"Setting up Personalized Settings" on login

[Cantoris]

Hi!

I create a Ghost-distributed Sysprepped image of XP Pro at work that uses sysprep.inf to do one autologin and run a batch file that does various things before shutting down the PC.
It shuts down using a shutdown -s -t 1 -f. In the batch file, this shutdown command is actually followed by a ping -n 10 -w 60000 1.1.1.1 >nul to make the PC sit there and do nothing more of the logon process until the shutdown switches it off. At least that was my theory...

Unfortunately, since the recent MS updates that I put on the build, when the shutdown begins, it ends the ping pause and actually has enough time to pop up on screen a "Setting up Personalized Settings" box very very briefly before the shutdown actually proceeds correctly.
This appears to be just cosmetic as when the PC is next powered on and manually logged in this box appears again and does its stuff. (Whatever it does must be removed by the sysprep process).

Is there any way I can get this shutdown to occur without this starting to happen, or some way to put it off to the next boot, or do you think it's not really a problem (I've noticed no adverse effects) ?

Thanks for any ideas!
Best wishes,

Andrew

[SpywareDr]

What happens if you use:

shutdown.exe -s -t 0

with no ping? . . . or do you need it to pause?

[Cantoris]

Hi!

Thanks for your quick response.
I tried what you suggested but it still tries to run the Personalized Settings thing before that gets rudely interrupted and shutdown occurs.

My thought had been that by putting that ping pause there it would dissuade the batch file from being able to formally finish and hand control over elsewhere once the Shutdown command had been launched. I hadn't envisaged though that the Shutdown -F switch would kill the pause and yet still allow the logon process to continue past the end of this RunOnce script to the Personalized Settings phase.

Any more suggestions?

Best wishes,

Andrew

[SpywareDr]

What is the command that eventually causes the "Setting up Personalized Settings" pop-up?

Are there any available command-line parameters for that command to force it to run "/quiet"ly or maybe "/min"imized? (Like the command "start /min some-command").

[Cantoris]

Hi!

References I've found for IE4 refer to the command loadwc.exe which is called Browser WebCheck and is launched from HKLM/...etc.../Run as being the origin of this.

Examining the registry of this PC offline prior to logging in shows this not existing. I think instead that it is probably being launched via the WebCheck value under the HKLM/...etc.../ShellServiceObjectDelayLoad key.
That value contains a CLSID which matches up with a reference to %systemroot%\system32\webcheck.dll in the registry.

Unfortunately this is not a run-once-and-delete sort of key and is required for correct IE operation so I doubt I can dare just temporarily remove it!

I don't just want it to run minimised or hidden though either. I want to temporarily prevent it running entirely since the PC is shutting down through that batch file, so that it can run when it is next powered up normally for the first time.

Doesn't look hopeful does it...

Best wishes,

Andrew

[Cantoris]

More info in here on Browser WebCheck:
http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/academic/...333-ME-new.txt

When installing IE60, LOADWC.EXE is added to the registry as the "Browser Webcheck" task to be run at system startup. The intended purpose is to check on the Internet for new releases of IE, ... However, this is not the actual initial purpose of the task. Once the reboot after installation has taken place, LOADWC.EXE will initiate a sequence of customized and personalized settings that updates a considerable number of Windows/IE components, including placing the IE shortcut on the start menu. Subsequent bootups will not repeat these actions although the LOADWC.EXE task will be run.

That info relates to Win98 (from its description of the launch point in the registry) but its description fits what I've seen exactly.

[SpywareDr]

And a little more ...

Description of the Loadwc.exe File in Internet Explorer
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/176960/EN-US/

MORE INFORMATION
Loadwc.exe, also known as Load WebCheck, customizes some of the settings in Internet Explorer. Loadwc.exe adds, removes, and updates subscriptions. Loadwc.exe also propagates settings for user profiles. After you restart your computer during Internet Explorer setup, Loadwc.exe copies Internet Explorer settings that need to be updated for each user profile. When this occurs, you receive the following message, where profile is each profile on your computer:

Internet Explorer is preparing personalized settings for profile.

When you uninstall Internet Explorer, you receive the following status message:

Internet Explorer is removing personalized settings for profile.

You receive this message when Loadwc.exe removes personalized settings for Internet Explorer from each profile.

If you install the Windows Desktop Update component with Internet Explorer, the updated Explorer.exe becomes responsible for the user profile update functionality of Loadwc.exe. When this occurs, Loadwc.exe is not loaded.

(Note that last sentence).

Here's a bit more detail ... quite old but, it gives some insight as to what may be happening:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/arc....mspx?mfr=true

There are two possible ways that a new User.dat can be updated with Internet Explorer settings: if the Windows Desktop Update is installed, Explorer.exe and Shdocvw.dll perform this task; if not, Loadwc.exe will do it. Loadwc.exe and Explorer.exe are always in memory.

When a new user profile is created, one of these components will compare the data in the following registry keys:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\ActiveSetup\InstalledComponents 
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\ActiveSetup\InstalledComponents

If the data matches, then no action is taken. If it does not match, then the two hives are synchronized.

A variable named StubPath is specified for most component keys in the aforementioned section of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. The data of that variable provides instructions on what that setting in the new user profile should be. It points to an executable file or .inf files. For executable files, it commonly contains instructions, such as values and APIs. For .inf files, it will point to a specific section containing the data to be added to the User hive.

For each key that is not a match in both the User and Machine hives, the key is created in User (if it doesn't exist), and the StubPath is executed to set its variable. This results in the User keys being updated with the correct data.

Hive synchronization occurs in only one of the following scenarios:

• When a new user profile is created after Internet Explorer has been installed.
  
  
• The first time a user logs on after Internet Explorer has been installed on a computer that already has multiple profiles.
  
  
• When any user installs a newer version of one of the components.
  
  
• When a user on a multiuser system uninstalls Internet Explorer.

The method of configuring new user profiles works the same way in Windows 95 as in Windows NT.

A bit more (old):

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q184294/

SYMPTOMS

When you try to view subscription content, you may notice that your subscriptions are not updated automatically.

CAUSE

This behavior can occur if you are not using the Active Desktop. Active Desktop loads the Loadwc.exe program to update subscriptions and personalize settings.

All I can think of that may work is trying to temporarily rename the "loadwc.exe" (to something like "loadwc_renamed.exe") via your BATch file ... before loadwc.exe has a chance to launch. Then add a line in the system's Startup somewhere that would rename "loadwc_renamed.exe" back to "loadwc.exe" and then load/run it.

[Cantoris]

Hi!

Wow thanks for all that info.
I've checked and loadwc.exe does not exist on Windows XP. It would seem from reading your links that the functionality of it was taken over back in the days of that Active Desktop Update for IE4 by explorer.exe itself and shdocvw.dll. Whether this is still the mechanism now for IE6 I don't know; I suspect it's now via the SSODL key I mentioned earlier.
I think for the time being I will just maintain a close eye on things since I've not yet seen an adverse effect apart from the cosmetic effect of seeing the Personalised Settings window get rudely shutdown.

Thanks for all your input!
Best wishes,

Andrew

[SpywareDr]

You're welcome. Sure wish we could have found a solution ...

BTW, if you'd like for SHUTDOWN to wait a bit, you can change the "0" (zero) to the number of seconds to wait. For example, to have it wait for one minute:

shutdown.exe -s -t 60

Brief SHUTDOWN help:

shutdown /?