CAUSE
The following policy determines whether Windows XP waits for the network during startup and the user logon process:
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\Logon: Always wait for the network at computer startup and logon
By default, Windows XP does not wait for the network to be fully initialized during startup and the logon process. Existing users are logged on by using cached credentials. This results in shorter times for the logon process. Group Policy is applied in the background after the network becomes available.
Because this is a background refresh, extensions such as Software Installation and Folder Redirection take two logon processes to apply the changes. To be able to operate safely, these extensions require that no users be logged on. Therefore, these extensions must be processed in the foreground before users are actively using the computer. Additionally, changes that are made to the user object, such as adding a roaming profile path, home folder, or user object logon script, may take up to two logon processes to be detected.
If a user with a roaming profile, home folder, or user object logon script logs on to a computer, Windows XP always waits for the network to be initialized before logging the user on. If a user has not logged on to the computer before, Windows XP always waits for the network to be initialized.
If you turn on the setting that is listed earlier in this article, logon processing is performed in the same way as for Windows 2000-based clients. Windows XP waits for the network to be fully initialized before users are logged on. Group Policy is applied synchronously in the foreground.
If you turn off or do not configure the setting, Windows XP does not wait for the network to be fully initialized and users are logged on with cached credentials. Group Policy is applied asynchronously in the background.
If you want Folder Redirection, Software Installation, or roaming user profile settings to be applied with only one logon process, turn on the setting to make sure that Windows XP waits for the network to be available before applying the policy.
Note that for servers, the startup and logon processing always behaves as if this policy setting were on.
RESOLUTION
To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows XP. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the
Microsoft Knowledge Base:
322389 How to Obtain the Latest Windows XP Service Pack
The English version of this fix should have the following file attributes or later:
Date Time Version Size File name
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2-28-2002 16:11 5.1.2600.31 968192 Msgina.dll