Windows 8 preparing to configure windows stuck

[danielfree]

New HP Envy23 Windows 8 working fine, then tried to load a VPN from Shrew and it didn't work so did a restart....now it is stuck at Preparing to COnfigure Windows Do not turn off your computer.

I left it at that screen for 15 minutes and then got fed up waiting so powered it off.

Power on just takes me to the same message....

I will leave it for some hours now I guess and see if anything changes....

Not a happy camper....

 

[Elizabeth Cunningham Perkins]

New HP Envy23 Windows 8 working fine, then tried to load a VPN from Shrew and it didn't work so did a restart....now it is stuck at Preparing to COnfigure Windows Do not turn off your computer.

I left it at that screen for 15 minutes and then got fed up waiting so powered it off.

Power on just takes me to the same message....

I will leave it for some hours now I guess and see if anything changes....

Not a happy camper....

FYI (for anyone reading this after searching for solutions) -- this just happened to me after downloading and installing Box Edit and Google Chrome successfully, but then interrupting Windows Update, which seemed stuck, by attempting to restart. I also shut the computer off anyway, after growing impatient, but the "preparing to configure" message reappeared after powering up. After searching I read some who had this happen had attempted troubleshooting after booting into Safe Mode, so after reading how to do that in Windows 8 I INSTEAD decided to wait a while first. So I did nothing but walk away. More than an hour later the Lock Screen appeared and now all seems well again.