Getting Windows Ready, Don’t Turn Off Your Computer: Stuck? How to Fix It

Applies to: Windows 11 and Windows 10, when the PC stays on “Getting Windows ready”, “Working on updates” or a similar update screen during startup or shutdown.

What the screen means

Windows installs part of each update while you work, but some files are in use and can only be replaced while Windows is starting up or shutting down. “Getting Windows ready” is that stage: Windows is replacing files, updating drivers and cleaning up.

How long it takes depends on the update and the PC. A monthly update usually finishes in a few minutes. A feature update, a PC that skipped several updates, or an older hard drive (not an SSD) can stretch it much longer. The spinning dots don’t show progress, so it can look frozen when it isn’t.

Important: switching off in the middle can leave the update half-installed. Windows usually rolls back safely, but sometimes it can’t start afterwards. That’s why the first step is patience.

Step 1: Give it time, and check it’s still working

• Leave the PC alone for at least two hours, longer for a big update on an older PC.
• Watch the drive activity light, if your PC has one. Regular blinking means Windows is still working.
• On a desktop, listen for the drive or fans changing pitch. On a laptop, make sure it doesn’t go to sleep from a low battery.

If the light is completely still and nothing has changed for a couple of hours, the update has probably stalled. Move on to Step 3.

Step 2: Unplug extras and keep the power on

Disconnect USB drives, SD cards, external disks, docks and printers. A device that’s slow to respond can hold up the driver stage of an update. Keep a laptop plugged into its charger, so it can’t shut down partway.

Step 3: Force a restart if it’s truly stuck

1. Press and hold the power button for about 10 seconds until the PC turns off.
2. On a desktop, also switch off at the wall for a minute. On a laptop, unplug the charger and wait a minute.
3. Turn the PC on normally.

Often Windows either finishes the update or rolls it back (“Undoing changes made to your computer”) and starts normally. Let that roll-back finish, then go to Step 7 before trying the update again.

If it goes straight back to the same stuck screen, or doesn’t start at all, open the recovery environment: turn the PC on and, as soon as the Windows logo appears, hold the power button to turn it off. Do this twice, and on the third start Windows opens Automatic Repair. Select Advanced options to reach the tools below.

Step 4: Run Startup Repair

In the recovery screen, go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Repair and choose your account. Startup Repair checks the boot files and settings and fixes common problems automatically. Restart when it’s done.

If recovery says the repair image is missing or recovery options don’t appear at all, see “Windows RE image was not found”; you may need a Windows USB installer to reach these tools.

Step 5: Uninstall the latest update

If a specific update causes the hang, remove it from recovery:

1. Go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Uninstall Updates.
2. Choose Uninstall latest quality update for a monthly update, or Uninstall latest feature update if you were upgrading to a new Windows version.
3. Follow the prompts and restart.

Your files and apps stay in place. Windows will offer the update again later; first fix the cause with Step 7.

Step 6: Use System Restore

If you have restore points, go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > System Restore and pick a point from before the update. This rolls back system files, drivers and settings, but doesn’t touch your documents. It’s turned off by default on some PCs, so you may not have any restore points.

Step 7: Repair Windows from Safe Mode

If Windows only starts in Safe Mode, or you got back in after a forced restart, clean up before you update again. To start in Safe Mode from recovery, go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings, select Restart and press 4 (or 5 for Safe Mode with Networking).

Then, in an administrator Command Prompt:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc /scannow

If SFC can’t finish, see “Windows Resource Protection could not perform the requested operation”. Next, make sure the system drive has plenty of free space, and reset the Windows Update cache as described in Windows Update from the command line. If the update then fails with an error code such as 0x8007001f, follow that guide.

Last resort: Reset this PC and keep your files

If none of the steps above get Windows to start, go to Troubleshoot > Reset this PC and choose Keep my files. Windows reinstalls itself and keeps your personal files, but removes installed apps and resets settings. If you can, copy important files off the PC first, for example by connecting the drive to another computer.

Related guides

• Windows Update from the command line
• Error 0x8007001f in Windows Update: 8 ways to fix it
• “Windows RE image was not found”: how to fix it
• Windows Resource Protection could not perform the requested operation (SFC and DISM)
• Windows black screen: how to fix it

Official sources: for more detail, see Microsoft’s own documentation:

• Microsoft Support: Windows startup settings (including Safe Mode)
• Microsoft Support: Windows Update Troubleshooter

Frequently asked questions

How long should “Getting Windows ready” take?

Usually a few minutes. Large feature updates on older PCs with hard drives can take an hour or more. If nothing has changed for two hours or more and the drive light is still, it’s likely stuck.

Will I lose my files if I turn it off?

Normally no. Your documents aren’t touched by updates, and Windows usually rolls the update back. The risk is that Windows itself doesn’t start, which Steps 4 to 6 usually fix.

Why does it happen every time I shut down?

An update keeps failing and retrying. Uninstall it (Step 5), repair Windows (Step 7) and reset the Windows Update cache, then install it again.

Can I stop Windows from doing this?

You can pause updates for a while in Settings > Windows Update, but security updates are important. Installing them regularly keeps each update smaller and faster.