"Preparing To Configure Windows. Please Do Not Turn Off Your Computer"

Anonymous
2009-12-03T01:02:16+00:00

Hi. I just got my new laptop yesterday with Windows 7 Home Premium. When I left for school this morning, I shut down my computer and saw that it had 22 Windows Updates to download. When I turned it back on this afternoon, it was stuck at a screen that said "Preparing To Configure Windows. Please Do Not Turn Off Your Computer." I decided to wait but it stayed the same for as long as I waited. Finally, I powered it off by holding on the power button, and just normally booted the system. Will there be any damage done to my new laptop? Is there any way I can prevent this update glitch from happening again? Thanks.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Windows update

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Anonymous
2010-04-23T05:50:01+00:00

Hi. I just got my new laptop yesterday with Windows 7 Home Premium. When I left for school this morning, I shut down my computer and saw that it had 22 Windows Updates to download. When I turned it back on this afternoon, it was stuck at a screen that said "Preparing To Configure Windows. Please Do Not Turn Off Your Computer." I decided to wait but it stayed the same for as long as I waited. Finally, I powered it off by holding on the power button, and just normally booted the system. Will there be any damage done to my new laptop? Is there any way I can prevent this update glitch from happening again? Thanks.

I just bought a Toshiba Laptop for a Client with windows 7 home,

As a favour for my clients I usually run windows update for them so they get it all working and are 100% confident that when they get it as up to date as possible,

I ran into the exact same problem as above, i read this thread and read all different reply's but none of them realy worked for me and i didnt have time to wait...

this is what worked for me:

  1. Hold down the power button and switch of your machine
  2. Restart your computer and just before windows boots hit the F8 button
  3. Boot into safe mode
  4. login (if nessecary)
  5. Make sure that any virus scanners at this point are disabled before continuing
  6. Click "Start" > "Accessories" > "System Restore"
  7. Click "Next"
  8. Pick an earlier restore point and then click next, (its best to pick the 1 just before you had problems)
  9. Click next and follow the prompts and it will start a system restore
  10. wait till your computer does this System Restore process
  11. Regardless of whether the system restore process fails or passes it should now get you out being stuck at "Preparing To Configure Windows. Please Do Not Turn Off Your Computer."

Now...

  1. login if required

13 Disable Virus Scanner before moving on

  1. Run windows update
  2. now it should run without any problems
  3. if you do have problems and run into a loop Call your Computer Manufacturer or the company that you purchased it off and see if they can help you,

Thanks

Michael

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  1. Anonymous
    2011-07-01T00:36:24+00:00

    I work from home and have a serious deadline to reach, so I couldn't wait for hours like many of the other people in this thread. I took the route of holding down the power button after waiting about half an hour. After that, it started without about ten minutes, but has asked to be restarted again three times now, and it says it has yet ANOTHER update to install. What in the world? The last post on this thread was seven months ago, and it's still not fixed. Does Microsoft just not have the money to fix this problem, or are they just in the habit of hiring incompetent programmers?

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  2. Anonymous
    2011-06-29T18:19:59+00:00

    Great find!  Yes, my new Toshiba Tecra has been running slower than when it was on XP (I wouldn't switch to Win 7Pro until I had transferred everything from my dead Dell).  This helps.

    And on my wife's new Toshiba - 1 week old, without non-MS applications yet, the "Configuring your updates - Do not turn off your computer" took 4 hours.  It supposedly came with the newest version, but it still takes 4 hours???

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  3. Anonymous
    2011-06-29T13:39:35+00:00

    I am embarrassed to say... My Windows7 download and install of updates kept taking forever also. Then I realized that behind the update screen was a window re: Internet Explorer and it had to be clicked before the update could continue and that is why it was taking way to long. Also an icon on bottom lower left will show you also. Good luck!

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  4. Anonymous
    2011-06-14T18:48:57+00:00

    How many updates did you have? Because I really don't wanna wait 6 hourss. :(

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