¿Why Microsoft Windows Update made my Company cease operations?

[David L.]

A Simple but intriguing question...

When i hit the Update button in my Windows Server 2008 Datacenter... Yeah,
Windows Server 2008.

By the way. WHY Microsoft don't have Windows Server 2008 in the Drop-down
menu under Make new Thread? OR in the Support Center? The most updated thing
that i was able to found was Windows Server 2003. Hey! Microsoft! Update your
clocks! we are in 2009 and you released 2 versions of windows Server 2008.

Back to the Main Problem. When i hit the Update Button in my Windows Server
2008 Datacenter, and just after the reboot recommended by the annoying pop-up
of Windows Update, my server Hangs in an infinite loop of reboots.

Details: Turn on Server, Post, Show Graphical interface, Configuring
Updates: 3 of 3 0%... After 5 minutes, minutes where the server was down for
obvious reasons, finally i get the Message "Shutting Down...", Reboots, and
again, post, Graphical Interface, Configuring..., Shutting down...

Trying to Solve it according to Microsoft Tips:
* Safe Mode: The Same Loop
* Last Known Good Configuration: No Changes, Same Loop
* Windows Server DVD > Repair my Computer: Tried Every option. No lucky
* I Google for the Problem and seems to be a lot of people having the
same problem.

Preparing to Reinstall:
I Insert Windows Server 2008 Installation DVD, select Repair, and Launched a
Command Prompt in order to backup all the server data stored on Primary Disk.
BUT another problem appears. Every time i try to access a file or folder on
the disk, i got an "Access Denied" message.
I Tried everything without lucky. Finally i decide to do a non-Clean Install
of Windows (Installing it without formatting the Drive First), according to
Microsoft, this is supported and safe, but the system can become unstable, no
problem i only want to recover my server's files, After that i can do a Clean
install...

Windows finish the first step on the installation process (includes File
Copy and Expand) and do a first Reboot. For my surprise, after post, The
Windows Server 2008 Installation DVD boots automatically without any "Press
any key to..." message, and starts the whole installation from the beginning.
When i reach the Hard Disk Select Step, i discover that my hard disk primary
partition (the only one) was formatted. 649gb Free (of 650gb Total). So,
Windows formats the entire drive without my permission. And no, i DON'T hit
the button "Format" on the Installation, no error messages appear neither.

So after this long Message. i have a few Questions (in order of events):

1) ¿Why an Update provided by Microsoft, killed my system? ¿This prove that
Microsoft don't test the updates properly before releasing them?
2) ¿Why Microsoft release brand new versions of Windows, and don't add them
to the Support Center?
3) ¿Why Safe Mode don't work? Hey, the name tells everything. SAFE MODE
4) ¿Why Last Known Good Configuration dont work? Or ¿Windows considers the
Infinite Automatic and unstoppable loop, a Valid Configuration?
5) ¿Why the "Repair my Computer" option on Windows Installation DVD wasted
my time and do nothing?
6) The most important one: ¿Why my hard disk was formatted by the Windows
Installer?
7) While looking for a good site to Leave this Questions. i ask myself. ¿Why
i need to pay (99.0$+Tax) for Technical Support, for a problem that Microsoft
and its Updates provoke?

I lost about 400 Gigabytes of Important Files for my Company. I was forced
to cease operations while i rebuild the lost Databases for a simple "Update"
button. And now, ¿i need to pay for Support?

I just want to know the answers to the above 7 Questions, specially to the
1st and 6th.

Waiting for answers.

Sincerely, David L.
- I decided to reserve my Company Information -

PD: Because im from another Country where English is not the official
Language, i apologize for any Spelling Error on the Text.-

 

[STAN STARINSKI]

As a rule:
if a large organization depends on you, set Updates to Manual. Test each
update on your "lab" or "guinea pig" machine before it gets distributed to
many other people.
Even as an individual user I never allow auto-updates.

Unfortunately majority of software consumers don't know what is what, so
they need to be "guided".
For a professional, auto-update is dangerous nonsense.

Update manual & test each update, and only then your organization can
follow.

 

[Richard Urban]

A Simple but intriguing question...

When i hit the Update button in my Windows Server 2008 Datacenter... Yeah,
Windows Server 2008.

By the way. WHY Microsoft don't have Windows Server 2008 in the Drop-down
menu under Make new Thread? OR in the Support Center? The most updated
thing
that i was able to found was Windows Server 2003. Hey! Microsoft! Update
your
clocks! we are in 2009 and you released 2 versions of windows Server 2008.

Back to the Main Problem. When i hit the Update Button in my Windows
Server
2008 Datacenter, and just after the reboot recommended by the annoying
pop-up
of Windows Update, my server Hangs in an infinite loop of reboots.

Details: Turn on Server, Post, Show Graphical interface, Configuring
Updates: 3 of 3 0%... After 5 minutes, minutes where the server was down
for
obvious reasons, finally i get the Message "Shutting Down...", Reboots,
and
again, post, Graphical Interface, Configuring..., Shutting down...

Trying to Solve it according to Microsoft Tips:
* Safe Mode: The Same Loop
* Last Known Good Configuration: No Changes, Same Loop
* Windows Server DVD > Repair my Computer: Tried Every option. No lucky
* I Google for the Problem and seems to be a lot of people having the
same problem.

Preparing to Reinstall:
I Insert Windows Server 2008 Installation DVD, select Repair, and Launched
a
Command Prompt in order to backup all the server data stored on Primary
Disk.
BUT another problem appears. Every time i try to access a file or folder
on
the disk, i got an "Access Denied" message.
I Tried everything without lucky. Finally i decide to do a non-Clean
Install
of Windows (Installing it without formatting the Drive First), according
to
Microsoft, this is supported and safe, but the system can become unstable,
no
problem i only want to recover my server's files, After that i can do a
Clean
install...

Windows finish the first step on the installation process (includes File
Copy and Expand) and do a first Reboot. For my surprise, after post, The
Windows Server 2008 Installation DVD boots automatically without any
"Press
any key to..." message, and starts the whole installation from the
beginning.
When i reach the Hard Disk Select Step, i discover that my hard disk
primary
partition (the only one) was formatted. 649gb Free (of 650gb Total). So,
Windows formats the entire drive without my permission. And no, i DON'T
hit
the button "Format" on the Installation, no error messages appear neither.

So after this long Message. i have a few Questions (in order of events):

1) ¿Why an Update provided by Microsoft, killed my system? ¿This prove
that
Microsoft don't test the updates properly before releasing them?
2) ¿Why Microsoft release brand new versions of Windows, and don't add
them
to the Support Center?
3) ¿Why Safe Mode don't work? Hey, the name tells everything. SAFE MODE
4) ¿Why Last Known Good Configuration dont work? Or ¿Windows considers the
Infinite Automatic and unstoppable loop, a Valid Configuration?
5) ¿Why the "Repair my Computer" option on Windows Installation DVD wasted
my time and do nothing?
6) The most important one: ¿Why my hard disk was formatted by the Windows
Installer?
7) While looking for a good site to Leave this Questions. i ask myself.
¿Why
i need to pay (99.0$+Tax) for Technical Support, for a problem that
Microsoft
and its Updates provoke?

I lost about 400 Gigabytes of Important Files for my Company. I was forced
to cease operations while i rebuild the lost Databases for a simple
"Update"
button. And now, ¿i need to pay for Support?

I just want to know the answers to the above 7 Questions, specially to the
1st and 6th.

Waiting for answers.

Sincerely, David L.
- I decided to reserve my Company Information -

PD: Because im from another Country where English is not the official
Language, i apologize for any Spelling Error on the Text.-

A totally destroyed operating system should never cause data loss for a
business because all competent business owners constantly "back up" their
data. Advanced computer users and hobbyists backup their data. Heck, word is
even filtering down (finally) to normal computer users that they should
backup their data.

It is sure a tough way to learn a lessen but we all go through it before we
start backing up our data.

 

[Guest]

Probably your hard disk was corrupted.

--
..
--

A Simple but intriguing question...

When i hit the Update button in my Windows Server 2008 Datacenter... Yeah,
Windows Server 2008.

By the way. WHY Microsoft don't have Windows Server 2008 in the Drop-down
menu under Make new Thread? OR in the Support Center? The most updated
thing
that i was able to found was Windows Server 2003. Hey! Microsoft! Update
your
clocks! we are in 2009 and you released 2 versions of windows Server 2008.

Back to the Main Problem. When i hit the Update Button in my Windows
Server
2008 Datacenter, and just after the reboot recommended by the annoying
pop-up
of Windows Update, my server Hangs in an infinite loop of reboots.

Details: Turn on Server, Post, Show Graphical interface, Configuring
Updates: 3 of 3 0%... After 5 minutes, minutes where the server was down
for
obvious reasons, finally i get the Message "Shutting Down...", Reboots,
and
again, post, Graphical Interface, Configuring..., Shutting down...

Trying to Solve it according to Microsoft Tips:
* Safe Mode: The Same Loop
* Last Known Good Configuration: No Changes, Same Loop
* Windows Server DVD > Repair my Computer: Tried Every option. No lucky
* I Google for the Problem and seems to be a lot of people having the
same problem.

Preparing to Reinstall:
I Insert Windows Server 2008 Installation DVD, select Repair, and Launched
a
Command Prompt in order to backup all the server data stored on Primary
Disk.
BUT another problem appears. Every time i try to access a file or folder
on
the disk, i got an "Access Denied" message.
I Tried everything without lucky. Finally i decide to do a non-Clean
Install
of Windows (Installing it without formatting the Drive First), according
to
Microsoft, this is supported and safe, but the system can become unstable,
no
problem i only want to recover my server's files, After that i can do a
Clean
install...

Windows finish the first step on the installation process (includes File
Copy and Expand) and do a first Reboot. For my surprise, after post, The
Windows Server 2008 Installation DVD boots automatically without any
"Press
any key to..." message, and starts the whole installation from the
beginning.
When i reach the Hard Disk Select Step, i discover that my hard disk
primary
partition (the only one) was formatted. 649gb Free (of 650gb Total). So,
Windows formats the entire drive without my permission. And no, i DON'T
hit
the button "Format" on the Installation, no error messages appear neither.

So after this long Message. i have a few Questions (in order of events):

1) ¿Why an Update provided by Microsoft, killed my system? ¿This prove
that
Microsoft don't test the updates properly before releasing them?
2) ¿Why Microsoft release brand new versions of Windows, and don't add
them
to the Support Center?
3) ¿Why Safe Mode don't work? Hey, the name tells everything. SAFE MODE
4) ¿Why Last Known Good Configuration dont work? Or ¿Windows considers the
Infinite Automatic and unstoppable loop, a Valid Configuration?
5) ¿Why the "Repair my Computer" option on Windows Installation DVD wasted
my time and do nothing?
6) The most important one: ¿Why my hard disk was formatted by the Windows
Installer?
7) While looking for a good site to Leave this Questions. i ask myself.
¿Why
i need to pay (99.0$+Tax) for Technical Support, for a problem that
Microsoft
and its Updates provoke?

I lost about 400 Gigabytes of Important Files for my Company. I was forced
to cease operations while i rebuild the lost Databases for a simple
"Update"
button. And now, ¿i need to pay for Support?

I just want to know the answers to the above 7 Questions, specially to the
1st and 6th.

Waiting for answers.

Sincerely, David L.
- I decided to reserve my Company Information -

PD: Because im from another Country where English is not the official
Language, i apologize for any Spelling Error on the Text.-

 

[David L.]

1) STAN STARINSKI: I readed your reply. And it seems to be easier to
completely disable automatic updates. By the way... ¿Why i need to test each
update in a "guinea pig" machine before installing in on the Whole system?
Its Microsoft duties, not mine.
And in mi personal opinion,if Microsoft don't have the necessary elements to
test the Update on any possible environment OR if Microsoft thinks that the
update can cause malfunctions on some Systems, ¿Why they don't put a Warning
Message in the Details section of the Update?, or, taking the fact that
Microsoft is "Compromised" with user Security and always try to design
"Idiot-Proof Software", ¿why they don't put some code on the Windows Update
Service, that checks the possible impacts that can have the Update on the
System if it results Installed?, and, if theres a Conflict, just warn the
user and let it decide if the Update will be installed or not.

2) Richard Urban: I never said that i wouldn't do an update of my Servers
data. In fact, that day when Windows Updates failed, a complete server backup
was scheduled, But it never starts. My servers works using custom databases
that are constantly used and modified, because of that, my servers needs to
go to an Offline Mode in order to perform a backup. I hope that you now
understand that backups CANT be performed everyday.
When Windows Updates installed the faulty Update, there was about 380gb of
new data that are not present on the Last Backup Performed. Anyway, you don't
answer any of the 7 questions that i wrote before, and i still don't
understand why Windows Updates make my system Crash with something that
appears to be a Completely Tested and Secure Update, and i don't understand
why the Windows Installer formats the Drive without my Permission neither.
That leads me to the third Reply to my first Message...

3) Dot [.]: It seems to be the Simplest and more useful answer to my First
Message. Before i post here my experience (and obviously after the Windows
Installer formats the drive), i suppose that the problem was caused by a
Faulty Hard Drive, so i unmount it, and plug it into another machine with
software specially configurated to stress and test in deep hard disks. I
tested it at surface level with many tools, and realize that the drive didn't
cause the data loss. I also run a server benchmark and stress test in order
to check if any PC component was faulty, and again, i found nothing. So, the
only thing that was able to cause the data loss, was the Windows Installation
DVD. --

I put the hard disk under a Data Recovery Software, and found that, in fact,
the disk partition was formatted using Quick Format mode, and i was able to
recover some of the lost data. But not all of them.
But i still want to know some answers to the questions previously posted.
And in addition, i want to know ¿how is possible that an Update can damage
the Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 currently installed on Windows Server 2008
(as part of the system), and there isn't a way that an user can follow to
repair it?. I mean, ¿The components installed as part of Windows, can be
damaged, but cant be repaired? I decide to install a clean version of Windows
Server 2008 in another machine and try to update it, and see what happens.
Because there was a lot of updates available, i decide to install them in
groups of 10 to 15. The first group was fine, but some update on the second
group has damaged my installation of .NET Framework 2.0, I search a little,
and found a possible solution posted on the MSDN forums, that using a command
line tool called "sfc" with the parameters "/SCANNOW" in conjunction with
the Native Image Generator "ngen.exe" with parameters "update"; i can be able
to get rid of the problem. But don't work, "ngen.exe" recognizes that some
files are damaged, but do noting, and "sfc" tells me that everything is
perfect. Continuing with the Updates, after the last group wich contains most
of the recent ones, the System crashed and enters the Infinite loop that my
server experience.

Looking at my little "test" results, its obvious that Windows Updates is
causing the problem by installing faulty updates on Windows Server 2008, and
its not my servers problem.

Thanks for reply, and still waiting for answers.

Sincerely, David L.
- I decided to reserve my Company Information -

PD: Because im from another Country where English is not the official
Language, i apologize for any Spelling Error on the Text.-

 

[Jim]

STAN STARINSKI is a troll .

1) STAN STARINSKI: I readed your reply. And it seems to be easier to
completely disable automatic updates. By the way... ¿Why i need to test each
update in a "guinea pig" machine before installing in on the Whole system?
Its Microsoft duties, not mine.
And in mi personal opinion,if Microsoft don't have the necessary elements to
test the Update on any possible environment OR if Microsoft thinks that the
update can cause malfunctions on some Systems, ¿Why they don't put a Warning
Message in the Details section of the Update?, or, taking the fact that
Microsoft is "Compromised" with user Security and always try to design
"Idiot-Proof Software", ¿why they don't put some code on the Windows Update
Service, that checks the possible impacts that can have the Update on the
System if it results Installed?, and, if theres a Conflict, just warn the
user and let it decide if the Update will be installed or not.

2) Richard Urban: I never said that i wouldn't do an update of my Servers
data. In fact, that day when Windows Updates failed, a complete server backup
was scheduled, But it never starts. My servers works using custom databases
that are constantly used and modified, because of that, my servers needs to
go to an Offline Mode in order to perform a backup. I hope that you now
understand that backups CANT be performed everyday.
When Windows Updates installed the faulty Update, there was about 380gb of
new data that are not present on the Last Backup Performed. Anyway, you don't
answer any of the 7 questions that i wrote before, and i still don't
understand why Windows Updates make my system Crash with something that
appears to be a Completely Tested and Secure Update, and i don't understand
why the Windows Installer formats the Drive without my Permission neither.
That leads me to the third Reply to my first Message...

3) Dot [.]: It seems to be the Simplest and more useful answer to my First
Message. Before i post here my experience (and obviously after the Windows
Installer formats the drive), i suppose that the problem was caused by a
Faulty Hard Drive, so i unmount it, and plug it into another machine with
software specially configurated to stress and test in deep hard disks. I
tested it at surface level with many tools, and realize that the drive didn't
cause the data loss. I also run a server benchmark and stress test in order
to check if any PC component was faulty, and again, i found nothing. So, the
only thing that was able to cause the data loss, was the Windows Installation
DVD. --

I put the hard disk under a Data Recovery Software, and found that, in fact,
the disk partition was formatted using Quick Format mode, and i was able to
recover some of the lost data. But not all of them.
But i still want to know some answers to the questions previously posted.
And in addition, i want to know ¿how is possible that an Update can damage
the Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 currently installed on Windows Server 2008
(as part of the system), and there isn't a way that an user can follow to
repair it?. I mean, ¿The components installed as part of Windows, can be
damaged, but cant be repaired? I decide to install a clean version of Windows
Server 2008 in another machine and try to update it, and see what happens.
Because there was a lot of updates available, i decide to install them in
groups of 10 to 15. The first group was fine, but some update on the second
group has damaged my installation of .NET Framework 2.0, I search a little,
and found a possible solution posted on the MSDN forums, that using a command
line tool called "sfc" with the parameters "/SCANNOW" in conjunction with
the Native Image Generator "ngen.exe" with parameters "update"; i can be able
to get rid of the problem. But don't work, "ngen.exe" recognizes that some
files are damaged, but do noting, and "sfc" tells me that everything is
perfect. Continuing with the Updates, after the last group wich contains most
of the recent ones, the System crashed and enters the Infinite loop that my
server experience.

Looking at my little "test" results, its obvious that Windows Updates is
causing the problem by installing faulty updates on Windows Server 2008, and
its not my servers problem.

Thanks for reply, and still waiting for answers.

Sincerely, David L.
- I decided to reserve my Company Information -

PD: Because im from another Country where English is not the official
Language, i apologize for any Spelling Error on the Text.-

 

[MARTHA STARINSKI]

As a rule:

People should post messages with the correct time. Failing to do so means
you are a selfish ****WIT.

 

[Kevin John Panzke]

in message > > > As a
rule: > > People should post messages with the correct time. Failing
to do so means > you are a selfish ****WIT.

 

[MARTHA STARINSKI]

McHenry County Government Center

2200 North Seminary Ave.

Woodstock IL 60098