"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
    2011-08-07T04:17:39+00:00

    Hi.  I am working on a Windows 7 Home Premium laptop and had just installed updates as well and this occurred to me too.  I rebooted into safe mode and it came to the same blue screen stating "Failed to update" and after about 10 minutes it went back to booting up and back to "Preparing to configure Windows. Do not turn off your computer."  I have recycled the power now 3 times to no avail.  Please HELP!

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  2. Anonymous
    2011-08-07T16:35:50+00:00

    Instead of starting in safe mode, I had to start in normal mode. This has happened to me more than once. You could try a system restore but I had trouble with this, as well. When I used normal mode, after a time, system configuration automatically started a "reverse update". Although it too, took awhile, it seemed to work. Sure is annoying though when you can't even use your computer to get online to try and search for solutions, which sure aren't always easy to find.

    I have removed all automatic updates and now download them myself, on an individual basis. However, I have still had difficulty installing some of them and one in particular, is ironically supposed to stop windows explorer from crashing so much.

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  3. Anonymous
    2011-08-07T20:44:50+00:00

    When the HDD led stops blinking, try Ctrl+Alt+Del, then will show you the Log-in screen.

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  4. Anonymous
    2011-08-24T09:39:37+00:00

    Hi,

    Does this really work out in safe mode? I'm facing a similar problem. My updates seem to be never ending. I work in Windows7+Nvidia,

    Thanks,

    Aishwarya.

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