“Preparing to configure Windows” seems to hang or appear too long in Windows 7 and 10 when new updates need to be installed or when users install or reinstall Windows. The problem is usually caused by a corrupted update file or a change in file integrity.
Methods
What is the Reason for appearing this error “Preparing to configure Windows“?
We found some main reasons that were causing this error “Preparing to configure Windows“:
1. Missing files:
In some cases, some updated files might get lost or corrupted during the installation process, causing the error to appear. It is also possible that when installing Windows some files were missed or lost due to a power surge, which prevented all files from installing properly.
2. Hard Drive Error:
It is also possible that some hard drive errors were preventing Setup from setting up Windows properly and the installation process could not be completed efficiently. Hard drive errors can occur due to unchanged hard drive resources or corrupted log files. This hard drive failure can affect the life of the hard drive and cause installation problems.
3. Error:
Sometimes while installing Windows the setup part can get corrupted and at some point crash. This problem can be caused by a number of reasons and is easy to fix.
What are the methods to solve this “Preparing to configure Windows” issue?
Above we have read the cause of the error, now will try to perform some of the solution methods to get rid of this issue, you don’t have to try them all. Just go through the list until everything is working again.
Solutions
Wait while your Windows system installs all updates
System recover
Update Windows in Safe Mode
Running ChkDisk Scan
Reset your windows
Solution 1: Wait while your Windows system installs all updates
If your computer stops working on the Prepare Windows Configuration screen, it could mean that Windows is installing and configuring updates.
If you haven’t installed Windows updates in a long time, it may take a while for all updates to install. So give your Windows enough time to process all updates.
The time it takes to do this depends on your hardware specifications. It is advisable to wait 2 hours. If your computer still stops working at the Prepare Windows Configuration screen, try the following solutions 2 an hours later.
Solution 2: System recovery
You may need to undo the changes that were made when the update was stopped. System Restore is built into Windows and provides a way to undo system changes without changing personal files.
-If you can enter Safe Mode, go to Start and type system restore in the search box.
-Select System Restore, then Recommended Restore, and click Next. Check the restore point then select Finish. You may be asked for your administrator username and password. To choose a different restore point, select Choose a different restore point.
-To view the selected restore point, click Scan for Affected Programs to see how each restore will affect your system.
-system Restore will revert the system back to a Restore Point that Windows creates automatically.
You can also create restore points manually before the update problem occurred. To do this:
Open the System Restore box and select Create a restore point.
The window with system properties opens. Select Create.
You will be asked to state your restore point. Select Create and wait for a restore point to be created.
Solution 3: Update Windows in Safe Mode:
If this scan did not solve your problem and the computer is taking too long to log into your account, we recommend performing a clean restart and completely disabling any third-party antivirus programs. Then follow the steps
-After starting the PC with a clean boot, press Windows key + I to open Settings. Click the “Update and Security” option, then click the “Windows Update” option on the left
Select the “Check for Updates” option and let the system check for new updates
When the scan is complete, click on the Install option.
Make sure the update is applied successfully.
Note: If an update fails to install, check for issues installing the specific update and uninstall it. Also, you can slow down the update process until a more stable version is released.
Solution 4: Running ChkDisk Scan
In some cases, essential software can be prevented from installing on your computer if your computer is attributed to a hard drive error. Hence, in this step, we are going to run a chkdisk scan to detect and remove all hard drive errors.
Press Windows + R key to open a command prompt.
Enter “cmd” and press “Shift” + “Ctrl” + “Enter” to grant administrator rights
Type in the “chkdsk” command and press “Enter”
Wait for the scan to finish and see if the problem is still there.
Solution 5: Do a reset
In some cases, you can perform a System Restore to see if this helps when you can’t log into Windows. To do this:
Restart the computer and press the “F11” key several times during startup.
This will open the advanced recovery options, click the “Troubleshoot” option and select “Advanced.”
In the advanced options, select System Restore and click on the recovery you want to choose.
Follow the on-screen instructions to initiate recovery and wait for it to finish.
check if the problem remains after the restore is complete.
Note: If this doesn’t fix the problem and you still can’t update, please reinstall Windows 10 completely.
Update your driver to the latest version (pro tip)
In most cases, it’s best to update the drivers to the latest version to avoid those annoying problems. There are two ways to update your drivers: manually and automatically.
Updating drivers manually – You can update drivers manually by checking the manufacturer’s website for the latest drivers for your device. Make sure you select a driver which is compatible with your Windows system.
Conclusion:
In this article, we have given all the solutions to the problem “Resolve Windows 7 or 10 Stuck at Preparing to Configure windows”. Try each solution one by one and let us know in the comments section which one is working for you. Hope this article helped thanks for reading
