Fixed: Apex Legends Update Stuck on Preparing (2023)

Apex Legends is notorious for its share of bugs and glitches, and a common one is an issue where a new update will get stuck on the ‘Preparing‘ state within the Origin client.

Other Apex Legends Errors: Apex Legends’ “Party Leader Quit” and “Party Not Ready”

Apex Legends Update Stuck on Preparing

However, a considerable portion of its players still uses EA’s Origin client to run the game. This is where the infamous issue of the ‘update stuck on Preparing’ bug occurs. The issue takes place when players are trying to install an update, but the update fails to start properly. Instead, it becomes stuck in the ‘Preparing’ state. This can also happen mid-way through an update, and hence the update fails to complete. Do not worry, though, because, in this Apex Legends error fix guide, we will show you how to get rid of the ‘stuck on Preparing’ issue and update your game successfully!

If you are new to Apex Legends, be sure to check out our How To Show FPS In Apex Legends Guide.

How To Fix Apex Legends Update Stuck on Preparing

In this guide, we will show you three working solutions that should fix the error.

Repair the game

Our first fix for this issue will be the simplest to execute. This involves repairing the game files by using Origin’s built-in repair tool. This can often clear any corrupted files or registry issues that may be preventing your update from being installed.

1. The first step is to stop the ongoing update from the Origin client. Simply click on the small cross sign in the bottom-right of the update window.

   

2. Now, you need to go to the Application Settings in your Origin client. To do this, click on the ‘Origin’ menu in the top-left, and then click on ‘Application Settings.’

   

3. Afterward, scroll down to the ‘Client update’ section. Here, you need to disable the first option which is ‘Automatic game updates’.

   

4. This will prevent your updates from starting by themselves so that we can fix the issue. Your next step is to exit your Origin client. To do this, click on the ‘Origin’ menu again, and select ‘Exit.’

   

5. Subsequently relaunch your Origin client. Once it is open, go to your Game Library. From here, right-click on Apex Legends, and then select the ‘Repair’ option.

   

Now, the client will check your game files for any issues. Once that is done, the client should also update your Apex Legends files automatically, and you will get to bypass the ‘update stuck on Preparing’ issue. Wait for this process to finish, and then start up your game and enjoy!

Also Read: Apex Legends Tier List [2022]

Delete DirectX files

If the first method did not solve your issue, do not give up hope! Our next method aims to delete some DirectX files that may be potentially causing issues when you try to update Apex Legends, hence causing the update to become stuck on the ‘Preparing’ state. Do not worry, these files are not essential, and the game will regenerate them as needed.

1. Firstly, close your Origin client and go to the location in your drive where your game files are saved. If you installed the game in the default location suggested by the installer, then you can follow this path:
2. Local Disk (C:) > Program Files (x86) > Origin Games > Apex
3. For some PCs, the game files may be stored in the Program Files folder instead of the Program Files (x86) folder. If you installed the game in another location, simply go to that location to view the game files.

   

4. Once you are here, open the folder named __Installer.

   

5. Afterward, go into the directx folder, and then into the redist folder. Here, you should see lots of zipped files.

   

6. All you need to do now is delete all of the zipped files. To do this, use Ctrl+A to select all files, and then use Ctrl+left click to deselect the files other than the zipped files. You can then simply delete the selected zipped files.

   

7. After doing so, relaunch your Origin client. The update should now proceed normally.

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Delete .dll and application files

Still unable to get rid of the ‘update stuck on Preparing’ issue in Apex Legends? We have one last fix for you. This involves deleting some other files inside the game directory. As before, these files will be regenerated as needed.

1. Initially, close down your Origin client, and once again open the game directory where you game files are installed. The default install location is:
2. Local Disk (C:) > Program Files (x86) > Origin Games > Apex
3. In this folder, delete all files (including all .dll, .exe, .bin and .txt files) but no folders.

   

4. With that done, you can once again start up your Origin client. The update should initiate and complete normally, and your game should be good to go in no time!

Conclusion

Apex Legends is a free-to-play first-person shooter Battle Royale game released in 2019. Thanks to its slick movement system, satisfying gunplay and high skill ceiling, the game has managed to stay relevant to this day. It enjoys a healthy player base of more than 100 million players, and maintains a large following on Twitch. It also sees regular updates which keep the game fresh by adding a new Legend, changing up some map locations, and also occasionally adding in new weapons. The game also saw a boost in player counts after launching on Steam on November 4, 2020.

That wraps up our guide on fixing the annoying ‘update stuck on Preparing’ issue in Apex Legends. Did any of our methods help you out? Do let us know in the comments down below.

To further improve your Apex game, take a look at our in-depth guide on Lifeline! And if you want to hit those higher ranks, go through the game settings for the renowned esports player aceu!