Fix: Getting Windows Ready, Don’t Turn off Your Computer
By Timothy Tibbettson 06/15/2023 |
It's not at all uncommon when upgrading or updating Windows to be stuck staring at a message during reboot that reads "Getting Windows Ready, Don’t Turn off Your Computer." Here's how to fix the problem.
We've had the pleasure of looking at this error message hundreds of times, and there are a few possibilities here. Before considering which step to try first, you'll want to consider if the circular animation is moving.
1: Wait For It
If you've got the time, and the circular animation is moving, wait it out. The problem with this error message is that Windows could be downloading and applying updates without actually telling you or showing you. The average time that we've seen is one to three hours. Some report it took an entire day, but we've yet to see that.
2: Force a Shutdown
If the circular animation isn't moving, or if your feeling brave, hold the power button down for ten seconds to power off the computer, then turn it back on. While many guides tell you not to do this, we've done it numerous times with no damage and seen it work. That said, it's step #2 for a good reason.
If you decide to force a shutdown, most likely the same thing will occur. Instead, we like to delete all pending Windows Updates from Safe Mode. The computer will go back into the same cycle. However, you might have removed 10 gigabytes of data depending on what updates are pending. Large Windows Updates are almost like installing a new copy of Windows, and it takes time.
Once you've deleted pending Windows Updates, you will most likely get the same message and animation but remember that Windows now needs to download gigabytes of files all over again. In other words, remember Step 1 if you deleted all pending Windows Updates. It's going to take a while.
3: A Few Other Things
Being Windows, there are always other possibilities.
If your computer goes into Sleep mode, you might disable it temporarily.
Verify that Airplane mode isn't on.
Change your Windows Update active hours to a time when you're not typically using your computer.
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We've had the pleasure of looking at this error message hundreds of times, and there are a few possibilities here. Before considering which step to try first, you'll want to consider if the circular animation is moving.
1: Wait For It
If you've got the time, and the circular animation is moving, wait it out. The problem with this error message is that Windows could be downloading and applying updates without actually telling you or showing you. The average time that we've seen is one to three hours. Some report it took an entire day, but we've yet to see that.
2: Force a Shutdown
If the circular animation isn't moving, or if your feeling brave, hold the power button down for ten seconds to power off the computer, then turn it back on. While many guides tell you not to do this, we've done it numerous times with no damage and seen it work. That said, it's step #2 for a good reason.
If you decide to force a shutdown, most likely the same thing will occur. Instead, we like to delete all pending Windows Updates from Safe Mode. The computer will go back into the same cycle. However, you might have removed 10 gigabytes of data depending on what updates are pending. Large Windows Updates are almost like installing a new copy of Windows, and it takes time.
Once you've deleted pending Windows Updates, you will most likely get the same message and animation but remember that Windows now needs to download gigabytes of files all over again. In other words, remember Step 1 if you deleted all pending Windows Updates. It's going to take a while.
3: A Few Other Things
Being Windows, there are always other possibilities.
If your computer goes into Sleep mode, you might disable it temporarily.
Verify that Airplane mode isn't on.
Change your Windows Update active hours to a time when you're not typically using your computer.
comments powered by Disqus
