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Suddenly Users Can't Access Desktop Icons/My Computer


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Posted

Morning all - just got in to this one.

 

An increasing (eek) number of users are logging on and whenever they try to open anything on the desktop (eg My Computer, SIMS, Office anything) they're getting "Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file. You may not have the appropriate permissions to access the item."

 

Rumour has it this is going on with start menu items too.

 

Anyone getting this? Suspecting an update somewhere. Defo not what I needed!

 

Thanks all.

Posted

We aren't seeing it here (yet?)

 

Redirected Start Menu/Desktops?

 

Ours ARE redirected, with the folders and shortcuts copied to a hidden folder on the C:\ drive from the NETLOGON share on our DC upon station startup.

  • Thanks 1
Posted
Thanks Dave. Yes, redirected to a share in netlogon (for universal icons, Office etc) and also profiles. Working fine for years up until the first one yesterday which we put down to a faulty PC, then came in this morning...
Posted

Is this limited to specific users or specific computers?

Can you browse to the location on the affected computers?

Is your virus/malware protection up to date?

 

Check the time of the computer is synchronised with the server - sounds odd but if they are more than a few minutes out the server may reject the connection and cause this kind of issue.

You can add this line to the login script to make sure:

 

net time \\servername /set /yes

  • Thanks 1
Posted

Cheers for that. It *looks* like KB4503277 is the culprit! Users also seem to get a disconnected network cable icon too, but can log on. Cached profile maybe allowing logon, then all bad news from there?

 

Rolling it back now.

Posted

Okay, still no closer to fixing this. Random PCs show a red X over the network icon, users get permissions/access gripe message as above when accessing Windows explorer, anything on their desktops... It seems that they CAN open recent work documents from within Word and edit/save them.

 

Bad bad day here.

Posted

Is this limited to specific users or specific computers? - seems to only be staff

Can you browse to the location on the affected computers? - I can unc to their C: drives yes

Is your virus/malware protection up to date? - yes, sophos

Check the time of the computer is synchronised with the server - sounds odd but if they are more than a few minutes out the server may reject the connection and cause this kind of issue. - yes, time correct.

 

THanks for those.

Posted
We had it with Windows 10 after an update https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/help/4471218/mapped-network-drive-may-fail-to-reconnect-in-windows-10-version-1809 but can see your on windows 7. Have you looked here or here

 

Hi - thanks for that but it's not the same problem. Symptom list seems to be:

 

- Red X over the network icon in system tray.

- Can't open eg My Computer from desktop, users get "Windows cannot access the specified device, path, or file. You may not have the appropriate permissions to access the item."

- Can't open a file browser at all, same message as above.

- Maybe unrelated, but "Applying Microsoft Offline Files policy" takes AGES at logon.

- Chrome sporadically won't work.

 

It was one PC yesterday night (thought it was only a one-off) then most of them today. I'm as clueless as I was at 8am. :/

Posted

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/help/4503277/june-18-2019-kb4503277-os-build-preview-of-monthly-rollup

 

Is this update on computers that don't have the problem?

 

Is it laptops or desktops?

 

Is this an update that has messed up the network adapters?

 

Have you looked at network adapters in Devices.

 

Try pinging/browsing to network shares etc (just because you mentioned red x over network icon).

 

Plug a network cable in to laptops (depending on the answers for the above).

  • Thanks 1
Posted
Is this limited to specific users or specific computers? - seems to only be staff

 

So to clarify, this affects staff logins but you can login as a pupil on the same computer and it works fine?

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Posted

Okay, slightly odd one but if I blow the profile away from a MoS experiencing this issue then log on, thus creating a new profile then there's nothing wrong. If I even copy the desktop folder back to the profile and log in again it goes wrong with all symptoms.

 

Whiskey tango foxtrot...

 

I'll dig through the above too. Thanks so so much everyone. <3

Posted
So to clarify, this affects staff logins but you can login as a pupil on the same computer and it works fine?

Yep that's it. Mandatory profile for kids also. This might be a red herring but it's the only way so far I've been able to reliably make it not work.

Posted
So to clarify, this affects staff logins but you can login as a pupil on the same computer and it works fine?

 

Yep that's it. Mandatory profile for kids also. This might be a red herring but it's the only way so far I've been able to reliably make it not work.

 

How many DCs? We had something similar (although with differences) I am struggling to remember the details, it was a while ago, but one DC wasn't 'talking to the other. If you do indeed have two DCs, and staff try to authenticate against DC1 but fail could it explain your situation? (During this time our users who couldn't logon correctly were 'stuck' asking the same server for authentication. Part of the answer was synchronizing the time of the DCs.

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Posted
Something corrupted somewhere then?

I suppose so? Not sure. :/

How many DCs? We had something similar (although with differences) I am struggling to remember the details, it was a while ago, but one DC wasn't 'talking to the other. If you do indeed have two DCs, and staff try to authenticate against DC1 but fail could it explain your situation? (During this time our users who couldn't logon correctly were 'stuck' asking the same server for authentication. Part of the answer was synchronizing the time of the DCs.

Three DCs, time looks to be the same on all three.

Could it be windows firewall on wherever your offline files/redirection are hosted?

Profile server (also home drives server) is Ubuntu.

Posted (edited)

Still spreading, honestly this is killing me. :(

 

Updated all DCs, time correct on those and on workstations.

 

Blowing away user profiles and logging on with freshly created ones seems to just solve this.

 

Logged on earlier and ran gpupdate and did get a gripe about "could not evaluate wmi filter for {policy number}" message. So removed that policy and also thew WMI filter (hangover from the old transition days that just specified "where OS is Windows 7" ) but this hasn't fixed anything so put it back.

 

I am out of ideas and this is getting worse. Begging the LA for help.

Edited by JRA
Posted
We have been having similar issues since Friday afternoon. Explorer.exe is not starting after logon. Logging off is also an issue. Have marked Windows Updates 4503277, 4502560 and 4503864 for removal via WSUS. Fingers crossed.
  • Thanks 1
Posted
We have been having similar issues since Friday afternoon. Explorer.exe is not starting after logon. Logging off is also an issue. Have marked Windows Updates 4503277, 4502560 and 4503864 for removal via WSUS. Fingers crossed.

You also getting the red X over network icon?

Posted
You also getting the red X over network icon?

 

Some users are not getting a desktop or task bar at all. They can either get a blue, black or our default wallpaper and nothing else.

 

If they do get a desktop with icons, it can just be C:\ and their own home drive. Additional network drives are not being presented.

 

May it be the same issue as yours but coincidentally started around the same time as yours.

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