Slow user session in Windows 2016 Server with SQL Server Standard

I've recently installed a Windows 2016 Server with SQL Server 2016 Standard. The setup is being used as an IIS webserver with Reporting Services.

Anyhow, when connecting to the server via RDP, the performance is terrible - For instance, launching SQL Server Managment Console takes a couple of minutes instead of seconds, even though the overall CPU usage is about 10% or so. Also, just popping up the Startmenu could take 10 sec or so. This all while the website is performing normally.

I'm guessing that since the server is optimized for "Background services" this might have something to do with it, or that there's some new super-smart throtteling going on with interface/user sessions.

The previous server was Windows Server 2013, configured about the same, but without this issue. -- Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're our only hope!

Solution 1:

Based on your comment:

Page Faults on the w3wp process is going through the roof!

It's possible the I/O demand on your disk storage is greater than it can handle. If this occurs for any extended amount of time, the overall responsiveness of your system will definitely suffer. In Resource Monitor on the Disk tab look at the blue line in the graphs. That line shows % Disk Active Time. If it stays at/near 100%, you've found why the system is slow.