If your operating system of choice is Windows, an infrequent but serious error you may come across when trying to shut down, start up, or restart your computer is the “please wait for the gpsvc” message. This error message is displayed when the Group Policy Client Service, also known as GPSVC, takes longer than expected to turn on some of your system’s crucial files.
In some cases, the “please wait for the gpsvc” error message is accompanied by a warning that tells you that if you shut down your computer while your computer is waiting for the GPSVC to respond, you may lose data.
Before we jump into troubleshooting this error, let’s take a look at what the Group Policy Client Service is, why your computer may get stuck on this screen, and then we’ll provide details on some methods for solving the issue.
What is GPSVC or Group Policy Service Client?
The Group Policy Service Client or GPSVC is a Windows process that helps with the implementation and management of group policies. Group policies are essentially configurations that can be pushed out to multiple computers in a network from a central location. This is useful for things like setting up users’ desktops with the same wallpaper, preventing users from accessing certain websites, and so forth.
How does the GPSVC work?
The GPSVC’s purpose is to cross-check your computer against group policy configurations and load these policies accordingly. It does this by communicating with the WinLogon Service via a Remote Procedure Call (RPC).
Once the GPSVC has finished implementing the group policies, your computer will be allowed to boot up as normal. In the case of a “please wait for the gpsvc” error message, this process is taking longer than expected.
What are WinLogon and Remote Procedure Call (RPC)?
WinLogon is a process in Windows that is responsible for handling the secure attention sequence, loading your user profile, and providing your computer with access to your user account1. To communicate with the GPSVC, WinLogon uses RPC.
RPC is a protocol that allows one program to request services from another program located on a different computer in the network2. In this instance, the GPSVC uses RPC to communicate with the WinLogon service. Once group policies have been successfully applied, the WinLogon service will give your computer the go-ahead to boot up as normal.
Understanding the causes: Why is my computer saying please wait?
The “please wait for the gpsvc” error message is displayed when your computer is taking too long to load group policy configurations. The GPSVC relies on the WinLogon Service to load your computer’s group policy configurations and if this communication is disrupted, it can cause issues. There are a few reasons why this communication may be disrupted:
- You have accidentally removed the GPSVC.dll file. This file is responsible for the communication between WinLogon and the GPSVC. The Group Policy Client Service is not set to automatic. This means that your computer may not start the GPSVC when it starts up, causing a delay in group policy configurations being loaded.
- You’ve downloaded or contracted malware. In some cases, malware can prevent the GPSVC from communicating with other services on your computer, including the WinLogon service, as it corrupts the files.
- There are issues with your computer’s DNS settings. If your DNS settings are incorrect, this can cause communication issues between your computer and the DNS server, which can in turn cause problems with the GPSVC loading group policy configurations.
- You’ve had an improper shutdown or reboot sequence. If you’ve recently turned off or restarted your computer improperly, this can cause communication issues between the GPSVC and other services on your computer, as the application of policies was interrupted.
8 methods for fixing the “Please Wait for the GPSVC” error
Now that we’ve looked at some of the reasons why your computer is stuck on the “please wait for the gpsvc” error message, let’s take a look at some methods you can use to fix the issue.
1. Check your computer for malware.
In some cases, malware can prevent the GPSVC from communicating with other services on your computer, including the WinLogon service. This can cause your computer to get stuck on the “please wait for the gpsvc” screen. To check your computer for malware and remove any malicious files, we recommend using a reputable anti-malware program.
2. Use CTRL + ALT + DEL keys to access the digital power button.
If the “please wait for the gpsvc” error message prevents you from logging into Windows, you can use the CTRL + ALT + DEL keys to access the digital power button. This will allow you to restart your computer and hopefully fix the issue. To access the power button, do the following:
- Press down the CTRL + ALT + DEL keys at the same time.
- In the bottom right of your computer, click on the power button.
- Choose to restart the computer from the menu.
Once your computer has restarted, check to see if the “please wait for gpsvc” error message is still appearing.
3. Complete a hard shutdown using your computer’s power button.
If the CTRL + ALT +DEL restart did not fix the issue, and you still cannot log into Windows, and the computer is still getting stuck on the error message or telling you to restart the group policy client service, then you may need to do a forced shutdown.
- Locate the physical power button on your computer.
- Press and hold it down for 10-15 seconds until the computer shuts off.
- Wait 10-15 seconds with the computer turned off. Then turn it back on.
Once your computer has restarted, check to see if the “please wait for gpsvc” error message is still appearing.
4. Download the latest GPSVC.dll file and update your current one.
If the “please wait for gpsvc” error still appears, it could be due to a corrupt or outdated GPSVC.dll file on your computer. You can try downloading the latest GPSVC.dll file and replacing your current one.
We recommend that before you download any files from the internet, you run a scan on the website URL you’re looking to grab the file from to make sure that it is safe and secure. You don’t want to download any malware or viruses in your attempt to update your GPSVC.dll file.
- Download the latest version of the GPSVC.dll file.
- Save the file to your computer and wait for it to finish downloading.
- It will download as a ZIPPED file.
- Right-click on the GPSVC.zip file and choose to Extract All.
- Do not extract it to your downloads folder, but instead, choose the “browse” button to select a location.
- Extract the file to your C directory / Windows / System64. If you have a 32-bit system, then extract the file to the System32 folder.
- You will be prompted to replace the existing file. You want to say yes to this.
Once the replacement has gone through, reboot your computer.
5. Use the SFC scannow tool to fix corrupted files.
If the above methods haven’t yet fixed the error message, then you may want to scan your computer for corrupted or missing files. You can use the SFC scannow tool to get the job done.
However, you will need to be able to access your Command Prompt Window to complete an SFC scan. If you can’t log in, you’ll need to access the CMD by using the Advanced Startup Option. Once you have your CMD open, do the following:
- Type in the following command and press Enter:
sfc /scannow - Wait until the scan completes.
- It will tell you if files have been repaired upon completion.
- Restart your computer and see if the error message persists.
Note: If you run into an SFC /Scannow error when starting the scan, don’t worry. We have written dedicated articles on what to do if SFC scannow is not working, including:
- Windows Resource Protection Could Not Perform The Requested Operation
- Windows resource protection could not start the repair service
6. Set the group policy client service to automatic.
If the Group Policy Client Service is not set to automatic, this can cause your computer to not start the GPSVC during boot time, resulting in a delay in group policy configurations being loaded.
To set the Group Policy Client Service to automatic:
- Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
- Type “services.msc” into the Run dialog box and press Enter.
- Scroll down and find the Group Policy Client service.
- Double-click on the service to open its Properties window.
- Set the startup type dropdown menu to automatic and click Apply.
- Click Start to start the service and then click OK to close the properties window.
7. Fix your computer’s DNS settings.
If your DNS settings are incorrect, this can cause communication issues between your computer and the DNS server, which can, in turn, cause problems with the GPSVC loading group policy configurations.
To fix your computer’s DNS settings:
- Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
- Type “ncpa.cpl” into the Run dialog box and hit Enter.
- Right-click on your active network connection and select Properties from the context menu.
- Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) from the list of items and click Properties.
- Click Use The Following DNS Server Addresses and type 8.8.8.8 into the Preferred DNS Server field.
- Type 8.8.4.4 into the Alternate DNS Server field and click OK to close the window.
- Close the Network Connections window and restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
8. Restore your system to an earlier state.
If none of the above methods have worked, you can try restoring your system to an earlier state. This will roll back any recent changes that could be causing the “please wait for gpsvc” error.
To restore your system:
- Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
- Type “rstrui” into the Run dialog box and press Enter.
- Click Next on the first screen of the System Restore wizard.
- Choose a restore point from the list and click Next.
- Click Finish on the next screen to start the restoration process.
Once your computer has been restored, check to see if the “please wait for gpsvc” error message is still appearing.
Note: if you cannot access the system restore because you’re unable to get in – use the Advanced Startup Options menu to access System Restore.
Wrapping up
If you’re still seeing the “please wait for gpsvc” error message after trying all of the above methods, you may need to contact a computer technician for further assistance.
If you have been able to resolve the error message using one of our methods above, then let us know in the comments below.
