Server 2016 essentials. Spinnig dots when trying to log in

Could this be the problem?

Thanks for the suggestions. App readiness is now off There are no Event ID 1509 or 6004. Ive also disabled a couple of services for apps that were uninstalled and also turne off the pipes in sql for those.

Restarted an still have the problem. Waiting to log in again. Multiple attempts.

Next step - check Windows Logs > System for Service Control Manager errors indicating a service "hung on starting."

Hello Peter,

Thank you for posting question on Microsoft Windows Forum.

Based on the issue description. This behavior of spinning dots followed by a return to the lock screen might be a symptom probably caused by a service timing out during the session initialization. On Windows Server 2016, this is most frequently caused by the App Readiness service or a corrupted User Profile state.

Since you have already repaired the OS with DISM, the issue is likely a stuck configuration or service rather than missing system files. The following are some suggestions for attempting to resolve the issue.

1.Try To Disable The "App Readiness" Service.

• In Windows Server 2016, the App Readiness service prepares Windows Store apps and Win32 apps for the user at first logon. If this service hangs or takes longer than the allowed timeout (usually 30-60 seconds), the logon process aborts, kicking you back to the lock screen. After disabling the App Readiness service. Restart the server and test the login.

2.Check for "User Profile Service" Timeouts.

• If the App Readiness service is not the culprit, the User Profile Service might be hanging on old or corrupted profile data. Open Event Viewer. Go to Windows Logs > Application. Look for Warning or Error events from source User Profile Service (often Event ID 1509 or 6004). Also, check Windows Logs > System for Service Control Manager errors indicating a service "hung on starting."

3.Verifying HP-Specific Services.

• Since you are on HP hardware, certain legacy HP management agents can hang during the "Preparing Windows" phase if they are outdated or trying to reach a service that no longer exists. Open Services (services.msc). Look for services starting with HP or HPE like HP Insight Management Agents. Set them to Manual temporarily and restart. If the login is instant, one of these agents might probably be the cause.

Hope the above information is helpful! If it is. Free feel to hit "Accepted" for benefitting others in community having the same issue too.

The issue you're experiencing with the spinning dots during login on Windows Server 2016 could be related to a few factors. One potential cause is a large WMI repository, which can lead to slow logon processes. If the logon process is unexpectedly slow, it may result in delays before you can access the system.

To troubleshoot this, you can enable logging in the Gpsvc.log file to identify any delays during the logon process. Here are the steps to enable logging:

1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion.
3. Create a new key named Diagnostics.
4. Inside the Diagnostics key, create a new DWORD value named GPSvcDebugLevel and set its value to 0x30002.
5. Exit the Registry Editor and run the command gpupdate /force in the command prompt.
6. Check the Gpsvc.log file located in %windir%\debug\usermode for any entries that indicate delays.

If the issue persists, consider checking for any group policies that might be affecting the logon process or any services that may be causing delays. Additionally, ensure that the system is up to date with the latest patches and updates from Microsoft, as some issues may have been resolved in later updates.

References:

• Unexpectedly slow logon caused by large WMI repository in Windows or Windows Server
• Windows logs on and logs off immediately