Microsoft has optimized Windows XP to enhance the user experience by creating the impression that the operating system starts up faster. This is achieved by having the login prompt show up before the network is fully initialized. Additionally, existing users are logged in with cached credentials.
Drawbacks in a domain or corporate environment are that login scripts might not run, drives and printers might not be mapped, policies might not get applied, account expiration warnings might not get displayed, and GPO software distribution might fail.
The logon optimization can be disabled in the following ways:
- Local PO via "Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\Logon\Always wait for the network at computer startup and logon"
- Global PO via "Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\Logon\Always wait for the network at computer startup and logon"
- Per-machine registry hack as a policy via "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon" with registry value "SyncForegroundPolicy"=dword:00000001
- Per-machine registry hack via "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon" with registry value "SyncForegroundPolicy"=dword:00000001
- Per-user registry hack as a policy via "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon" with registry value "SyncForegroundPolicy"=dword:00000001
- Per-user registry hack via "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon" with registry value "SyncForegroundPolicy"=dword:00000001
For more information, see Microsoft KB305293 Description of the Windows XP Professional Fast Logon Optimization Feature
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