Fix: GeForce Experience Preparing To Install Error

You are using Nvidia Geforce Experience and try to do the custom installation of your graphics drivers. But when you attempted to upgrade your game ready driver found a scrolling bar with a message showing “Preparing for installation…” for several minutes also no update process started as usual. If you try to exit the process a message warning “Geforce Experience is installing updates” will show up with a “Continue” button. Where you will not find any button or toggle to cancel the whole update process.

This is a very common issue faced by Nvidia users during the custom installation process. We saw some users complain in the Nvidia forum in  2012  and still users face this GeForce Experience Stucking at Preparing to Install Screen error. This is really frustrating to wait hours on the “Preparing for installation…” message.

But this is not a problem anymore, follow our proven methods and it will be fixed in a minute.

How to fix GeForce experience Stuck on preparing to install screen error?

We identify all possible solutions for this, preparing to install screen stuck issue. Also tested every solution before posting here. 100% working solutions right now :

1. Run GeForce Experience as an Administrator
2. Restore Your Pc 3D settings to default from NVIDIA Control Panel
3. Install Graphics Driver Update Manually from Nvidia website
4. Disable 3rd party antivirus screening
5. Turn off windows defender and firewall security
6. Reinstall and update graphics card driver

Fix 1: Run GeForce Experience as an Administrator

Running as Administrator gives applications some special permission to perform smoothly. When you launch any software in normal mode, Windows defender firewall or 3rd party antivirus block some of its actions. So, it will be a possible solution for the Nvidia driver installation malfunction. Nvidia is a renowned company and if you download the graphics driver from the official website then there is no security issue for running GeForce Experience in administrator mode. If you don’t know how to open software in administrator mode then follow the below instruction :

If you have Desktop shortcut :

Step 1: Right click on GeForce Experience desktop shortcut icon

Step 2: From menu, click on Run as administrator

If you don’t have Desktop shortcut :

Step 1: Go to the folder where GeForce Experience exe file stored

Step 2: Right click on that exe file and select Run as administrator like before

Fix 2: Restore Your Pc 3D settings to default from NVIDIA Control Panel

Sometimes we need to make adjustments to Nvidia 3D settings. But these small changes may cause problems during update or installation. So, better change the setting to default before going through the driver installation process. Follow below direct to change your 3D setting form NVIDIA Control Panel :

Step 1: Go to NVIDIA Control Panel from application list

Step 2: Click on 3D Settings from left side of the window, it will expand another drop-down menu

Step 3: Click on Manage 3D settings from the menu

Step 4: Now click on the Restore button to restore your 3D setting into default.

During our survey we found most of the users solve their graphics driver update issue with our fix 1, 2, 3. So if after following methods 1 and 2 your problem isn’t fixed by now then follow the next method.

Fix 3: Install Graphics Driver Update Manually from Nvidia website

If the automatic installation process doesn’t work then we can easily manually update our graphics driver without GeForce Experience. To do that we have to download the driver file from Nvidia official website and install it manually. Follow the underneath instruction to complete manual installation:

Pre requirement: Before installing a graphics driver file manually we need to make sure GeForce Experience is perfectly closed. We can simply close GeForce Experience through Task manager.

Step 1: Go to Task manager (Shortcut: Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc )

Step 2: End all task related to Nvidia driver

Step 3: Go to Nvidia’s official website >  Download Drivers: https://www.nvidia.co.uk/Download/index.aspx

Step 4: Select Product Type, Product Series, Product, Operating System, Language etc. according to your system

Step 4: After completing info click Search button, choose your required driver pack

Step 5: Click Download and save the installer package into your Computer

Step 6: Run installer file as an administrator, it will automatically install latest graphic driver for you

Caution: There are two kinds of driver exist : Notebook drivers (M series) and desktop drivers, choose according to your requirement. Try to stay away from the beta version, usually they have some bugs ( these bugs are fixed in the final version ).

Fix 4: Disable 3rd party antivirus screening

During installing the beta version of graphics driver with GeForce Experience, 3rd party antivirus applications detect it as a malware or other virus, as a result, the install process can’t be complete. And we saw only a loading bar with a message preparing to install. So, we can pause 3rd party antivirus screening during the installation time. To do that follow the below steps:

Step 1: There are lots of antivirus applications giving their service in the market, every one of them has a separate control panel. Go to your antivirus control panel

Step 2: Select Temporarily disable screening/protection

Step 3: Now complete driver installation process

Fix 5: Turn off windows defender and firewall security

If you have no 3rd party antivirus for protection then you must have default windows security such as windows defender and firewall. Before graphics driver installation turns off your windows real-time protections for hassle-free processes. 

Step 1: Search Windows Security on windows search bar, select first result

Step 2: Click on Virus and threat protection

Step 3: Scroll down and click Manage settings

Step 4: click on the Real-time protection toggle, to disable real time protection

Now check if preparing to install problem occurs or not. If yes, then check further solution

Fix 6: Reinstall and update graphics card driver

We can check if there are any malfunction lies with the graphics card driver itself. So, we have to first fully uninstall the graphics card driver and then reinstall it again. You have to make sure the driver is 100% uninstalled and no residual left during uninstall.

Step 1: Press Windows + R, it will open Run dialog box

Step 2: Write appwiz.cpl in Run dialog box and press enter, it will open Programs and Features list

Step 3: Here from the list, search for Nvidia Graphics Driver, once you found it uninstall it by clicking Uninstall/Change

Step 4: Some popup warning will show and do according to popup instructions

Step 5: Now search for other Nvidia software and uninstall them one by one.

Other software maybe ( GeForce Experience, PhysX System, and Audio Driver etc. )

Step 6: Restart your computer now

Step 7: After restarting > write check for updates in windows search box and select first result

Step 8: You can see pending update here, if there are any pending update then complete it first

Step 9: This update will collect all drivers required for your computer system including graphics drivers.

Note: Sometimes Graphics drivers may not update by auto update feature. In that case you have to Check and install the graphics driver manually. (Procedure given below)

How to install GPU driver manually?

First you have to check if it’s installed by auto update or not. To check it :

Step 1: Write Device manager in windows search bar and choose first result

Step 2: From the device and driver list, search for Nvidia Geforce driver under Display adapters, if the driver available then your job is done here. If the driver not available then follow the next steps:

Step 1: Make sure no residual leftover from previous gpu driver

Step 2: Now download required Gpu driver from Nvidia’s official website (https://www.nvidia.co.uk/Download/index.aspx), download and installation process is same as our Fix 3

Now check your “preparing to install” error. Now you can install your game ready driver with the help of GeForce experience without stucking for a long time.

Conclusion: Geforce Experience Preparing to Install

Stucking at preparing to install messages is normal among Nvidia graphics driver users. This occurs mostly during the beta version installation. So, it will be our suggestion to try avoiding those beta versions as much possible. But if you already face the issue then don’t worry, just follow our tested fix for Geforce Experience error.

Faq about Nvidia geforce game ready driver preparing to install

What is Nvidia GeForce Experience and Do I need it?

Answer: If you are an Nvidia GTX graphics card user then you can enhance your gaming performance and video driver update through it. Most users found it useful. So, we suggest you to use Nvidia GeForce Experience if you are a gamer or video editor.

Why does GeForce Experience take so long to install game ready drivers?

Answer: New driver installation may take 10-12 minutes to start the process, it depends on your OS, RAM, HDD speed, SSD Speed, process etc. We suggest you install a SSD to make the process fast. If it takes so much time like 30-40 minutes and stuck at preparing to install the screen then follow our tutorial to solve it.

Is it okay to uninstall Nvidia GeForce experience?

Answer: You can’t uninstall full graphics drivers but you can uninstall Nvidia control panel and Nvidia geforce experience. As its only use for certain performance-enhancing. It will not affect your main graphics performance.

Can I install Nvidia drivers without GeForce experience?

Answer: Yes, you can easily install Nvidia drivers manually by following instructions given in the post.

Are my drivers up to date Nvidia?

Answer: type Windows Update in the windows search bar and click the first result. You can see here if any windows or Nvidia drivers update pending or not. You can simply click the Download button below the pending update to install the update.