5 Ways to Fix a Stuck “Getting Windows Ready” Screen on Windows 10

Stuck with the "Getting Windows ready" loop for a while? Here's how you can get rid of it for good.

Windows has made massive strides over the years and has successfully established itself as the choice of millions of desktop users worldwide. Windows 11 keeps up the pattern with more robustness in security, cleaner UI, and improved performance. As such, Microsoft is expected to raise the bar yet again.

For the present, though, Windows 10 computers are still susceptible to random setbacks. One common issue is when Windows stays stuck in the “Getting Windows Ready” loop. In this article, we look at some surefire ways to get rid of this debilitating error. But before that, let’s cover the possible immediate causes of this error.

The Possible Causes of the “Getting Windows Ready” Error

Remember, like with all things Windows, many factors may be tinkering with the smooth working of your PC. With that said, some factors are more likely than others to lead you to the “getting Windows ready” loop. These are:

1. A slow internet speed or an interruption in your network.
2. A slow PC that can't quickly prepare your PC.
3. An operating system that hasn't been updated in a long time and needs to download and install a lot of data.

5 Actionable Ways to Solve “Getting Windows Ready” Error

Whatever may be causing this glitch on your Windows 10, we’ve rounded up the best methods that you take to get back into your workflow. Let’s start with the first and most basic one.

1. Give Windows a Little More Time

Seriously. Leave it be. Sometimes the best thing to do is nothing. If you aren’t hard-pressed for time, consider leaving your PC as it is, for as long as it takes. It’s normal for the update process to take some time, especially if you haven’t updated your PC for a while or your internet connection is slow.

Try leaving it to update for the whole day. If there's still no progress, then the issue probably lies in something else.

2. Check Your Internet Connection

As we've said above, if something has gone iffy with your internet connection itself, then you’d obviously face trouble in updating your PC. Double-check to make sure that that’s not the case, and try to resolve it if it is.

If you’re using a wired connection, take a look at your router. Unplug and plug the cable into your router to see if it’s working. If you're on Wi-Fi, double-check if it's working properly. If you think something's not right, try some fixes or plug in an Ethernet cable.

Related: Fix Your Windows Wi-Fi Problems for Good

3. Perform a Hard Shutdown

If you’ve tried the two methods from above and are still stuck with the "getting Windows ready" screen, then we’d recommend you try shutting the computer down. We’ll repeat: Only try this method after you’ve given the above methods a shot.

When your Windows is getting updated, an abrupt shutdown might lead to the corruption of critical system files. You may even end up with the dreaded blue screen of death error on your computer.

Related: Tips to Help You Fix the Windows 10 Blue Screen Error

Some people might say you won't lose your files after a forced shutdown, especially after the new componentization architecture that came with Windows Vista, known as Component-Based Servicing. Despite this, we always advise you to act with caution and never take unnecessary chances with your system.

If you’ve made up your mind that you want to take a chance. Here’s how you can do a force shutdown: If you’re on a laptop, press and hold the power button till your system shuts down. Then, restart your system, and you’ll either see the updates download again, or the system will boot up normally. If you’re on a PC, simply turn it off from your power source.

If everything goes right, your computer will be back without any issues.

4. Use the Startup Repair Tool

Startup Repair is a free, handy tool that comes packed in the System Recovery Options menu on your Windows operating system. It helps you automatically resolve many complex problems pertaining to accidental data loss, startup problems, and more. Follow the steps below to get started:

1. Create a Windows installation media on a USB drive. If you need advice on how to do this, follow our guide on how to create Windows 10 installation media for a USB stick.
2. Boot your computer with the USB drive and choose the Repair your computer option from there.
3. From there, select Troubleshoot.
4. Now, on the Advanced options screen, click on Startup Repair.

The Startup Repair option will begin looking for errors and problems on your computer and resolve as many of them as possible. When the process is complete, shut down your Windows and boot up it again to see if the problem persists.

5. Perform a Factory Reset

Factory Reset, as the name implies, completely erases the copy of Windows on your computer. It then installs a fresh copy of the operating system so that it's just as new as when you first bought it. It’s a handy tool from Microsoft that can rescue you from all kinds of Windows problems.

Furthermore, it comes with two different modes of resets: Keep my files and Remove everything. Keep my files deletes Windows and any additional apps and updates you installed on top of it, but it will keep your documents intact. On the other hand, the Remove everything option will do the obvious: It will delete everything on your PC and then reinstall the Windows from scratch.

To get started, boot your PC with the bootable USB as we did in the above method, and select the option format your PC. Follow the instructions ahead, and you'll have a fresh Windows 10 with you in no time. Look into our complete guide on Factory reset for a detailed explanation.

Related: Top Ways to Factory Reset Windows 10

The “Getting Windows Ready” Screen, Fixed for Good

Getting stuck in a “getting Windows ready” loop is a debilitating issue for sure. Even more so when you have an important deadline to meet. Hopefully, one of the methods listed above did the trick for you.

Although Windows has improved a lot over the years, we believe there’s more opportunity for improvement, and we have a feeling Microsoft won’t disappoint us. With the new Windows 11 just around the corner, let's hope for the best.

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