Several PCs stuck on Windows 10 "Welcome" screen.
Posted by masterz13@reddit | sysadmin | View on Reddit | 25 comments
Many of our staff PCs are stuck the initial "Welcome" screen after they enter their password. It might take a good 30+ minutes before it finally goes to the desktop. I've looked through Event Viewer on some of the affected PCs and didn't really find anything notable in logon or Group Policy events.
These PCs are joined to a domain, so I restarted the domain controllers and DHCP server. I did find some logs on the DHCP server about it not being able to reach the DNS server, but I haven't any sort of changes since yesterday when everything was working fine.
Any ideas on the next troubleshooting steps?
LForbesIam@reddit
On your Domain in Group Policy enable Verbose Startup and Logon policy. It will actually show you what it is doing and where it is hanging.
Long logons can be logon scripts which hang, folder redirection where the home drive doesn’t exist, UEV if you use it, User based services from 3rd parties.
The Event log is pretty good at showing what is going on. If you look at the group policies and folder redirection logs you can see the issues.
witterquick@reddit
I don't understand why verbose login isn't set by default. Even if the user doesn't understand what's written, it's often reassuring for them to at least see something happening
LForbesIam@reddit
We have it set for years since Win 2000. Worked great with the roaming profiles because the profiles would get huge.
masterz13@reddit (OP)
That's a good idea -- we don't have that enabled at the moment.
LForbesIam@reddit
It is the best for troubleshooting because they can tell you what it says that is taking so long.
Budget_Tradition_225@reddit
Failed windows update. Reboot and wait for the prompts
Prestigious_Wall529@reddit
It could be worse.
The timing is after this months patch Tuesday.
Microsoft likes to nag you to revert your preferences to what they want.
I have seen systems with spinning rust drives (HDD) instead display a black screen instead or as the nag screen. Buggy junk.
ImmortalTrendz@reddit
Probably DNS. Sounds like DNS. Plus it's always DNS.
LForbesIam@reddit
DNS is working if you can login because the computer can reach the Domain.
However the DNS logs will show if someone has added a rogue device to the network and it isn’t reaching the domain resources.
sigserv2000@reddit
I bet you have Webroot installed...
Nysyr@reddit
Last time this happened to us it was Avast behaving badly when anything that defers to AMSI like powershell in login scripts.
anonymousITCoward@reddit
disconnect the patch cable and reboot does it boot faster then?
masterz13@reddit (OP)
Yes
yParticle@reddit
Think of things that might have changed outside your control.
If you're also seeing other network issues, check for a network loop (e.g. something plugged into the same switch twice). If you have spanning tree enabled, check the relevant logs.
Probe for a rogue router/DHCP server.
masterz13@reddit (OP)
We did add a new Cisco switch to use with our FOG imaging setup a couple days ago. FOG can act as a dhcp server, so I'll check that.
MBILC@reddit
If something can not reach DNS then you need to validate your AD do a health check on your AD servers....
Anyone else have access to your infra who maybe did a change with out telling anyone?
masterz13@reddit (OP)
Nope, I asked everyone and no changes have been made recently. DCDiag came back fine, but I'll try a health check.
MBILC@reddit
If you do nslookups from a device once it logs in, any failures or time outs?
yParticle@reddit
On the clients does your first DNS address point to a domain controller (or local DNS server if you have one)?
masterz13@reddit (OP)
Domain controller, which is serving as our local DNS server
JazzlikeInfluence813@reddit
Try a dns flush
masterz13@reddit (OP)
On the client PCs or the ADCs and DHCP server?
JazzlikeInfluence813@reddit
Try client first
Darthvaderisnotme@reddit
¿Anything they have in common?
If you are in front, reboot one of the affected ones without network ( ie cable unplugged) if it boots as normal, is some timeout, check dns
masterz13@reddit (OP)
Yeah, without the network cable, it loads very quickly, I'd say a minute or less. So I do feel like it's network-related somehow.