SOLVED: Google Earth Stuck on Initializing Screen

After playing with this bizarre Google Earth (GE) problem for some time and reading dozens of very frustrated blogers end their threads with “… and the only way I could get it to work was to wipe my PC and perform a fresh Windows install”, I got creative.  Being unable to launch Google Earth past the splash screen is quite annoying.

The solution appears to be linked with the first time initialization getting stuck. Sooo, this is what I did to solve it:

1. Reboot, Press F8 on Windows startup and select LOW RESOLUTION 640 x 480 MODE.
2. Start Google Earth First in DIRECT X MODE then in OPEN GL MODE
   1. Direct X will likely lock or error out and that is fine; just END TASK on it and move to OPEN GL
3. Reboot your windows into normal mode and start Google Earth
4. OPTIONAL (FOR CORPORATE PCs ONLY) Go to C:\PROGRAM DATA\GOOGLE and on the SECURITY TAB, set AUTHENTICATED USERS to have FULL CONTROL

I have seen this twice now and both times the GE issue was resolved using the Boot the LOW RES 640×480 MODE process above.  In my case this was on Windows 7 64Bit Enterprise but I seen many references to Win XP, Windows Vista and 32 bit operating systems.