Issues with Windows Server 2016: System32 Folder, Group Policy, and Print Spooler

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Issues with Windows Server 2016: System32 Folder, Group Policy, and Print Spooler

Don Hembree 0

A Windows Server 2016 instance appears to be facing several issues including problems with files in the System32 folder. The server gets stuck at "shutting down Group Policy Client" during restart. Additionally, network printers are not appearing in user accounts, and remote applications hang if the system has been running for an extended period. Attempts to stop the print spooler result in a hang that never completes. Any insights or troubleshooting steps would be appreciated.

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Answer 1

Dear Don Hembree,

My name is Hoang Phan, and I understand that you are having some query concern related to System32 folder, Group Policy and Print Spooler.

From what you've described, it seems that your Windows Server 2016 environment is facing multiple issues. I believe the first step is to determine whether these problems are linked to a common root cause.

As I have more experience with Group Policy, I’d suggest we start there. It may help to first narrow down the scope of the issue.

Does the issue occur only during log-off, or does it also happen at log-on?
Do you have any log-off scripts configured via GPO?
Can you reproduce the issue by running gpupdate /force command? If yes, this will make log collection and analysis easier. If not, it may suggest the issue is specific to the log-off process.

At this point, we want to determine which type of policy (CSE) might be causing the system to hang. Check the timestamp gaps between each policy extension (CSE) in the Event Viewer — these delays can help pinpoint the issue.

You can start with the following logs:

Event Viewer → Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > GroupPolicy
GPSVC Debug Log — very detailed and helpful for deeper analysis

Reference: Group Policy Troubleshooting with GPSVC log analysis (Microsoft Tech Community)

Next, review CPU and memory usage to see if any processes are consuming excessive resources during the hang. This can sometimes be the underlying cause of system slowdowns or stuck processes.

If necessary, consider upgrading your server’s CPU or memory after confirming the performance bottleneck.

Microsoft Guide: Troubleshooting Performance Problems in Windows

For the printer not showing up, here are a few helpful resources that outline common causes and resolutions:

If possible, please provide:

More detailed information about each issue
Any event IDs, error messages, or logs you have
Screenshots, if available, to help visualize the problem

This will help me better understand your environment and assist you more effectively.

I hope this information proves helpful. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need further clarification—I’ll be happy to assist 🙂

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

Best regards,

Hoang Phan

Don Hembree 0 Reputation points

2025-08-07T01:14:53.04+00:00

Thank you for the reply and help. The system will freeze when trying to reboot. In the VMware console I see waiting on group policy client. It never clears. Have to hard boot.

the users starting complaining their printers were not showing up a couple of weeks ago. Server is a Remote Desktop. Users should and have always loaded their printers by a group policy. Under a user account I can not even add a printer. The more I researched it seemed the users could not access anything in the system32 folder. They can however login. But after a short time the server starts to freeze. Not seeing a lot of errors. No changes made that I was aware of. I have ran sfc comes back with found corruption but not able to repair. Dism gets to 100% but never finishes. I ran a in place 2016 repair no change.

thanks Don
Hoang Phan0701 75 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2025-08-08T07:51:19.88+00:00

Hi Don,

Thank you for your reply.

The same troubleshooting method regarding GPO issue can still be applied, as the logs are recorded prior to the hard reboot. This should at least indicate at which stage—or with which GPO—the system is getting stuck. You can then try unlinking the suspected GPO to see if that resolves the issue.

From my understanding, the user remotely connects to this server to perform their work, and they are experiencing several issues related to printers and file system access.

Could you clarify the following points for me?

When you say the user cannot access the System32 folder, do you mean they receive an Access Denied error, even if they are logged in as an administrator?

What exact error message appears when they attempt to add a printer?

If the printer is deployed through Group Policy, do they also encounter problems when running gpupdate /force ?

Could you share a screenshot of the output from the SFC command?

Please provide as many details as possible. This will help me better understand the issue and suggest the most relevant next steps.

Kind regards,

Hoang Phan

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Issues with Windows Server 2016: System32 Folder, Group Policy, and Print Spooler

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