windows 8.1 hangs on Please Wait screen (restoreoptin)

Anonymous
2013-10-19T03:11:39+00:00

When logging in, a Please Wait screen shows up along with a Cancel button. I tried letting it sit there for more than half an hour but nothing happens. I noticed the application is letterboxed and I can use Win+D to see that the desktop show up. The screen stays on top blocking all mouse activity and most of my screen.

Eventually I logged into another account and found restoreoptin running and terminated it. That removed it from my original account however it will do it again if I log out and log back in.

Any ideas?

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Performance and system failures

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
Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2013-10-25T17:25:19+00:00

<Modifying post to help other find the answer quickly>

I found another workaround that allows for still using skydrive, and further confirms the relationship to skydrive setup.

(This is the method I used)

  1. login to the affected account
  2. Press Windows Key + L to lock the computer
  3. Switch to a user account with administrator priveledges
  4. open task manager & switch to the "Processes" tab (Press "More Details" if don't see a processes tab)
  5. find restoreoptin.exe & end task that process
  6. switch back to affected account (Start Page, click your account name/picture, click the account you want to switch to)
  7. Open Charm menu (windows key + C), select "Settings", then Change PC Settings
  8. Select Skydrive
  9. Modify the File Storage, Camera Roll, and Sync Settings (not sure which one does the trick)
  10. logout & log back in
  11. you should no longer be prompted with the blank 'please wait' screen

Another workaround that should achieve the same, as posted by others:

  1. login to the affected account
  2. Press Windows Key + r
  3. Type:

taskkill /f /im restoreoptin.exe 4. Open Charm menu (windows key + C), select "Settings", then Change PC Settings 5. Select Skydrive 6. Modify the File Storage, Camera Roll, and Sync Settings (not sure which one does the trick) 7. logout & log back in 8. you should no longer be prompted with the blank 'please wait' screen

and just for completeness, you could also try:

  1. login to the affected account
  2. Press: Windows Key + r

Type:

taskkill /f /im restoreoptin.exe 3. Press: Windows Key + x

Press: a

Press: <Alt + Y>

(run cmd as administrator) 4. Type:

cd c:\windows\system32

restoreOptIn.exe /Ramp
  1. Complete the Wizard

Was this answer helpful?

10+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2014-01-03T18:25:43+00:00

I fixed it much more simply. I had to recently rebuild my dell xps 27 and started with 8.0. Setup everyone's account since I have a home network and domain setup. Then upgraded, I ran into the same issue as everyone here in the post. What I had to do to fix is is unassociated all the windows live/Hotmail/outlook accounts from the domain accounts and then re-apply them. This then asked me to verify that the account has permissions to skydrive, and asked for verification. Texted me, I put in the verification code and it was fixed on all accounts. Someone also mentioned making it a local account and then reassigning to your windows account. Seems to fix it as well.

Steps for Domain accounts:

  1. Remove association from your windows account
  2. Re-add your windows account
  3. verify that the pc has permissions to back up your info to sky drive/turn off sync with sky drive.

Windows Account:

  1. Make it a local account
  2. Re-add your windows account
  3. Verify that the pc has permissions to backup your info to sky drive/turn off sync with sky drive.

Appears to be a bug in the 8.1 upgrade where the pc and sky drive trust is broken, it didn't happen until I received a windows update, but I could see this happening if you download the patches during the upgrade process.

Was this answer helpful?

6 people found this answer helpful.
0 comments

180 additional answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2013-12-31T19:53:52+00:00

    I cannot do any of these fixes. 

    My new Dell Inspiron 15 7000 with Samsung SSD shows the "Please Wait" screen described by OP immediately upon login.

    I cannot do the first fix because I have only one account on this new computer.  That account should be an administrator account, but I cannot verify that.

    I cannot do either of the next two fixes because if Windows key +r opens a dialogue box, it is blocked by the blue screen.  Typing taskkill /f /im restoreoptin.exe blind does nothing, even if I hit "enter" after it. 

    On method 2, I can also open charms, but cannot select settings because the blue screen blocks it.

    On method 3, I can get to the windows key +x, which pulls up a menu in lower left corner of screen.  Then either by pressing a or tapping the "run as administrator" choice I get a dialogue box asking if windows command prompt can change system, but selecting Yes is the last thing I can do. typing the cd command blind does nothing.

    Are there any other fixes?

    By the way, I started with Windows 8 and was one who had to delete a KB update file to get 8.1 to show up in the store.  When I did that, I did not change any registry settings (though the fix had a second step with several such changes in it.  I was concerned about messing with the registry, so I stopped after deleting the KB file, restarted, and found Windows 8.1 in the Store, downloaded it and used it flawlessly for two days.  I downloaded and installed Adobe Acrobat XI Pro and used it flawlessly for a full day.

    Thanks.

     

    I would use the Dell restore utility and restore to factory Windows 8. Wait a year till 8.2.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2013-12-31T19:23:12+00:00

    I cannot do any of these fixes. 

    My new Dell Inspiron 15 7000 with Samsung SSD shows the "Please Wait" screen described by OP immediately upon login.

    I cannot do the first fix because I have only one account on this new computer.  That account should be an administrator account, but I cannot verify that.

    I cannot do either of the next two fixes because if Windows key +r opens a dialogue box, it is blocked by the blue screen.  Typing taskkill /f /im restoreoptin.exe blind does nothing, even if I hit "enter" after it. 

    On method 2, I can also open charms, but cannot select settings because the blue screen blocks it.

    On method 3, I can get to the windows key +x, which pulls up a menu in lower left corner of screen.  Then either by pressing a or tapping the "run as administrator" choice I get a dialogue box asking if windows command prompt can change system, but selecting Yes is the last thing I can do. typing the cd command blind does nothing.

    Are there any other fixes?

    By the way, I started with Windows 8 and was one who had to delete a KB update file to get 8.1 to show up in the store.  When I did that, I did not change any registry settings (though the fix had a second step with several such changes in it.  I was concerned about messing with the registry, so I stopped after deleting the KB file, restarted, and found Windows 8.1 in the Store, downloaded it and used it flawlessly for two days.  I downloaded and installed Adobe Acrobat XI Pro and used it flawlessly for a full day.

    Thanks.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2013-12-29T00:51:50+00:00

    Thanks Matt, that was helpful.

    The only problem is that the "please wait" screen keeps appearing each time I turn my computer on. I tried both adjusting SkyDrive settings and using command prompt, and neither of which worked. Command prompt took me straight back to the "please wait" screen. Do you know of any other permanent solutions, or could I be doing something wrong? I am running cmd as administrator. I'm really stuck.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments