Problem

On some computers, it is observed that the system hangs on startup with either “Please wait” or “Applying Microsoft Offline Files Policy” displayed. This issue may occur even if there are no Offline Files Group Policy Objects (GPOs) set.

Solution

This issue is often not related to Offline Files, but rather caused by running PowerShell scripts at startup. To resolve this issue, follow these steps:

1. Remove any startup scripts applied to the computer through Group Policy.
2. Ensure that the startup time has returned to normal.
3. If the issue persists, try adding the startup scripts back one at a time, rebooting after each to identify the problematic script.