CMSTART is the initial process that is run after a user authenticates. It is called by winlogon. Cmstart.exe is a process that runs when you log on to the MetaFrame server. It is associated with Wfshell.exe and Icast.exe. This is controlled by the follow registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionWinLogon Value of AppSetup
1. Cmstart starts the client manager file Cltmgr.exe (checks the client version upgrades if needed). It is possible that the ICA Client Update Database may be growing large. Disable the ICA Client Automatic Updates to see if the logon process is quicker.
2. Cmstart looks for applications under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRunOnce and HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRunOnce. If any executables are listed here, try removing them one at a time. Reboot the server after removing each executable.
3. Entries under HKEY_CURRENT_USERSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionWinLogon Value of AppSetup will override similar HKLM settings.
4. NOTE:By default, the AppSetup Value does not appear under this HKCU key.
Reference: What Does the CMSTART Command Do?
