Windows Installer stuck on "Please wait while setup is exiting"

DatBrummie · December 20, 2021

Hi all,

I've posted here recently about my Windows 10 failing to update. I decided I'd try putting a USB stick with a Windows 10 ISO on it in and trying to update that way, so I put the stick in, launched the setup exe and everything seemed to be going fine. I chose to keep my files and programmes and hoped to just install the update over my current version. It got to 31% within 10 minutes but then froze for over an hour. At that point I clicked cancel because I realised there was obviously an issue, however it's now been "cancelling" for over an hour, and my PC is unusable as it's on the blue "Please wait while setup is exiting" screen.

I'm pretty sure that I'm going to have to do a fresh install of Windows to get the update and get everything working however without being able to use my PC I can't check everything from my C drive is backed up on to my D or E drive ready for reinstall. Am I okay to just force shut down my PC using the power button, then reboot back in to my C drive and finish the back up before shutting down, unplugging my D and E drives then booting in to the USB to do the reinstall? I'm worried that forcing the shut down now would cause some kind of issue as it's trying to do something.