Any process involved in the assembly of the RNA polymerase II preinitiation complex (PIC) at an RNA polymerase II promoter region of a DNA template, resulting in the subsequent synthesis of RNA from that promoter. The initiation phase includes PIC assembly and the formation of the first few bonds in the RNA chain, including abortive initiation, which occurs when the first few nucleotides are repeatedly synthesized and then released. Promoter clearance, or release, is the transition between the initiation and elongation phases of transcription.