Summary
After updating your domain credentials in Active Directory and synchronize with preboot to get the latest password cache, when you try to log in to the preboot stage with the credentials, you will get the following error message:
“Unable to Authenticate due to a user error. Restart the computer and try again.”
Additionally, when you use DOMAIN\USERNAME, you are able to log in but when you only enter the USERNAME, it fails.
Details
- Log in to the Policy Server.
- Go to Enterprise Users/Group Users.
- Check if the user that you are trying to use to log in on the preboot matches the one that is on Active Directory (e.g. On the Policy Server, the username listed is johndoe but the one in the Active Directory is JohnDoe).
- Right-click on the empty pane on the right side of Users then click Add External Bulk Directory.
- On the Active Directory User Import window, go to Edit > Connect using Domain and Login using your Active Directory credentials.
- Once there, look for the username (JohnDoe) and right-click Add to Group.
- Once added, restart the PolicyServer Window Service for the changes to take effect.
- Synchronize with your preboot and you should be able to log in using username
