NVIDIA App is stuck on Preparing to install, and your driver update is going nowhere. Start with a Windows restart, then clear the applications and updates that interfere with installation. If the app still stalls, use NVIDIA’s standalone installer to get the driver installed.
Restart Windows and retry the update
Start with a restart. Save your work first.
Right-click Start and select Shut down or sign out > Restart.
Reopen NVIDIA App.
Once the app responds, open Drivers.
Select Download for the offered compatible driver.
Select Install when the download finishes.
If preparation gets stuck again, close the applications below before your next attempt.
Close apps that interfere with installation
Use this step if games, browsers, video players, or GPU tools are still running. NVIDIA recommends closing these applications before installing a graphics driver.
Exit games, browsers, video players, and other GPU-accelerated applications.
Close monitoring and tuning software such as MSI Afterburner and Corsair iCUE.
If aggressive third-party antivirus monitoring is interfering, temporarily pause it using that product’s controls. There is no single menu path across antivirus products, and NVIDIA says Microsoft Defender can remain running.
Retry the driver installation.
Restore any antivirus protection you paused after the installation attempt.
Let Windows Update finish first
An overlapping Windows Update installation is one cause of NVIDIA driver installation failures.
Let any active Windows Update installation finish. Leave Windows Update enabled.
Restart your PC using Start > Shut down or sign out > Restart.
Retry the NVIDIA installation.
There is a separate waiting rule for the first boot after a fresh Windows 10 installation or update. In that situation, leave Windows idle for at least 15 minutes.
Restart Windows after that wait.
Attempt the manual NVIDIA driver installation described below. The 15-minute instruction applies only to that Windows 10 first-boot situation, not every stalled preparation screen.
Install the driver directly from NVIDIA
You don’t need NVIDIA App to download drivers, and the standalone installer includes NVIDIA’s recommended clean-installation procedure for app installation failures.
- 1.Open NVIDIA’s driver download page. Under Manual Driver Search, select your GPU and Windows version, then select Find Drivers. Find the compatible driver, check the package’s supported products, then select Download.
- 2.Right-click the downloaded installer and select Run as administrator, then Yes.
- 3.Accept the extraction location with OK. Select NVIDIA Graphics Driver and NVIDIA App, then AGREE AND CONTINUE.
- 4.Choose Custom (Advanced) and select NEXT. Select Perform a clean installation, then NEXT.
- 5.Let the installation finish, then restart your PC using Start > Shut down or sign out > Restart.
Give NVIDIA App a fresh installation
If NVIDIA App itself keeps stalling, uninstall it and install the current version. The Settings path here is for Windows 11.
Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
Find NVIDIA App and open its three dots menu.
Select Uninstall.
Restart Windows using Start > Shut down or sign out > Restart.
Open the official NVIDIA App page and select Download Now.
Run the downloaded installer and follow its prompts.
Retry your driver installation through Drivers > Download > Install.
If the fresh installation still gets stuck, contact NVIDIA using the support options below.
Get help for a persistent installation failure
A frozen app doesn’t shut you out of support. Open NVIDIA’s app log support page and select CHAT NOW or Ask a Question.
If support requests app logs, download NVApp_LogCollector.bat from that page. Reproduce the problem. Run the collector.
Select the resulting folders. Choose Compress to ZIP file. Attach the archive to your support incident.
On a work or school PC, ask your administrator to check for Group Policy, security restrictions, and system settings blocking installation. NVIDIA provides no universal policy setting to change.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should I wait on Preparing to install?
NVIDIA does not publish a universal timeout for this screen. There is no official minute mark that defines when preparation has become stuck.
Do I need to sign in to NVIDIA App to install drivers?
No. NVIDIA App’s driver functions work without an NVIDIA account login.
Should I switch back to GeForce Experience?
No. NVIDIA states that GeForce Experience is no longer supported. Reverting to it is an outdated workaround.
Can I reinstall my previous driver instead?
Yes, if NVIDIA App responds and shows a previously installed driver. Open Drivers. Find the previous driver beneath the newest driver information. Select its three dots menu, then Reinstall. This restores the previous driver; it does not install the blocked new release.