Mysterious 'End Now' box at logoff with certain group of users

the_technocrat

So I've got a security group with all our faculty members in it, and whenever they log off, the machine gets a end now/cancel box. t seems like maybe there's some login script that hangs and asks to be killed before it lets them log off?

The problem is that they walk away and leave the box there. All anyone has to do is walk up and click 'cancel', and they can stay logged on as faculty.

How the heck do I figure out what's hanging? IT only happens to a certain group of people, no matter what machine they're on at a single campus. If I log on to the machine, or if students do, no problems.

Any ideas?

Ryder

The box is just generic and does not list the process that needs to be ended?

Typically when I have seen that box, it lists the process in the title of the box. Also it normally displays a timer (bar going across the screeen) that ends it automatically, this one does not?

QCH

First off... Add this registry entry to help speed up and maybe even close a hung app.

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop]
"HungAppTimeout"="5000"
"WaitToKillAppTimeout"="4000"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control]
"WaitToKillServiceTimeout"="2000"

Let me think about how to determine what is hanging...

the_technocrat

thx for the info.

See, if it were just some app like antivirus it'd be easy, but it's cmd.exe. That's why I think it's some script. I've gone through every script assigned to some of these people in active directory, and they all run OK (I put a 'net send %USERNAME% <scriptname> OK!' at the end of each one, they seem OK)

I think maybe the previous admin did something weird, but I can't figure out what the deal is. Here's a screenshot:

the_technocrat

QCH2002 wrote:

First off... Add this registry entry to help speed up and maybe even close a hung app.

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop]
"HungAppTimeout"="5000"
"WaitToKillAppTimeout"="4000"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control]
"WaitToKillServiceTimeout"="2000"

Let me think about how to determine what is hanging...

I think this might help the problem. I kinda wanted to know what was hanging too. I doubt it's important, but hey...

Ryder

CMD.exe.... its the command prompt (dos box)

You get it by typing "cmd" at the Run prompt from the Start button (I use it for doing ipconfig, ping, etc.)

Something that you are running has an associated Dos Window or app running?

the_technocrat

RyderOCZ wrote:

CMD.exe.... its the command prompt (dos box)

You get it by typing "cmd" at the Run prompt from the Start button (I use it for doing ipconfig, ping, etc.)

Something that you are running has an associated Dos Window or app running?

ya, I know it's some script running, but I can't see the box...so I don't know what it is... It's annoying... :\

edit: I'm trying Q's regedits, but I have to wait for the teacher to come back. Might be 40 min or so

QCH

Another way to modify those fields is with a batch script...

REG ADD "HKCU\CONTROL PANEL\DESKTOP" /V "HungAppTimeout" /t REG_sz /d "5000" /f
REG ADD "HKCU\CONTROL PANEL\DESKTOP" /V "WaitToKillAppTimeout" /t REG_sz /d "4000" /f

REG ADD "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\ControL" /V "WaitToKillServiceTimeouT" /t REG_sz /d "3000" /f

the_technocrat

alrighty, well that didn't change anything...

I did notice that if you have some stuff open (word and IE), the error message pops up before they try to close. Other than that I don't know anything else helpful. I've been having this problem for a while now, don't know when it started because the users don't tell me anything.