That dreaded 'Getting Windows Ready' screen... we've all been there! Seeing it for hours can be frustrating. But before you throw your computer out the window, here's what you can try.
First, patience is key. Sometimes it genuinely takes a while, especially after a major update. Give it at least 2-4 hours. If it's still stuck after that, try a hard reboot by holding down the power button until the computer shuts off. Boot it back up and see if it progresses.
If that fails, try booting into Safe Mode. This loads Windows with minimal drivers and programs. To get to Safe Mode, you might need to interrupt the boot process several times (power on, wait for the logo, then force shutdown). After a few attempts, the Recovery Environment should appear, allowing you to access Safe Mode.
Once in Safe Mode, try running System Restore to revert to a previous working state. If none of these work, you may need to consider more advanced troubleshooting steps, possibly involving reinstalling Windows. But hopefully, one of these simple fixes will get you back up and running!
