It's weird as it seems to solve itself after a reboot. If it was a permissions thing would that not disable completely?

[Michael]

It's weird as it seems to solve itself after a reboot. If it was a permissions thing would that not disable completely?

 

Yes in theory, this would make sense. Out of curiosity how many sub directories are being used?

 

Where I am today it's:

 

C:\WINNT\SYSVOL\sysvol\[i]domainname[/i]\Policies\Curriculum

[imiddleton25]

We have same here but only really affects older machines I think it is that these machines are creaking under the weight of modern software and cant cope with it new machines are ok.

[craigg]

Out of curiosity how many sub directories are being used?

 

To the shared start menu?

 

They have there own partition. so E:\Staff Start Menu\Programs

[Michael]

They have there own partition. so E:\Staff Start Menu\Programs

 

And within Folder Redirection I presume you use a UNC path:

 

\\SERVERNAME\Staff Start Menu\Programs

[craigg]

Yeah that's it. I just double checked to make sure.

[Michael]

Try creating a copy of the structure so it reads:

 

\\SERVERNAME\Staff Start Menu1\Programs

 

Then change the GPO to reflect this. I would recommend you leave the existing redirection path, so only make a copy. If possible, create the new redirection path on a different physical server hard drive, or alternatively another file server altogether.

[Oops_my_bad]

You're not running Sophos are you?

[craigg]

actually yes we are!

[Kyle]

Why the question about Sophos?

[Oops_my_bad]

I just ask, because on our XP machines ocassionally explorer will "hang" just after logging on. You have to do ctrl-alt-delete to logoff and logon again.

 

I've never been able to reproduce this behavious with sophos AV/FW uninstalled.

 

Doesn't happen on an of our Vista machines though

[Kyle]

NOw you've mentioned it this happens on a some of our PC's but random rooms/PC's. We have Sophos installed as well and there is no pattern. We have no VIsta PC's so i cant vouch for that.