“Please wait for the User Profile Service” Slow or Stuck

Published by Nyau Wai Hoe - Updated on

Running into a long wait time with the message “Please wait for the User Profile Service” when you’re trying to log into Windows? This issue is something a few people bump into, especially with some older versions of Windows 10 and Windows Server, and yes, it can pop up in Windows 11 too. A bunch of different things might be causing this problem, but a big one to point fingers at is a glitch found in those Windows versions we just talked about. This guide is here to walk you through what’s up with that message, why it’s showing up, and how to get past it.

Linked issue: “User Profile Service Failed The Logon” Windows 10/11

Please wait for the User Profile Service Slow or Stuck

What’s the User Profile Service in Windows?

The User Profile Service is a crucial part of Windows. It takes care of loading up all your user-specific stuff like settings, files, and configurations whenever you sign in. When you see “Please wait for the User Profile Service,” it just means your personal settings are being loaded.

What is User Profile Service in Windows

If this message hangs around longer than it should or seems stuck, it’s likely a sign there’s trouble with the User Profile Service, often because of a known glitch in Windows.

Main reason behind the “Please wait for the User Profile Service” problem

There’s this known glitch in some older versions of Windows 10 and Windows Server that might make the User Profile Service slow or even freeze. The issue comes from a conflict between the Credential Manager and the Redirector, along with the Data Protection API (DPAPI).

This conflict just ends up stopping your user profile data from loading like it should, making you stuck on that “Please wait for the User Profile Service” message. If your computer’s been out of the update loop for a bit, this glitch might still be lurking around.

Fixing the problem

Microsoft has already rolled out an update to resolve this bug. The following are how you can get the hotfixes. But, if you’re stuck on the “Please Wait for the User Profile Service” screen and can’t get into Windows at all, try starting up in safe mode to do a Windows Update or download the update package.

Update through Windows Update

This is the easy route. Just head to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update, and hit Check for updates. If the fix is out there, it’ll get downloaded and installed without you having to do much else.

Check for Windows Update
Related resource: Restarting Windows Update Service on Windows 11

Getting the update package yourself

If you don’t see the update in Windows Update, or if you like doing things manually, you can directly download the update package from Microsoft’s official site about this issue.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/the-logon-process-hangs-at-the-welcome-screen-or-the-please-wait-for-the-user-profile-service-error-message-window-d2b47c4e-8819-a38c-7b37-ff0a79927035

Please wait for the User Profile Service Windows 10 or Server

Once you’ve got the update, restart your computer to see if that message clears up quickly now.

Some other ways to fix the problem

While the glitch we talked about is a usual suspect, other things could also be slowing down or freezing the User Profile Service. This could be from a messed-up user profile, a very large user profile size, or some nasty malware or viruses.

Fixing a corrupted user profile

If a corrupted user profile is what’s bothering you, making a new one and moving your stuff over could fix it:

  • Head to Settings > Accounts > Family & other users and click on Add someone else to this PC to make a new user account.Add new user profile to Windows 11
  • Sign into the new account to set up a new user profile.Create new user account in Windows 11
  • Switch back to your old account, go to your old user profile folder (usually at C:\Users\<Old_Username>), grab all your files and folders, and copy them.Copy user profile to another user in Windows 11
  • Go to your new user profile folder at C:\Users\<New_Username> and drop all the stuff you just copied there.
  • Restart your computer and log in with the new account to see if things are smoother.

Also check out: Making a local admin account without a password in Windows 11 or 10

Scan your system fully

If you’re still having issues, it might be a good move to do a full system scan for any malware or viruses. You can use Windows Defender or any other trustworthy antivirus software to look through your system and get rid of any lurking threats.

Windows Defender Run Full Scan

Some final words

Sometimes, users might decide to skip updating their systems, and that’s when they encounter the “Please wait for the User Profile Service” issue because the update that fixes the bug isn’t applied. If you’re using any of the mentioned versions of Windows, just install the update that takes care of the bug.


Nyau Wai Hoe
Nyau Wai Hoe is the Founder and Chief Editor of WindowsDigitals.com. With a degree in software engineering and over 12 years of experience in the tech support industry, Nyau has established himself as an expert in the field, with a primary focus on the Microsoft Windows operating system. As a tech enthusiast, he loves exploring new technologies and leveraging them to solve real-life problems.

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