Hangs at Applying Computer Settings...

[Matt Soukup]

I have recently upgraded our PDC from NT4 to 2003. All of
the PCs are working fine but one. If the ethernet cable is
connected when Windows 2000 is starting it will take quit a
while on Applying Network Settings, then it will completely
hang on Applying Computer Settings. I have let is set for a
couple of hours and it never got beyond that. If the
network cable is not connected it will get to the logon
screen with no problem. I can then connect the cable and logon.

I have tried reconfiguring the pc for the domain, deleted
the computer on the server and configured the PC with a new
name, with no success.

 

[Chad Mahoney]

I have recently upgraded our PDC from NT4 to 2003. All of
the PCs are working fine but one. If the ethernet cable is
connected when Windows 2000 is starting it will take quit a
while on Applying Network Settings, then it will completely
hang on Applying Computer Settings. I have let is set for a
couple of hours and it never got beyond that. If the
network cable is not connected it will get to the logon
screen with no problem. I can then connect the cable and logon.

I have tried reconfiguring the pc for the domain, deleted
the computer on the server and configured the PC with a new
name, with no success.

Do you have hubs or switches in your network?

 

[Matt Soukup]

We have a switch. Other PCs on that switch are not having any problems.
The server is in another building connected by fiber, with switches on both
ends.
Once the PC is logged on it has no problems accessing the network.

 

[Chad Mahoney]

We have a switch. Other PCs on that switch are not having any problems.
The server is in another building connected by fiber, with switches on both
ends.
Once the PC is logged on it has no problems accessing the network.

So what happens when you put the pc that logs on slowly into a switch
port that a PC logs on fine with? perhaps the switch port is
misconfigured? Is this a managed switch?

Chad

 

[Matt Soukup]

I can find no problem with the switch. I just setup another Windows 2000 PC
on the network and it gets stuck on "Applying security policy...". I have
50+ PCs on the network, running XP and 2000, that are having no problems,
only these two PCs are having problems. This only started after I upgraded
the server from NT to 2003.

 

[Ace Fekay [MVP]]

This issue is normally due to the ISP's DNS addresses in IP properties.
Normal for many admins to find this issue upon an upgrade. It can't find
your domain services. This configuration also causes AD issues. The
recommendation is to eliminate the ISP's DNS addresses (from all your
clients. member servers and DCs) and only use the internal DNS that AD is
using. This way it can find your domain, since all AD resource and service
locations are stored in DNS. A Win2k or newer client at logon will query the
DNS server to find the Kerberos service on a DC in the domain, once found
the LSA will negotiate with the Kerberos service to authenticate and build
the access token and the logon box appears.. If it can't find the DC, then
it hangs at this portion.

The reason why it comes up when the PC is unplugged is because its using
cached credentials. This is prior to loggin in, since there are 4 events
with a machine, the machine starts up, user logon, user logoff, machine
shutdown. The machine startup is still querying DNS as part of the process,
for registration, among other things.

--
Regards,
Ace

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Ace Fekay, MCSE 2003 & 2000, MCSA 2003 & 2000, MCSE+I, MCT, MVP
Microsoft Windows MVP - Active Directory

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