I also later found some log file somewhere on the system (which I can't locate now) that talked about trying to unload is 60 times, once per second. What a surprise, it actually was exactly a minute of waiting.
So, finally, last night I made two great discoveries. The first is a total workaround, but still better than waiting the 60s. In the Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc), you can set the maximum number of retries for unloading the user registry in Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> System -> User Profiles, the setting is "Maximum retries to unload and update user profile".
However, what actually allowed me to fix the problem was a little-known utility from Microsoft, User Profile Hive Cleanup Service. This little app forces any programs holding on to the registry to drop their handles and tells you which in the Event Log. I'm pretty sure my dastardly app was the Removable Storage Service, which I've now disabled.
So there you go, I hope this helps someone in the world, either you guys or a desperate Googler.
Smong - Wed Jun 27, 2007 8:32 pm
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Interestingly when I was messing around with my DVD drive a few days ago I took the time to check what was installed on the spare computer. Turns out it had that hive thing, must have come through an automatic update. That machine was set to download and install all updates automatically.
Cyan~Fire - Wed Jun 27, 2007 11:25 pm
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Weird, I definitely never got it via Windows Update.