Server 2008 R2 – Hangs “Preparing to configure Windows. Do not turn off your computer”

KB ID 0000657 

Problem

Saw this today on a Windows 2008 R2 Server, post reboot it just hung like this.

Preparing to configure

 

Solution

1. At first I thought this was the problem, but a CTRL+AL+DELETE didn’t work.

2. A Google search prompted me to connect to the ‘services’ from another server to see if the Windows Modules Installer Service was stuck stopping or starting, but that was OK as well.

3. It was the client’s Virtual Center server so I could afford to be a bit reckless (I could build them a new one and have it up and running, with no user downtime in about an hour). So I powered it off, rebooted and pressed F8, to see if it would boot into safe mode, then this happened.

Failure configuring Windows updates. Reverting changes..

Failure configuring Windows updates. Reverting changes. Do not turn off your computer.

It then rebooted, and hung at the original screen, I was pondering my next move, when the screen changed to the one above , and it rebooted again. I was concerned that now It was in a reboot loop.

4. After a few more reboots it changed to applying settings, then gave me the logon screen.

5. I then ran a manual Windows update, and it rebooted fine.

 

Related Articles, References, Credits, or External Links

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Author: Migrated

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