What is Windows XP doing when it creates a profile?

[Jayce]

In an attempt to understand an issue we're having here at work, I'm trying to figure out what exactly Windows is doing when you create a profile.

We run Windows XP Professional SP3 on all of the computers here at work. We just got a slew of brand new ones in. There are no local accounts except administrator - everything runs on the domain. So... when you log in to your account for the first time on a computer, it generates a profile for you.

Once you hit "okay" to log in and it says "Loading your personal settings..." what is happening? Does it sit there and authenticate to the domain for a long time? Or is it generating your profile by copying what's in the default folder to "Jayce" or "Bob" or whatever?

The reason I ask is we had this one lab wired with old computers and it would take 4-5 minutes just to log in for the first time. We got brand new Dell's this year, Core 2 Duo's with 3gb of RAM, and they take about 30 seconds to log in for the first time. They're also wireless. Well, the other day they took about 10 minutes to log in. Yet later that day they were logging in at the regular 30 seconds.

I'm just trying to understand if a network lag could result in the problematic login. Because I was under the assumption that once you hit enter and it says "Loading your personal settings..." that you ALREADY authenticated, and at that point it's just a waiting game until Windows copies the contents of the default profile to your profile so you get the same settings/icons/etc as everybody else.

Can anybody shed some light? I know it's a pretty odd question from what most people here may mess around with.

 

[KSoD]

Yes it is basically taking the setting and putting them into a new user folder. It has to copy all the settings over and give it the proper permissions and everything. Which is why on a older system it takes longer but on a newer system it takes shorter. Cause it takes a Core 2 Duo less time to copy such files than it would take a P4.

Yes Network Lag could have something to do with it. but the main thing is it has to generate the profile folders, the ones in the Documents & Settings area, and give it the proper permissions for ALL items. That would include Domain, GPO and everything else.

Since you are doing it on a network it then has to query the network, check to make sure that the account has the proper permissions, that the account is correct and then copy it. Again something that a C2D with 3GB of RAM can do and process a lot faster.

As far as the authentication and when it occurs. I dont believe that happens as soon as you hit enter or that you already are once you hit enter. Cause what if the information you provide is incorrect? You wouldnt be able to access the terminal and as such it would have to take place AFTER you hit enter.

It all comes back to the speed of the machine and how fast ti can process data sent and received. This can be done super fast on a new machine. Old machine take longer to process such data.

 

[Jayce]

I understand what you're saying Mak, but it still brings up several questions.

When you enter an invalid password with Windows XP, it'll instantly tell you it's invalid.
When you enter a valid password with Windows XP, it'll take at the very most two full seconds and it'll change to "Loading your personal settings..." At that point, authentication has been made. The system has just verified your network log on, your password, etc.

I just don't see how one day we can log into the computer for the first time (generating a profile) in 30 seconds flat, then another day, same situation, it'll take 10 minutes. It's all the same computer. These are all C2D 3gb RAM machines. I just wasn't sure if network lag could drag it out to be 10 minutes or what, yet at the same token I thought once you hit loading personal settings that it is entirely the computer copying the profile at that point.

*shrug*

 

[KSoD]

It could very well be the network lag. Are the same conditions present everytime you log in? Meaning is there the exact same amount of network activity going on when you can login in 30 seconds or in 10 minutes.

If you cant verify that it is the exact same conditions then the only factor you can contribute this to would be the network.

So yes it can very well be the network. It is a tough thing to identify and verify this.

 

[Jayce]

The really weird part about it is even when this lab takes 10 minutes to log in, the rest of the building is perfectly fine. I thought maybe the wired ports were bad cause they are on the floor and students can kick them and stuff. But this year we stuck a wireless AP in the center of the library and used wireless cards in the desktops. Things were great for the first week but then presto, this issue came up again. I thought for sure by changing the network media (wireless instead of old wiring) and brand new computers it would solve it. But it isn't.

I'd blame network traffic if it wasn't for the fact the rest of the building is fine during the rare cases where this lab has issues.

I'd blame old computers if it wasn't for the fact these are brand new.

I'd blame the old wiring and damaged network ports if it wasn't for the fact they're now wireless.

I love IT troubleshooting.

 

[KSoD]

Maybe there is a lag with the WiFi? Maybe there is a loss of signal?