Sometimes the game is "preparing data" but doesn't have the "permission" to actually write that data to your disk. Right-click the icon. Select Run as Administrator .
Wait for the process to finish. It may take 5–10 minutes depending on your hard drive speed. 4. Check for Background "Agent" Issues
Inside, find the folder and delete the Cache directory.
Restart the Battle.net app and try launching the game again. 2. Run as Administrator
The Agent.exe is the background process that handles all Blizzard installs and updates. If it’s frozen, your game data will stay in "preparation" indefinitely. Open (Ctrl+Shift+Esc). Look for Battle.net Update Agent or Agent.exe . Right-click and select End Task .
If the cache isn't the issue, one of your actual game files might be "shredded." Battle.net has a built-in mechanic to find and replace these.