Computer Stuck On Getting Windows Ready

Long-time Windows users know that the OS can be annoying when it decides to throw up a hurdle after you try to restart your computer. The “Getting Windows ready” notification appears occasionally while Windows integrates updates or performs other basic house cleaning.

Usually, this just lasts a few seconds, but occasionally, the Getting Windows ready screen seems to get stuck and your computer won’t move until you restart it.

Oftentimes, it’s not obvious what to do in such a situation. If you’re experiencing issues with a persistent “Getting Windows ready” screen, try the following solutions.

Causes of “Computer Stuck On Getting Windows Ready” Issue

1. Pending Updates: Your PC may be stuck on this screen while it completes the installation of Windows updates.
2. Driver Compatibility: Incompatible or outdated drivers can lead to conflicts during the update process, causing the system to become unresponsive.
3. Corrupted System Files: Corrupted or missing system files can hinder the update from completing successfully.
4. Hardware Issues: Hardware problems, such as a failing hard drive or RAM issues, can disrupt the update process.

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How to Fix “Computer Stuck On Getting Windows Ready” Issue

Here are several solutions to resolve this issue:

1. Wait Patiently:
   • Sometimes, Windows updates can take a considerable amount of time to complete. It’s a good practice to wait for at least a few hours before taking any further action.
2. Perform a Hard Restart:
   • If waiting doesn’t help, perform a hard restart by holding down the power button until your computer turns off.
   • Turn the computer back on and check if it progresses past the “Getting Windows Ready” screen.
3. Boot into Safe Mode:
   • Boot your computer into Safe Mode by repeatedly pressing the F8 or Shift + F8 key during startup.
   • In Safe Mode, you can access Windows Update settings and attempt to troubleshoot any issues.
4. Use Windows Update Troubleshooter:
   • Run the built-in Windows Update Troubleshooter to automatically detect and fix problems related to Windows updates.
5. Check for Driver Updates:
   • Update your device drivers to the latest versions available from the manufacturer’s website.
6. Repair Windows Files:
   • Use the “sfc /scannow” command in the Command Prompt to scan and repair corrupted system files.
7. Perform a System Restore:
   • If the issue occurred after a recent software installation or update, perform a System Restore to revert your system to a previous state.

Be Patient — It Will Come

Windows doesn’t provide a time estimate since it has no idea how long it will take to get Windows ready. The OS can’t provide an accurate estimate of how long some updates will take.

The best course of action is to let the update complete, even if it has taken a long time thus far. Just how long do you consider to be long enough? After three hours, you may want to try something different besides the Getting Windows ready screen.

For Online Access, Make Sure Your Connection is Good.

If your Wi-Fi connection is unreliable, the Getting Windows ready screen may become stuck because updates require a constant connection to the internet. If you’re using Wi-Fi, make sure that another device in the same room can connect without any issues.

When in doubt, reset your network and modem or connect the computer directly to the router through an Ethernet wire.

Try Again After Restarting Your Device

Restarting a computer while an update or while the Getting Windows ready screen is displayed used to be risky, since it may cause data corruption or even a Blue Screen of Death.

Even though the potential for disaster has been greatly reduced in Windows 10, it is still not recommended. That being said, if you’ve waited several hours and are positive the update is truly stuck, you might try restarting your PC and seeing if it boots normally after that.

To accomplish this, it is necessary to perform a hard shutdown. To turn off your computer, either press and hold the power button or, if you’re using a desktop, unplug it. Just give it a minute to settle, and then try restarting the computer.

Launch Windows Repair at Startup.

After multiple restarts, the Getting Windows ready screen can be bypassed in several ways. The Windows Startup Repair tool may be accessed from the advanced boot options page and is a good place to start troubleshooting.

However, a USB version of the Windows installation software that can boot is required before you can proceed.

To make a bootable USB thumbdrive containing the Windows 11 installer, visit the Download Windows 11 website and follow the instructions in the Create Windows 11 Installation Media section.

After that, you’ll need to power down the machine in question, plug the USB device, and restart into Windows. At the main menu, click Repair Your Computer, followed by Troubleshoot.

When prompted, select Startup Repair from the list of Advanced choices. Let the repair programme run its course, and then try removing the USB drive and restarting to check whether everything is back to normal.

Check Your System Files by Running The File Integrity Detector

There are further options for troubleshooting if that doesn’t fix the problem. Start up from the USB disc you created in the previous step. choose Troubleshoot and Repair Computer. You should select Command Prompt from the Advanced menu.

After the DOS prompt has opened, type sfc /scannow into the window and hit Enter. Let the file checker finish its process, and then reboot the machine to see if that resolves the issue.

Run a System Restore.

To become unstuck, for example, you could The purpose of the “Getting Windows ready” screen is to roll back the clock to a point before the issue was encountered. To achieve this, simply use Windows’ System Restore feature to roll back to a previous point in time.

Again, boot into the operating system from the USB disc. choose Troubleshoot and Repair Computer. Go to System Restore under “Advanced” in the menu of available options.

You’ll need to choose a time and date that was somewhat recent, but before your computer became stuck on the Getting Windows ready screen. If you reboot the computer, it should start up normally.

Return Windows to its Original Settings

Unfortunately, if none of those solutions worked, there may be a significant issue with your Windows installation, and the only option is to restore Windows to its original settings.

The good news is that Windows can be installed from the bootable USB stick. To reinstall Windows, boot from the drive and stick to the on-screen prompts.