Startup Delay after Welcome Screen

[Megalos]

Hello,

Windows 7 is booting normally and after I type my password in the login window the text 'welcome' shows up for 8 seconds or so. Then the screen fades to black. At this point, the only thing I see is the mouse pointer (which I can move). Pressing Ctrl-Alt-Del doesn't work (does not respond). This black screen lasts for about 40 seconds, then Windows finally progresses to the desktop. Before this problem occurred, Windows faded directly into the desktop after the 'welcome' text. Does anyone know how to solve this?

A while ago, I thought I had the solution to the 40 seconds delay by disabling the Workstation Service. But now I notice some things do not work anymore like filesharing via Hamachi or via standard Windows Networks, or joining a Domain. How can I fix the 40 seconds delay without disabling the workstation service?

Thanks in advance

 

[kilton]

To confirm that it's something network-related, log in with the network cable unplugged and see if the issue goes away.

 

[Megalos]

Thanks for your answer, Kilton. Logging in with/without the network cable does not make any difference.

I've noticed something more: When Workstation Service is enabled, after entering username and password, the icon in the upper left corner of the welcome screen disappears. But when the Workstation Service is disabled, the icon does not disappear. I don't know whether this is anyhow related to the problem, but I thought it was worth mentioning it.

 

[Mercurial]

is you're windows copy activated? and is it activated legally? I think its something related to Microsoft software Protection thingy ! I had a somewhat similar problem don't wanna discuss it though lol!

 

[thefabe]

Very strange, do you have alot of programs set to startup- when windows starts? Could be loading programs but still shouldn't have a black screen. Megalos welcome to sevenforums. Fabe

 

[Megalos]

is you're windows copy activated? and is it activated legally? I think its something related to Microsoft software Protection thingy ! I had a somewhat similar problem don't wanna discuss it though lol!

My Windows is still in the trial period, no crack or what so ever.

Very strange, do you have alot of programs set to startup- when windows starts? Could be loading programs but still shouldn't have a black screen. Megalos welcome to sevenforums. Fabe

I do not have much items that start up with Windows, only AntiVirus (Norton 2009) and a couple of other things. Moreover, the same problem occurs a couple of days after Windows is freshly installed, with no non-windows startup items at all. I had the same problem with my prior OS (Vista 32Bit).

And thanks for welcoming me!

 

[Mercurial]

when did the prob start?... try to disable or temporarily uninstall norton ;P... that might be causing the startup delay !

 

[Megalos]

The problem started after a couple of days after a fresh install of Windows 7. The problem first occurred way before I installed Norton, so I do not think it is Norton related.

 

[H2SO4]

The problem started after a couple of days after a fresh install of Windows 7. The problem first occurred way before I installed Norton, so I do not think it is Norton related.

1. Was the machine domain-joined before the problem started?
2. Have you perhaps disabled "DHCP Media Sense"? (Can it tell when you insert and remove the network cable while it's just idling?)
3. Does the same delay happen if you boot to safe mode?
4. What about [safe mode + net]?
5. What about a different user account? This is especially important if you use a domain account normally - try logging on with a local account.
6. Is there another box on the same network? You could use it to generate a sniffer trace (www.wireshark.com) of the logon sequence. Analysis of the network activity during that period may show what the box is waiting for during the 40sec delay.

 

[Antman]

What about a different user account? This is especially important if you use a domain account normally - try logging on with a local account.

I would do this first. The shortest path to isolating a network issue vs a local issue.

 

[Megalos]

1. I do not remember very well, but I think it was domain-joined before the problem started. Now, the notebook is in a Workgroup.

2. DHCP Media Sense is enabled, I think. When searching on Google, I found how to disable DHCP Media Sense (adding a registry tweak). But that tweak was not present in my registry, so I think its still enabled.

3. When booting into Safe Mode, Windows boots normally without the delay. The keyboard icon in the upper left corner of the welcome screen does not disappear (after hitting enter when username and password are typed in).

4. When booting into Safe Mode with Network, the problem is back again. The keyboard icon in the upper left corner of the welcome screen disappears.

5. I only have one account on my notebook, so I can not log in with another account.

6. Not tried yet. I have no idea how I should do this.

Edit: I noticed that I also have a Guest account (which is disabled apparently), should I enable it and try to log on with that account?

 

[H2SO4]

It is possible that the box is looking for something on the domain, either because of a logon script, policy, or other configuration setting it received (or continues to receive) from the domain. Eventually, a timeout condition is reached and normal processing resumes.

Is the machine currently domain-joined? If so, you've already got multiple accounts for testing: the local accounts on the box in question, plus any domain accounts which have the right to log on to that box. In either case it would be very useful if you could test what happens with a different account, even if you have to create one for the express purpose.

Re (6), do you have at least one other machine on that network? Presumably you have (or had) at least one DC? What type of switch/router connects those machines? Is it a "managed" device? Are you able to configure a spanned or mirrored port on it? (If that doesn't make sense, no big deal, it's possible to troubleshoot further in other ways.)

 

[Megalos]

I'm currently in a Workgroup, so not domain-joined. I enabled the Guest Account, and tried to log on with that account. When I login using that account, Windows starts up normally without the delay. When I log in using the normal account again, the problem is back again.

I have two other desktops in the network, but they are not on the same Workgroup, though I can put them in the same workgroup if necessary. My router is a Siemens Gigaset SX551. I do not know what a spanned or mirrored port means.

BTW, what do you mean with 'box'?

 

[H2SO4]

I'm currently in a Workgroup, so not domain-joined. I enabled the Guest Account, and tried to log on with that account. When I login using that account, Windows starts up normally without the delay. When I log in using the normal account again, the problem is back again.

Depending on the specifics, some settings sourced from a domain may not automatically disappear due to the act of leaving the domain. Anyway, the idea that the problem is caused by ex-domain settings is pure conjecture at this point, plus it doesn't by itself offer any solutions.

What's more important is that you seem to have demonstrated that the symptom is account-specific. You may now wish to consider whether it's worth spending the time to investigate further, especially since you may end up plowing hours into it only to once again arrive at the decision to use a different account.

If you to wish to troubleshoot further, the first thing to do would be to scrutinise the event logs (run EVENTVWR) for anything relevant-looking in the few seconds just prior to the "hang" interval, (most importantly) during the hang itself, and in the few seconds that follow.

Is there anything in there at all that looks interesting?

I have 2 other desktops in the network, but they are not on the same Workgroup, though I can put them in the same workgroup if necessary. My router is a Siemens Gigaset SX551. I do not know what a spanned or mirrored port means.

Machines in workgroups don't share settings the way that they do on a domain. Hence, there's little to be learned from reconfiguring those other machines. Also, I don't believe your router (switch) is capable of port mirroring, so we'll put that aside.

 

[Megalos]

I booted using the Guest account and after that using the normal account. Then I compared the log files of each boot in order to find something different in them. The only difference when loggin in using the normal account is the following log:

The application-specific permission settings do not grant Local Activation permission for the COM Server application with CLSID 
{8BC3F05E-D86B-11D0-A075-00C04FB68820}
 and APPID 
{8BC3F05E-D86B-11D0-A075-00C04FB68820}
 to the user S071246\Guest SID (S-1-5-21-2516754126-3833567382-403568708-501) from address LocalHost (Using LRPC). This security permission can be modified using the Component Services administrative tool.

This log was recorded during the black screen.

I also checked with Sysinternals Process Explorer the time that various processes were loaded. But I found nothing suspicious (21:39:46 --> svchost.exe [10 seconds before the screen would go black] and 21:40:31 --> dwm.exe [just when the desktop appears]).

 

[Megalos]

I finally found the solution. For real this time . I had a Mapped Network Drive. When I disconnnected it, the problem is gone! The location where it mapped to was a location via Hamachi. I have disabled the autostart of Hamachi, so Windows could not find the destination of the Network Drive. This is the reason, I think, that Windows kept searching for the destination before progressing to the desktop.

When I had Vista, I also had a Mapped Network Drive, also via Hamachi. So that expains why I had the same problems back then.

 

[Antman]

Right or wrong, for decades, my working assumption regarding slow OS response times always goes to a missing network resource. Hence, my concurrence with the advice to create and test a local account FIRST.

 

[Megalos]

Is the Guest account a local account, otherwise, I do not really know what a 'local' account is.

 

[H2SO4]

Is the Guest account a local account, otherwise, I do not really know what a 'local' account is.

Local account: any account in the computer's own accounts database.

Domain account: all those accounts which are defined on the Domain Controller(s).

When domain-joined, most computers would have domain users logging on to them. (That was the main point of joining the domain.) When standalone (not domain-joined), by definition you can only use local accounts to log on.

 

[Megalos]

OK, I got it.

Thanks to everyone who helped me solving the problem!