Slow performance after upgrading to Windows 10 build 1709 (RS3)

  • 7022598
  • 24-Jan-2018
  • 17-May-2018

Environment

Micro Focus Client for Open Enterprise Server 2 SP4 (IR7a)
Microsoft Windows 10 build 1709 (RS3)

Situation

Various symptoms may be observed after upgrading to Windows 10 build 1709 (RedStone 3 / RS3).  The most obvious evidence that you are experiencing the problem resolved by this TID is that when you view the "Provider Order" under "Network Connections" (see TID 7000693), an error message "Failed to get network providers" appears and the network provider list is not displayed.

Other symptoms include:
  • slow login
  • slow opening of folders in Windows Explorer
  • slow opening of files from Microsoft Office

Resolution

Fixed in Client for Open Enterprise Server 2 SP4 (IR8) or later.

Cause

Apparently, beginning with Windows 10 1709 behavior, existence of a "DeviceName" value under 
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\NCFSD\NetworkProvider] is now required.
Microsoft documentation describes the DeviceName value as optional:

"The DeviceName is optional and should be specified only if the Ndi\Service value for the component is inadequate 
as a device name for the network provider."

The "Ndi\Service value" (meaning, the "NCFSD" in "\CurrentControlSet\Services\NCFSD") is the same 
as the device name.  But either the Windows 10 1709 release changes are arbitrarily no longer considering this value 
as "optional", or have introduced some more subtle reason why the existing "NCFSD" service name is no longer 
matched to our MPR network provider "by default".

Status

Reported to Engineering

Additional Information

A related issue exists for the iPrint client. See TID 7022731.

Microsoft has documented this problem with updating to the Windows 10 1709, 1703, or 1607 builds, in MS KB 4013822.