Windows 7: First time user profile creation takes 3 minutes

- Windows 7 Pro in a workplace.

When a unser logs to a machine for the first time, it takes around 3 minutes to create the profile, it hangs at "Preparing your desktop". After the initial logon, the time is more normal, around 10-25 seconds.

What could cause such a long delay to initiate the profile?

Hi Sebster, Welcome to Sevenforums

there are a lot of things that could cause this delay and will depend on your configuration - things such as large office suites and the like need to set up the user area User\apps folder. Also any drive mappings that you have set-up in your organisation, or gpo's, (I am assuming you are on an AD domain), or startup scripts

One thing to check for is non existent server shares, these will be checked several times before being skipped

Thank you for the quick response and the welcome.

Yes I am in a AD domain (W2008 R2).
I have two network shares and network printers, pretty minimal stuff.
I do have GPO in place (via Desktop Authority). I disabled them to see if it was a factor. It cut the time but not by much. The "work" done to create the profile like you stated still takes 2-3 mins for the initial creation.

I do have Office 2010 on the workstation so it will need to create the App and User folders. Aside from that suite, I have some minimal apps, Adobe reader, Google apps (Eath, SketchUp), Gimp...

My concern is that I am in an environement where users can end up on different workstations (school lab) so they will get that initial delay each time they visit a new computer. I'm just trying to figure out if there is something I can do about it.

The only suggestion I can make in this situation is to check the event log on your lab rig(s) for entries to point to anything that is specifically slowing the initial preparation phase. the security, & application logs especially

I have noticed that the install of Gimp on first run does take an extraordinary time so this may be worth checking - I believe it may be the libraries, fonts Etc that actually cause the delay here and not the application itself

I have noticed that the initial login is a bit slow but in most of my situations this is not the issue that it will obviously be in your scenario

Sebster did you ever solve the issue with slow profile creation the first time you logon to a Windows 7 computer? We have the same issue with students signing on to computers for the first time and have not found a solution yet so if you have resolved this issue any input would be great.

Thanks
Kevin

Sebster and Amity,

Any luck with this? Im in the same boat. School system, VDI, Long profile creation times after desktop refresh. 800 students in the school.

TheSpillmonkey,

I have not found a solution to this yet.