I have an issue when booting Windows 7 Enterprise clients that are running on Laptops specifically where it tries to run Group Policy Computer settings when not connected to the Network, (i.e. no cable connected and WiFi switched off). It will sit there for approx. 4 minutes whilst booting "Applying Computer Settings. This should not be the cased and should detect that a DC is not available and skip applying GP settings. I have narrowed this to Laptops only as I took a desktop sitting in the same OU and disconnected the cable and re-booted the machine several times. The Applying Computer Settings section of the startup would only take a couple of seconds. The following 2 events occur in the Application Event Log; Log Name: Application Source: Microsoft-Windows-Winlogon Date: 21/09/2009 7:23:28 AM Event ID: 6005 Task Category: None Level: Warning Keywords: Classic User: N/A Computer: Description: The winlogon notification subscriber <GPClient> is taking long time to handle the notification event (CreateSession). Event Xml: <Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event"> <System> <Provider Name="Microsoft-Windows-Winlogon" Guid="{DBE9B383-7CF3-4331-91CC-A3CB16A3B538}" EventSourceName="Wlclntfy" /> <EventID Qualifiers="32768">6005</EventID> <Version>0</Version> <Level>3</Level> <Task>0</Task> <Opcode>0</Opcode> <Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords> <TimeCreated SystemTime="2009-09-20T21:23:28.000000000Z" /> <EventRecordID>4258</EventRecordID> <Correlation /> <Execution ProcessID="0" ThreadID="0" /> <Channel>Application</Channel> <Security /> </System> <EventData> <Data>GPClient</Data> <Data>CreateSession</Data> <Binary>D007A600</Binary> </EventData> </Event> Log Name: Application Source: Microsoft-Windows-Winlogon Date: 21/09/2009 7:26:35 AM Event ID: 6006 Task Category: None Level: Warning Keywords: Classic User: N/A Computer: Description: The winlogon notification subscriber <GPClient> took 247 second(s) to handle the notification event (CreateSession). Event Xml: <Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event"> <System> <Provider Name="Microsoft-Windows-Winlogon" Guid="{DBE9B383-7CF3-4331-91CC-A3CB16A3B538}" EventSourceName="Wlclntfy" /> <EventID Qualifiers="32768">6006</EventID> <Version>0</Version> <Level>3</Level> <Task>0</Task> <Opcode>0</Opcode> <Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords> <TimeCreated SystemTime="2009-09-20T21:26:35.000000000Z" /> <EventRecordID>4263</EventRecordID> <Correlation /> <Execution ProcessID="0" ThreadID="0" /> <Channel>Application</Channel> <Security /> </System> <EventData> <Data>GPClient</Data> <Data>247</Data> <Data>CreateSession</Data> <Binary>DE48C200</Binary> </EventData> </Event>

I suspect that every laptop has wireless management. The management may try to connect to a network when connection is required. I suggest that you boot in Clean Boot Mode with any unnecessary services and programs disabled. Then check the result. 1. Click the Start Button type "msconfig" (without quotation marks) in the Start Search box, and then press Enter. Note: If prompted, please click Continue on the User Account Control (UAC) window.2. Click the "Services" tab, check the "Hide All Microsoft Services" box and click "Disable All" (if it is not gray). 3. Click the "Startup" tab, click "Disable All" and click "OK". Then, restart the computer. When the "System Configuration Utility" window appears, please check the "Don't show this message or launch the System Configuration Utility when Windows starts" box and click OK. If the issue persists, I suggest that you temporary remove all wireless connections, as well as VPN connections, also set the local area connection as default connection, and then test again. You may backup the connections before temporary removing them. The network connection files are store in the folder C:\Users\[username] \AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Network\Connections\PbkArthur Xie - MSFT

Hi Arthur, The two laptops that I have setup running Windows 7 in my pilot group do have in built wireless however the hardware wireless switch is off. One is a Dell and the other HP. I don't have any 3rd party wireless management on the laptops. They are vanilla Windows 7 images (same image on both) with basic office type applications installed. They are also both located in an OU that have a number of computer settings being applied. There are no VPN connections setup on the laptops either. I will try your suggestion above by disabling all non MS services tomorow when I am back in the office. Cheers

Hi, May I know the version of your server on the network? Is it a Windows 2003 server or Windows 2008 server? At this time, please try the following to narrow down the issue: 1. Please boot to Safe Mode and see if you can logon faster. 2. Disable this policy Administrative Templates\System\Logon\Always wait for the network at computer startup and logon Meanwhile, I would like to share the following with you: Optimizing Group Policy Performance Hope this helps. Thanks.Nicholas Li - MSFT

Hi Nicholas and Arthur, I have done some further testing. Disabling non-Microsoft services and restarting several times did not achieve any improvement. I then re-imaged the Windows 7 image again with the same applications via WDS and GP software installation and then restarted the machine a number of times whilst disconnected to the network and the "applying computer settings" startup screen would only appear for a second! During the day a number of Windows Updates were applied via WSUS and since the installation of those updates the issue with the applying computer settings hanging for a few minutes whilst disconnected to the network re-appeared. These were mostly comprised of Office security updates for 2007. We are running 2 Windows 2008 R2 DC's and 1 Windows 2003 R2 DC. I will attempt the above GP setting suggested by Nicholas. Cheers

I'm having almost the exact same issue on a Thinkpad T61. I'm only having the problem when I am CONNECTED to the AD network, when I'm not connected it blasts right through... (Got an SSD so it really does fly!) Here is my story... I had Windows Server 2008 x64 Standard and everything was good. I then upgraded to Server 2008 R2 and started experiencing the problem. I started having other issues so I decided to do a clean install to Windows 7Ultimatex64. Same problem, even with a pretty clean install of Windows 7 Ultimate x64. I'd really like to get this resolved. Let me know if I can help out troubleshooting to resolve the problem.

I'm having almost the exact same issue on a Thinkpad T61. I'm only having the problem when I am CONNECTED to the AD network, when I'm not connected it blasts right through... (Got an SSD so it really does fly!) Here is my story... I had Windows Server 2008 x64 Standard and everything was good. I then upgraded to Server 2008 R2 and started experiencing the problem. I started having other issues so I decided to do a clean install to Windows 7Ultimatex64. Same problem, even with a pretty clean install of Windows 7 Ultimate x64. I'd really like to get this resolved. Let me know if I can help out troubleshooting to resolve the problem. Based on your description, I suspect that the issue is caused by the network adapter driver. The driver for Windows Vista\Windows Server 2008 does not work properly in Windows 7\Windows Server 2008 R2. Please install the latest driver. If the issue persists, we may need to wait for manufacturer to release new compatible drivers. Arthur Xie - MSFT

Hi Arthur,I also thought that was the reason so I made sure I installed the latest drivers for the LAN and the WLAN devices. Still having the issue. What lead me to believe it is not the network adapter is the network activity. I decided to log into the server while my computer was stuck on "Welcome" and found that my laptop was literally reading through every single file in "My Documents." My "My Documents" is redirected to the server and is set to work offline. What is causing Windows to want to read through every single file that is being redirected? Could this be a bug in Windows 7 and Server 2008 handling of Group Polocies?Thanks,Bradley

I can confirm that this isn't an issue with drivers as my machine was initially starting up correclty without applying computer settings when disconnected from the domain, but this all changed when a bunch of windows updates were installed the next day and my laptop would sit on "applying computer settings" for 3-4 minutes whilst offline. When connected to the domain, computer settings are being applied which is the correct behaviour. I also have My Documents redirected and set to work offline, but the real question is why is Windows applying computer settings when disconnected from the network?

I created a new Windows 2008 R2 domain and was able to produce these errors with a Windows 7 laptop. ONce I removed laptop form this domain and put it back into a windows 2003 domain the error messages cleared up. When I remove and add again into the Windows 2008 R2 domain events 6005 6006 reproduce along with a slow log on. The domains have identical group policies. The lab environment was created from server images from the active domain and then I promoteda newWindows 2008 R2 domain controller to the the lab active directory for testing purposes.Is this affecting only Vista and Windows 7 or Windows XP as well?

Only our Windows 7 and R2 computer are affected. Vista and prior is not affected.

Considering that there are a number of us that can re-produce the above issue, is there anyone from MSFT looking into this for us?Cheers

My organization is experiencing the same issue. Laptops only, Windows 7 only. Getting rid of the redirected My Documents folders sped things up some but wasn't the fix. Has anyone found a solution to this problem yet?James Nelson

Has anybody a solution to fix this?I have the same issue.We are working with 4 notebook types.We using Windows XP, Vista and 7.I have those issues only on the HP 6710b Notebooks with Win7.On the HP 8530p, Lenovo X61, X200 with Win7 we have no problems.I tried to update the network driver, but this didn't solve the problemWe also redirecting the documents and make it offline available.

Wanted to see if anyone has resolved this issue. Currently testing desktop and laptops in GP and have the same events. When I remove both desktop and laptops out of the GP then things seem fine.

I was able to resolve my issue, although my experience may be specific to my environment. I found a GPO that was attempting to apply over 1500 changes to client computers unessecarily. Not sure why, but I created a new GPO with the important settings in it and removed the other. My Win7 clients now boot and login within 30 seconds.James Nelson

Looks like the following might be relevant to the above issues. http://pr3m.pri.ee/blog/?p=281 Christian Cordes