"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

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments No comments
Answer accepted by question author
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

Was this answer helpful?

500+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments No comments

142 additional answers

Sort by: Newest
  1. Anonymous
    2011-10-19T13:41:40+00:00

    Hello VL_mem10 and anyone else

    Thank you for visiting the Microsoft Windows Community site. In an effort to focus more attention on your particular situation since others have recieved a resolution and it has worked for some of them.

    it would be best to post into a new thread since new threads are done to mitigate confusion caused by more than one posting about similar topics, allowing us to focus on each customer individually

    Thank you for visiting the Microsoft Windows Community site.

    Please post your new question with all relevent errorshere.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments
  2. Anonymous
    2011-10-17T07:13:48+00:00

    This question is raised on 2009 Dec, till today we are facing this problem. I waited, and had to wait forever, some one said to start in safe-mode, even safe-mode could not give me another road, the same thing i need to do. I try to do restore point, still not working, and I try to do crash my system ...lol...!!! this makes me sick, so I made a clean installation... this fixed

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments
  3. Anonymous
    2011-09-12T00:33:11+00:00

    Maybe what you said is true.  I thought it was Toshiba related because I only had this problem with my Toshiba but not other computers.  This may be a problem more general than I thought.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments
  4. Anonymous
    2011-09-11T23:37:20+00:00

    I don't think it is just Toshiba related. Mine did the exact same thing with a Gateway laptop.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments