When this happens, users can’t update the NVIDIA drivers, which greatly affects the Windows experience and might lead to poor gaming performance. So, let’s find out all about the GeForce Experience Preparing to install error and the solutions for it.

Why does GeForce Experience take so long to install drivers?

Here are a few reasons the GeForce driver is taking forever to install:

Slow Internet connection: Whenever something is to be downloaded off the web, a slow Internet connection will increase the time required for the process to complete. Missing permissions: Even missing relevant permissions can affect the effective functioning of the app and be the reason NVIDIA is stuck on installing the graphics driver. The update is stuck: In some cases, users found GeForce Experience stuck on the screen. It usually takes a few minutes at max to complete the installation, but if that’s not the case, the update might be stuck.

What can I do if GeForce Experience is stuck on preparing to install?

Before we start with the complex changes, here are a few quick tricks that might help:

Restart the computer. Run GeForce Experience as administrator and check whether you can update the drivers. To do that, right-click on the launcher, and select Run as administrator. Disconnect all non-critical devices from the PC, including printers, audio devices, and USB hubs. Check if any UAC prompts appear and click Yes on every one of them. Re-attempt the driver installation and verify whether GeForce Experience is still stuck on the Preparing to install screen. Disable any third-party antivirus, firewall, or similar security software installed on the PC. If that does the trick, we recommend you switch to reliable all-round antivirus. Check for Windows Updates and install any that are pending. Check for corrupt system files and run the DISM tool and SFC scan to fix them.

If none of these work, move to the solutions listed next.

1. Terminate programs running the driver

Many users managed to fix things when GeForce Driver was stuck on Preparing to install by terminating the processes that were engaging the driver and stopping the Cryptographic Services. Also, if you have Steam or game clients running in the background, terminate them.

2. Modify Windows Security settings

3. Uninstall conflicting applications

It may take a while to identify the conflicting application, and you may end up removing a few others in the process. Don’t worry! You can always reinstall these once the problematic app is uninstalled. A few users found out that ZoneAlarm Firewall was the underlying cause when GeForce Experience was stuck at Preparing to install. Look for it and other similar apps. SPONSORED

4. Reconfigure the NVIDIA 3D settings

5. Reinstall GeForce Experience

After you have reinstalled GeForce Experience, the driver update shouldn’t be stuck on the Preparing to install screen anymore.

6. Manually install the driver

If the previous solutions didn’t work, you could manually install the drivers from the official website. The process, though a bit intricate initially, shouldn’t be much of a hassle and will allow you to update the drivers seamlessly. As an alternative, you can use an automatic tool that will successfully install or update any drivers on your PC much faster and completely securely.

7. Create a new user account

As a last resort, you can create a new user account to fix things if GeForce Experience is stuck on the Preparing to install screen due to a corrupt user profile. To transfer data between the previous and new account, you can use a reliable backup tool or USB storage device. Disclaimer: this program needs to be upgraded from the free version in order to perform some specific actions. Once you have fixed the problem, check the best graphics settings for improved gaming in Windows. Tell us which fix worked for you in the comments section below.

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