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.

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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

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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.

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180 additional answers

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  1. Anonymous
    2014-12-28T03:26:59+00:00

    Neticated, 

    Are you still experiencing this issue?  I've updated my NVIDIA drivers - will that do the trick?  I'm hoping to hear that some of you have had successful fixes and have not had to see the blue screen of PLEASE WAIT again....

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-12-28T03:25:28+00:00

    I'm glad that worked.

    Based on the replies on this thread, there are a number of possible solutions for people to try. Unfortunately, no one solution seems to fix it for everybody.

    • NVidia drivers seem to be implicated in at least some cases. People have had success with removing them or updating them.
    • Switching standard or child accounts to admin and back seems to fix it for some people.
    • For me and other users, switching your account to a local account (i.e. disconnecting it from the Windows LiveID on the internet), and then back to a linked account again, fixes it.
    • Some users resolve the issue by disabling OneDrive integration, but this is not a good solution since it impacts functionality.

    I am amazed that this problem has been going on for so long (this thread started over a year ago) but Microsoft never seems to have acknowledged or patched it.

    How does disabling OneDrive integration impact functionality?  If I wasn't planning on using OneDrive anyway, is it okay if I leave it disabled?  

    I've created FOUR accounts on my laptop now, just in case.... I have friends that are running Windows 8.1 without any issues at all.  Why are we having these issues?  And why hasn't Microsoft fixed it yet if this problem is over a year old??  I'm not sure if my computer is fixed yet.  Right now, it's trying to download some Windows updates.... and it's taking forever.

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  3. Anonymous
    2014-12-28T02:33:49+00:00

    Agree - I have a Lenovo laptop with Nvidia graphics card - so definitely generic windows issue - possibly Nvidia related.

    It's a real shame this issue - I love win 8.1 myself - but this is such an unnecessary problem that's not going to help its already negative reputation

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