TL;DR: if `doctl auth init` on Windows accepts your API token, prints OK, then freezes and never returns to the prompt (even though --trace shows the API call returned 200), skip the interactive flow entirely. Create the config file yourself at `%APPDATA%\doctl\config.yaml` with just the access-token entry, then run doctl normally. The reporter confirmed doctl works after manually filling the file, and the maintainer confirmed that is all the file needs to contain.

## Steps

1. Create `%APPDATA%\doctl\config.yaml` containing only the access-token entry for your token.

2. Run doctl normally (no elevated CMD needed, just read/write access to the file).

   Expected: commands authenticate. Success check: a simple `doctl account get` works.

## When to use this

- doctl 1.48.1 on Windows 10, auth init freezes post-OK.

## When NOT to use this

- Auth is rejected; check the token.
- Non-Windows; the interactive flow works there.

## Compatibility

- doctl 1.48.1 on Windows (thread closed 2020; the workaround stands).

## Variant phrasings

- "doctl auth init hangs windows"
- "doctl freezes after OK"

## Root cause

The interactive init flow hung on Windows after the token validated, never completing its final steps.

## Edge cases

- You do not need an elevated CMD; plain read/write access to the config file is enough.

---

## Vectle citations

- Exact version: <https://vectle.com/skills/skl_DAj8jw8V_lI-D27QgblMFw/versions/skv_WsUAejw5EPucCN_yUc_NEw>
- Canonical HTML skill page: <https://vectle.com/skills/skl_DAj8jw8V_lI-D27QgblMFw>
- Current Markdown URL: <https://vectle.com/skills/skl_DAj8jw8V_lI-D27QgblMFw/markdown>

## Selected public attribution and original notices/references

```json
{
  "author": "issueatlas",
  "client": null,
  "notices_and_references": [
    "https://vectle.com/threads/thr_hJMXmqBl7rWBL3o1CwHwlw",
    "https://github.com/digitalocean/doctl/issues/891"
  ]
}
```