Did the latest Windows update wipe out anybody else?

Ronald1973

8-trackin', Hank, Sr. man
I woke up about 3AM with a screen I've never laid eyes on before telling me my computer would not restart. I let it check the computer twice; it kept giving the same message. It then came up with the standard options of System Restore, Command Prompt, Image Recovery, etc. I tried twice with System Restore-once restoring back to 11-8 and then to 11-1. It kept saying it wouldn't restore, so I gave up and was going to dig out one of my older computers until such time as I could get a new one (I was pricing some yesterday as a matter of fact). Out of the blue, it started booting up and told me it had restored to 11-1. Go figure! I did turn off automatic updates, something I should've done a while back.
 
My recommendations (a hardware and software engineer, of over 3 decades, who is greatly dependent upon a fully functional PC):

  1. Turn off automatic updates, certainly do the updates, but when you are ready, not when they get pushed out by MS. Let others serve as beta sites for new code. Also, you do not want your machine to interrupt your work and/or go down while you need it for high priority activities (Ex: an attorney's PC, during the period immediately before a trial begins, when there is generally not enough time to get the work done under normal circumstances)
  2. Do not install monthly updates until they have been out long enough to have been rung out, and issues reported (at least 3 weeks from patch Tuesdays, generally the 2nd Tuesday of each month). Just make sure you get them in before the next patch Tuesday.
  3. Before doing a set of monthly updates, do a complete system backup, using a method that does not have Windows running. I use Norton Ghost and a hard drive that only goes in (via easy slide-in racks) when backing up, and windows never sees it. Use two hard drives to perform full system backups, and use them alternately, in case something untoward happens during a backup (you still have one drive with usable backup images). The hard drives I use for system backups are big enough to hold at least 3 system backup images each, bumping the oldest off just before putting a new one on (Sometimes viruses are present for a significant time before activating. You will want to be able to go back far enough to get an image without a damaging virus).
  4. Use internet search engines and do research on each update, marking them on paper as: "do it," "wait," or "never." You will learn who the sources are, for good info on updates. Now days, MS pushes out most updates as roll-ups, meaning that there are several individual updates in them, and you can't pick and choose among them. Be most careful about them. Sometimes MS hoses up and breaks things, like multiple monitor capability 2 months ago for Win7Pro machines. Just hold off until time to install the next month's roll-up. Such issues are generally cleaned up the following month. Roll-ups are generally cumulative, meaning that what you may have missed is generally in subsequent ones.
  5. Use an additional software app that enables incremental backups of daily work. WinZip has a backup capable version, that makes zips of selected file and/or directory groups, or whatever combinations you may wish. Store these off on alternately used external storage, like CDRWs or thumb drives. These, added to a monthly system backup should get you back up to full speed, after otherwise catastrophic events, in greatly reduced times.
Note: Do not stop installing updates. Generally, you need them. You really do. Just do your due diligence. No software organization is perfect, or always issues perfect updates, especially when the new code is as big or complex as Windows-related stuff. You should take responsibility to protect yourselves. There are extremes in both directions. Find a wise middle ground.

Also, do full system backups before performing significant actions on your machines, such as installation of new software suites, etc. You never know if the new stuff is fully compatible with your machine or other installed apps.

I have been saved many times, from viruses, faulty updates, and hardware failures. As always, it is your life and your hardware. You may do as you with them you see fit. A small expense, and a couple of hours of work each month, is worth it. I encourage you to trust me in this.

Be careful out there,
Rich P
 
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Yah - automatic updates aren't an absolute necessity as windoHs! will install any hot patches available when you do it manually, at your own convenience.

And also - some updates do take some time to cook into the package, which is why they give you the "don't turn off your computer" message. I get one of those, Sometimes, an update will force a couple extra reboots as it changes critical code, so just sit back and let it go. I just let it play with itself overnight if necessary and it's good by morning. I've had to do a hard reset a couple times when it's stuck with good results.
 
I have found, after numerous installations of Win 7, that even if you choose the option for when to install updates, Microsoft would override my choice and do the installs anyway. This has happened to me at least 5 times.
 
As a guy who resents having spent good money on an endless series of intrusive and half-assed patched-up prototype product I try to keep my Windows Update service disabled. Once a day - on its own when I log in - it sneaks from Disabled to Manual and starts running on its own. So I kill it and re-disable it. Just a few minutes ago - it's like a game we play. And here's what Windows Update says in Update & Security: "Your device is up to date. Last checked: Today, ‏‎11:12 AM". Yet in System / About it says I'm still using 1511. Whatever.
 
My Win10 machine is set up a bit weird, many user directories relocated off the SSD and on the physical drive. Actually not that weird for anybody with a SSD. The updates have all gone without a hitch, including the last one. The only thing that bothers me is they download in the background, making my 'net response awful (DSL). Slows down my posting here!
 
Good point about not allowing updates to automatically install. This goes double for phones. After every update my phone would do the zombie glitch. Press or scroll on something and it would be jerky or not respond.
 
Set your Win10 wifi connection to metered, that will kill the big updates until you tell it to check and install. If you are on a LAN cable that won't work.

It doesn't affect smaller or 'critical' updates however, they are delivered as per normal.
 
As a guy who resents having spent good money on an endless series of intrusive and half-assed patched-up prototype product I try to keep my Windows Update service disabled. Once a day - on its own when I log in - it sneaks from Disabled to Manual and starts running on its own. So I kill it and re-disable it. Just a few minutes ago - it's like a game we play. And here's what Windows Update says in Update & Security: "Your device is up to date. Last checked: Today, ‏‎11:12 AM". Yet in System / About it says I'm still using 1511. Whatever.
Interesting. I, too, thought I had disabled it before. I probably did!
 
Win 10 updates automatically of course and no choice with that one, but if 7 or 8 I would not delay security patches/updates by doing them when ya' feel like it. The time you delay applying them you are vulnerable to those exploits. I just set windows to only install security and important ones but apply them when they turn up.

Only my view though.
 
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