Applying Computer Settings Hangs Windows 2003

We have our first product Windows 2003 Web Edition server going in, and
after upgrading to SP1 and then having all of the critical updates after
that download and install, now the computer refuses to start correctly,
hanging at the message "Applying Computer Settings". This newsgroup is
filled with posts about this issue, so apparently it is a common bug after
installation of service updates on W2K3. I do NOT have APC services on
this machine.

Per another thread, I disabled the network adapter and now I can at least
boot up and login as the local Administrator. When I attempt to start
Windows Installer service this hangs. When I set it to Autostart and login
it is marked "Stopping".

As I understand it, the Applying Computer Settings message usually means
that some service is hanging on startup. How do I correctly deduce which
one, so that I can set it to Manual or Disabled?

--
Will

See the Resolution For Windows Server 2003 in KB article 842804, regardless
of the cause this worked for all 56 of my servers. Login is now
instantaneous. http://support.microsoft.com/?id=842804


"Will" <westes-usc@noemail.nospam> wrote in message
news:nqSdnfl7kuYve6jZnZ2dnUVZ_vmdnZ2d@giganews.com...
> We have our first product Windows 2003 Web Edition server going in, and
> after upgrading to SP1 and then having all of the critical updates after
> that download and install, now the computer refuses to start correctly,
> hanging at the message "Applying Computer Settings". This newsgroup is
> filled with posts about this issue, so apparently it is a common bug after
> installation of service updates on W2K3. I do NOT have APC services on
> this machine.
>
> Per another thread, I disabled the network adapter and now I can at least
> boot up and login as the local Administrator. When I attempt to start
> Windows Installer service this hangs. When I set it to Autostart and
> login
> it is marked "Stopping".
>
> As I understand it, the Applying Computer Settings message usually means
> that some service is hanging on startup. How do I correctly deduce which
> one, so that I can set it to Manual or Disabled?
>
> --
> Will
>
>

This KB article refers to the delay associated with a "Applying User
Settings" error. Our case is not with the User Settings but "Applying
Computer Settings".

The KB article says to apply the latest service pack. Of course we had
done that already. It was the Windows Update done after we applied SP1
that got us in this mess in the first place. Are you thinking that we
should reapply SP1 and start over with applying further updates?

Since SP1 of Windows 2003 was already installed previously, I went ahead
with the second part of the KB article and installed the WaitForNetwork
subkey under Winlogon. That did NOT resolve the problem. We still hang
on Applying Computer Settings.

--
Will


"Patrickm" <pmatthews@paysbig.com> wrote in message
news:#tAl7IkWGHA.1220@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> See the Resolution For Windows Server 2003 in KB article 842804,
regardless
> of the cause this worked for all 56 of my servers. Login is now
> instantaneous. http://support.microsoft.com/?id=842804