GlobalProtect Pre-Logon Thread Terminates Before Pre-Logon Tunnel is Established in Windows

Windows 11 Endpoints are unable to establish Pre-Logon VPN tunnel.

According to PanGPS.log, the PanGPS process is able to start the pre-logon thread:

(P7904-T12592)Info (13736): 07/10/25 11:08:09:296 PrelogonThread starts

However, the PanGPS process does not initiate the pre-logon tunnel. Instead, it receives a notification indicating that an actual user is attempting to log in, which causes PanGPS to terminate the pre-logon thread.

(P7904-T12588)Info (2730): 07/10/25 11:19:37:904 User logs in, need to quit prelogon process >>>
(P7904-T12588)Debug(2738): 07/10/25 11:19:37:904 Network discovery not ready in pre-logon. Stop threads
(P7904-T12588)Debug(8673): 07/10/25 11:19:37:904 StopThreads starts:
(P7904-T12588)Debug(8676): 07/10/25 11:19:37:904 threads have already stopped, StopThreads ends.
(P7904-T12592)Debug(5068): 07/10/25 11:19:37:904 Leaving prelogon user action check loop.
(P7904-T12592)Debug(5085): 07/10/25 11:19:37:906 HandleUserPrelogon leave
(P7904-T12592)Info (13809): 07/10/25 11:19:37:906 PrelogonThread exits 
(P7904-T12588)Debug(2754): 07/10/25 11:19:37:906 User just logs in 

• GlobalProtect Pre-Logon VPN in Windows 11 Endpoints

This behavior is usually observed in Windows 11 when the "ShowPrelogonButton" registry in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Palo Alto Networks\GlobalProtect\PanSetup\ is configured with a value of “yes”. This causes Windows to notify PanGPS about a user session before the pre-logon tunnel is established, preventing the pre-logon connection.

1. Open the Windows Registry Editor by pressing Windows Key+R, typing regedit, and clicking OK.

2. Navigate to the following registry path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Palo Alto Networks\GlobalProtect\PanSetup

3. Locate the String Value named ShowPrelogonButton.

4. Double-click ShowPrelogonButton and change its Value data to no to disable user-controlled pre-logon.

5. Alternatively, delete the ShowPrelogonButton string key entirely to return to standard automatic behavior.