PC Stuck on “Preparing” After Windows 11 Reset and Shows a VGA Error
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MellowPine47
I used Windows 11's "Reset this PC" feature, selected "Remove everything," and chose the Cloud download option for a fresh installation. The reset appeared to begin normally, but the computer now hangs on the ASRock logo with a "Preparing" message and spinning loading indicator. After roughly 10–20 minutes, the monitors shut off and the VGA debug LED on the motherboard stays red. The Boot, VGA, DRAM, and CPU LEDs occasionally light up at different times. Restarting the PC leads to the same behavior. The computer previously worked without any hardware issues, and I'm using an ASRock B550M Steel Legend motherboard. I don't need the data on the system drive, so would creating a USB installer and performing a clean Windows 11 installation be a better approach?
Answers
The red VGA light can indicate a graphics-card or display initialization problem, but debug LEDs can also appear during repeated failed boots. Before reinstalling, try reseating the graphics card and its power cables, and check whether the monitor cable is connected to the graphics card rather than the motherboard’s video output. If the clean installation also loses video and leaves the VGA light on, troubleshoot the GPU, cable, monitor, and power connections separately.
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Since the PC completes its initial power-on self-test and reaches the Windows preparation screen, the reset process may simply have failed or left the installation in a bad state. A clean Windows 11 installation from a USB drive is a better next step. Create the installer on another computer, boot from it, delete the existing partitions on the system drive, and install Windows to the unallocated space. Disconnect any other internal drives during setup so the boot files go to the correct disk.
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