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HendersonD
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

Windows 10 slow login

We have been running Window 7 using View for several years. It takes about 35 seconds to login to a Win7 desktop

I am working on building a master image for Window 10 but found logins to be very slow. We are running View 6.2.1 under ESXi 5.5 Update 2.

Here is what I have done

  1. Installed Windows 10, 32 bit, build 1511 which is the latest available for download
  2. Ran Windows updates and installed all available
  3. 1 vCPU and 2GB of RAM. This is the same resources that we use under Win7
  4. Ran the optimization tool found here taking all the defaults
    VMware OS Optimization Tool – VMware Labs
  5. Took a snapshot, made a new pool with just 2 desktops
  6. Login times are 1:50, more than a minute longer than Win7. When someone logs in it says "Preparing Windows" then you get the "We're Happy You're Here" followed by a few more messages and finally the desktop appears

I then just went to the vSphere client, got a console session to one of the desktops, logged in (which took 1:50), logged off, and logged back in again, it took about 35 seconds. In other words, logging in the second time cuts login time significantly. Of course a desktop will only realize you have logged in before if it is a persistent desktop. Using a console session in the client to login twice does not refresh the desktop. We use non-persistent desktops so they are refreshed after each log off.

Any ideas how to speed up logins?

Is Windows 10 under View just not a good choice?

Would things improve under ESXi 6.0 Update 2? We are upgrading to the newest version of vSphere in about 2 weeks

26 Replies
mougT
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Are you not using any kind of roaming profile? If you have a roaming profile, only the first log in is slow as Windows is preparing your profile. Another thing you can do to speed up first log in, is to completely remove some of the default Store apps (such as XboxApp, Zune.video etc).

Having Windows 10 running smooth in View is doable in my  experience, but it requires a bit more work Smiley Happy

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HendersonD
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

These are all non-persistent desktops that get refreshed on logout. Will a roaming profile help in this case?

The optimization utility provided by VMWare does remove all the default store apps so that piece is already done.

The original Win10 desktop I was testing this on also had Office 2016 installed, a few settings tweaked, and sysprep was run. This is the one with a 1:50 login. Yesterday I made another master image with just Win10 and optimization utility run. The login time was 1:10. This is still double the Win7 login time of 35 seconds

Is anyone else running Win10 under View? If so, what is your login time?

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rjtd
Contributor
Contributor

The delay is most likelly due to Windows installing the "Metro Apps".

Have the same problem with physical Windows.

One way to overcome it somehow is to remove most of the shipped apps with dism.

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HendersonD
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

I think the optimization utility found at the link below not only removes the pre-installed metro apps, I believe it prevents them from reinstalling themselves when another user logs in. I could be wrong about this

VMware OS Optimization Tool – VMware Labs

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maharajan_be
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Are you able to reduce the login time.

We are also facing slow login time on Windows 10, takes 2 minutes to login.

OS: Windows 10.0 ( Build 10240)  64 bit

Profile management through UEM 8.7

VMware Tools: 10.0.9 installed

Horizon view  : 6.2

Uninstalled all the Metro apps through - VMware OSOT tool (latest)

Appreciate any solution to reduce the login time

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TDJB3
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Have checked to make sure that you have your antivirus set correctly?  We made changes to our antivirus and it decrease log in time significantly.  VMware has a good document on what things to exclude to help performance.

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maharajan_be
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Thanks for your response. We don't have any antivirus software installed on this machines.

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Markansas
Contributor
Contributor

We experienced similar times with Win10 1607. Always 1:00+, no matter what. Test machines had quick initial logons (15-20 secs), but a pool extended it to over the 1 minute mark. We switched to QuickPrep method of linked clone pools, and it brought the time down to around 20-30 seconds.

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john_its
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Hello Markansas,

Is it possible to share the quickprep script you have running?

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lansti
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

Make sure to follow this guide to create the mandatory profile for Windows 10, it's the only supported way:

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/itpro/windows/manage/mandatory-user-profile

My windows 10 as i'm working on as we speak use about 10-15 sec to log in, but still i have to figure out why it always "preparing windows", it shold be looging in a few seconds.

I beleive that my issue is that i used the standard user profile when i copied it, and therefor it always preparing windows.

I'll try to create a new mandatory profile, and give it a shot.

You also should consider to uninstall all unessesary Windows 10 apps using powershell(i have removed almost every app I found in my list):

https://technet.microsoft.com/library/dn376476%28v=wps.620%29.aspx

How to Uninstall and Re-install System Apps from Windows 10

And also blocking windows to automaticly install them again on your image:

http://winaero.com/blog/stop-windows-10-anniversary-update-from-installing-candy-crush-and-other-unw...

Best regards
Lansti
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HendersonD
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

The VMWare Optimization Toold does delete all the unwanted applications in such a fashion that they do not come back

We do use Quickprep

We did use sysprep with an answer file

The only thing we did not do is make the change in Active Directory to force a mandatory profile. We never did this with Win7 either

Still seeing 1:00+ login times

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lansti
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

Try to force mandatory profile, i assume that you will get a lot quicker login time...

I use UEM, and with my policy(still testing before production) i have a first time logon at about 20-30 sec, and second one and so on, between 10-20 sec.

I find this acceptable.

But still, it may be longer, since i have to do some work to add more policy into my UEM and to my clients/users.

Best regards
Lansti
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HendersonD
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

I may try mandatory profiles but they do have a downside

https://www.sepago.com/blog/2009/02/17/mandatory-profiles-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly

All of my desktops are non-persistent and used by 7-12 grade level students. I do use a group policy to do folder redirection so students do not lose work if they save it to the desktop or document folder. Also, under Win7 I have never used mandatory profiles and have 30 second login times. Windows 10 just seems to be a different beast. I have some additional testing and tweaking and will report back.

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Super6VCA
Expert
Expert

There is a good registry hack that I found but i have to relocate it.  I had the same issue and it took my login down to 20 seconds when i was well over a minute.  If anyone knows of it please post, otherwise i will look to find it.

This is one of them.  Still looking for the other.  http://www.sovsystems.com/vmware-horizon-view-and-long-login-times/

Thank you, Perry
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GreenDean
Contributor
Contributor

Here's a link to some information you may find helpful:

VMware Horizon View and Long Login Times | Sovereign Systems

Have you considered using Persona Management to keep individual profiles in a common folder so they will be readily available for users when they log in?

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HendersonD
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

I gave this another go since my original post was March 2016 and several things have changed including the version of View, ESXi, and Win10 we are running

We have been running Window 7 using View for several years. It takes about 35 seconds to login to a Win7 desktop. I am working on building a master image for Window 10. We are running View 7.0.2 under ESXi 6.0 Update 2.

Here is what I have done

  1. Installed Windows 10, 64 bit, build 1607 which is the latest available for download
  2. Installed Office 2016
  3. Ran Windows updates and installed all available
  4. 2 vCPU and 4GB of RAM. Our storage is a Nimble All Flash Array so IOPS and latency is not an issue
  5. Ran the optimization tool found here. We took all the defaults except we also checked most of the built-in apps to have them removed
    VMware OS Optimization Tool – VMware Labs
  6. Deleted all stub paths in the registry under
    1. HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components
    2. HKLM\Software\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components
  7. Took a snapshot, and made a new pool with just 3 desktops
  8. Login times are 1:10 which is twice as long as Win7. When someone logs in it says "Preparing Windows" then you get the "We're Happy You're Here" followed by a few more messages and finally the desktop appears
HendersonD
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

I just stumble across this article

https://larslohmann.blogspot.com/2016/03/hi-were-happy-youre-here.html

I enabled this key to get rid of the startup animation and it chopped nearly 25 seconds off the login time. Wow, never thought the login animation would have any affect on login time.

The only other problem I am having is once logged in the Win10 Start menu is sluggish. I have to click on it 2 or 3 times to get it to open. Might start another thread on this

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Markansas
Contributor
Contributor

Couple things on this. We've been tinkering with it for a couple months now, and have non persistent Windows 10 logins down to about 16 seconds as a baseline, which grows to around 24-27 when using GPU (Tesla M10), UEM 9.1 clients, and AppVolumes 2.12 agent in the base image. Here are a few things we've found that made a difference:

  1. Use group policy (local or AD central store) to disable OneDrive, Windows Defender, etc, the "consumer experience" and other Windows 10 bloat (such as the initial sign on message "We're glad you're here. You won't be leaving for 1:10 at least.") All the registry hacking in the world wont fix those things reliably, but group policy will.
  2. Use the Windows 10 1607 LTSB and Horizon 7.0.3 - the 1607 version has fundamentally different Start Menu workings than the older 2015 releases. 7.0.3 officially supports that release. Use Export-StartLayout to put the start menu somewhere locally, then use local group policy to reference that .xml file. Seems to work flawlessly, unlike every single other method.
  3. When using the OS optimization tool, go to Public Templates, find the win10 beta one. Click update. Some settings have been updated for 1607 and newer Windows releases. Now run it, but leave some things 'un-optimized'. Leave unchecked at least "Device Setup", "Windows Search", "Windows Firewall", and "Windows Themes". Believe it or not we have seen that surgically disabling the firewall causes start menu problems (HUH? I know right?). Anything that you can turn off via group policy or configuration manager packages in Windows 10, use that method instead of registry hacks or OSOT.
  4. Use QuickPrep. There is almost never a need to generate a new SID for these machines. Sysprep and a new SID caused an almost exactly 60 second increase when logging in with AD user accounts.

These are our findings, your mileage may vary. Windows 10 is an incredibly frustrating experience with respect to VDI.

lansti
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

Thanks Markansas!

We are already running windows 10 LTSB with Horizon 7.0.3(upgraded from 7.0.2 today).

Also runnig UEM 9.1.

Running most of what you mention in your first section with GPO .

Running StartLayout from UEM-Config share, with policy in UEM.

I'll also upgrade vmware tools to 10.1 later today, on core and client.

But i'll follow your advice regarding optimizing tool.

Quickprep, I'll also have a closer look at this, just need to google a perfect recipe for this...

We are getting there, slowly...

EDIT:

Upgraded vmware tools to version 10.1

Upgrade Horizon from 7.0.2 to 7.0.3 (client and server)

Still the same logon time. And we also have a issue with a second delay when you click start menu, and with icons that are visible but not able to click them...

Best regards
Lansti