The Windows UAC window stops responding if run as administrator

Hello Miguel,

That freeze at the UAC prompt is almost always tied to how Winlogon and Credential Provider are interacting with graphics drivers or remote session components, not the UAC subsystem itself. Since you mentioned the issue started after moving buildings, I’d suspect either a change in domain trust or new networking/security infrastructure that affects how elevation prompts are handled. In practice, the most common causes are outdated display drivers that hang when the secure desktop is invoked, or third‑party credential providers/security agents that interfere with UAC.

The first thing to check is whether disabling “Switch to the secure desktop when prompting for elevation” in Local Security Policy (secpol.msc → Local Policies → Security Options → “User Account Control: Switch to the secure desktop when prompting for elevation”) allows the prompt to work. If that resolves it, the root cause is a driver or agent conflict, and updating GPU drivers or removing conflicting endpoint security software is the proper fix. If the hang persists even with secure desktop disabled, run sfc /scannow and DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth to rule out system corruption, and confirm domain controllers are reachable without latency.

If none of those steps stabilize UAC, the supported remediation is an in‑place upgrade repair using the latest Windows 11 ISO, which rebuilds the credential provider stack without wiping applications. A full reinstall should only be considered if the repair install fails, since this is not a hardware limitation but a software conflict introduced during the move.

If the above response helps answer your question, please hit "Accept Answer" so that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution. Your contribution is highly appreciated.

Harry.

The described behavior matches known Windows logon and credential-handling deadlock issues where the system hangs at UAC/logon, “Welcome,” “Wait,” or “Disconnect.” These are typically caused by deadlocks in services or components involved in authentication, Group Policy, or credential access.

Based on the available information, there are two main patterns relevant to this scenario:

1. Deadlock during logon / Welcome screen
   On several Windows versions, the logon process can hang at the “Welcome” screen or similar stages because of deadlocks between components that handle credentials and network/crypto services. For example:
   • A deadlock between Credential Manager, the Redirector (RDR), and DPAPI can cause the logon process to hang at “Welcome” or “Please wait for the User Profile Service” when credentials or profile data are on DFS paths or when Group Policy Preferences (GPP) and file-association XMLs are stored on DFS shares.
   • On older systems (Vista/Server 2008), a deadlock in the Group Policy Preferences client (Gpprefcl.dll) could cause the system to stop responding at the Welcome screen after credentials are entered.
   In environments using DFS-based home folders, DFS-based GPP drive mappings, or GPOs that reference DFS paths, these deadlocks can surface exactly as described: UAC or logon prompts accept credentials, then the system appears to freeze or hang on “Welcome,” “Wait,” or “Disconnect.” Recommended actions in such cases are:
   • Ensure the system is fully updated with the relevant Windows updates/hotfixes that address logon deadlocks. For Windows 8/8.1/Server 2012/2012 R2 and Windows 10/Server 2012 R2, Microsoft provides specific updates that fix deadlocks involving Credential Manager and DFS-based resources.
   • Review Group Policy and logon configuration for:
     • DFS-based home folders (for example, \\contoso.com\homefolders\user).
     • GPOs using “Set a default associations configuration file” where the XML is stored on DFS (for example, \\contoso.com\netlogon).
     • Group Policy Preferences Drive Maps pointing to DFS paths (for example, \\contoso.com\data1).
   • Where possible, test by temporarily removing or changing these DFS-based dependencies to confirm whether the hang disappears.
2. Service-start ordering issues at logon
   On some systems, logon hangs at “Applying User Settings” or similar stages can be caused by service start-order problems. One documented workaround is to adjust the dependency of the HTTP.sys service so that it starts only after the Cryptographic Services (CRYPTSVC) service. This is done by adding a DependOnService value under: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\HTTP and setting its data to CRYPTSVC, then restarting the computer. This workaround is specifically documented for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, but it illustrates that service dependencies can cause logon hangs.

Given that the issue started after moving buildings, it is likely that something in the environment changed (network paths, DFS, domain controllers, or Group Policy configuration) and is now triggering one of these known deadlock conditions when UAC or logon tries to validate credentials or load user settings.

In practice, the most relevant steps are:

1. Verify that all affected machines have the latest cumulative updates and any specific hotfixes that address logon hangs and credential deadlocks for the OS version in use.
2. Audit Group Policy for DFS-based home folders, GPP drive mappings, and default file-association XMLs stored on DFS paths, and test removing or changing them.
3. If running older OS versions (Vista/Server 2008), consider the documented workaround of adjusting HTTP.sys service dependencies if hangs occur at “Applying User Settings.”

If the environment uses Windows 8/8.1/10 or Server 2012/2012 R2 and the symptoms match the “Welcome”/User Profile Service hang with DFS usage, applying the documented update that fixes the Credential Manager/RDR/DPAPI deadlock is the primary corrective action.

References:

• The logon process hangs at the "Welcome" screen or the "Please wait for the User Profile Service" error message window
• You cannot log on to Windows after the admin changes your password
• A computer that is running Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008 stops responding and hangs at the "Applying User Settings" stage of the logon process
• Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, or Windows Server 2008 R2 may stop responding at the Welcome screen after you enter the user credentials to log on to the computer