Windows update mess

[Annie Woughman]

I couldn't find a newsgroup that was English Windows updates, so since most
updates involve security issues I guess I will vent here. This is the
second time in about two months that my Vista Home Premium 32 bit desktop
computer has been stuck in Update hell. It was perfectly fine all day
yesterday and then when I started it this morning, it went to the green and
blue screen "Configuring Updates State 3 of 3 0% complete Do not turn off
your computer" and then it restarts, only to return to that exact same
screen. After watching it do that at least six times I finally turned it
off. It took me about 14 more tries to get to start in a "safe" or "repair"
mode which it is in now, still being "repaired." That was two hours ago.
When this happened last time it was at the exact same point with the 3 of 3
screen. It seems that the only solution to this would be to turn off
automatice updates and check for them and install them when my computer is
not coming out of a cold start. Has anyone else had this problem and does
anyone have a better solution to avoid this than turning off automatice
updates?

 

[Jim]

I couldn't find a newsgroup that was English Windows updates, so since most
updates involve security issues I guess I will vent here. This is the
second time in about two months that my Vista Home Premium 32 bit desktop
computer has been stuck in Update hell. It was perfectly fine all day
yesterday and then when I started it this morning, it went to the green and
blue screen "Configuring Updates State 3 of 3 0% complete Do not turn off
your computer" and then it restarts, only to return to that exact same
screen. After watching it do that at least six times I finally turned it
off. It took me about 14 more tries to get to start in a "safe" or "repair"
mode which it is in now, still being "repaired." That was two hours ago.
When this happened last time it was at the exact same point with the 3 of 3
screen. It seems that the only solution to this would be to turn off
automatice updates and check for them and install them when my computer is
not coming out of a cold start. Has anyone else had this problem and does
anyone have a better solution to avoid this than turning off automatice
updates?

Updates came out Tuesday . ( Usually ) .

 

[Bill Daggett]

I couldn't find a newsgroup that was English Windows updates,

I'll crosspost this to microsoft.public.windowsupdate (it's English)
to get you started.

 

[Annie Woughman]

I'll crosspost this to microsoft.public.windowsupdate (it's English)
to get you started.

Thank you. It took some searching to find this group. I was looking for
windows.update. The dot changes spot in the alphabetical arrangement.
ANYWAY--my machine is still running in repair mode. It is a good thing this
isn't my only computer--it has been down all day trying to clean up the mess
caused by the stupid update. I would like some advice on how to avoid
further disasters with these updates.

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

Are you currently running Vista, Vista SP1, or Vista SP2, Annie? If Vista
SP1, did the computer come with Vista SP1 preinstalled?

What anti-virus application or security suite is installed and is your
subscription current? What anti-spyware applications (other than Defender)?
What third-party firewall (if any)?

Has a(another) Norton or McAfee application ever been installed on this
machine (e.g., a free-trial version that came preinstalled when you bought
it)?

Moving on...

Description of the Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 installation
software feature update released April 28, 2009:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/955430

Has KB955430 been installed yet?

Have you tried Method 3 in http://support.microsoft.com/kb/949358?

 

[Annie Woughman]

Are you currently running Vista, Vista SP1, or Vista SP2, Annie? If Vista
SP1, did the computer come with Vista SP1 preinstalled?

Since I have spent the last 12 hours reinstalling everything on this
computer, it took me a while to get back to this. I have had easier
recoveries from a virus infestation that this stinking update. So, it looks
like I just have Vista, no SP's,--when I view the basic information about my
computer--it simply says Vista Home Premium. I am just totally appalled
that MS would release something that had so much damage potential.
Basically that update rendered my computer worthless--it could not break
free of the "loop" it was thrown into once that update was downloaded. If
there are KB articles written about this particular problem, I know I am not
alone. I consider myself fairly computer literate for an amature--I was
able to do a recovery and reinstall my system but I resent that it was
necessary. What about the poor newbies that end up having to take their
machines to a repair shop to get it fixed? The two articles that I printed
out explaining this particular problem and the "fix" don't look anything to
be attempted by greenies either. I haven't had time to study them--I've
been a little busy. At this point I have my machine set so it cannot
automatically download any updates without my OK.

What anti-virus application or security suite is installed and is your
subscription current? What anti-spyware applications (other than
Defender)? What third-party firewall (if any)?

F-Secure anti-virus with a firewall plus a linksys wireless router

Has a(another) Norton or McAfee application ever been installed on this
machine (e.g., a free-trial version that came preinstalled when you bought
it)?

Norton--it was the first thing to go before I installed anything else. (this
time too)

Moving on...

Description of the Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 installation
software feature update released April 28, 2009:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/955430

Has KB955430 been installed yet?

At this point I have no way of knowing if it was installed before, but it
isn't on there now.

Have you tried Method 3 in http://support.microsoft.com/kb/949358?

Haven't had the chance--I have the article printed out, but once my computer
was "in the loop" it was a little late for that. Oh, and BTW, this article
is dated October 2008. I have kept my computer updated religiously, why
haven't I run into this sooner? I did have a similar event a while back
with the same stall message, but it came out of it and finished the update.

Anyway, at this point I am thoroughly sick of staring at this screen and
totally outraged at MS for dropping bombs like that one on my computer.

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

I have spent the last 12 hours reinstalling everything on this
computer

Did you reinstall Windows, too? Did you do a Repair Install (AKA an
In-place Upgrade) or did you format & do a clean install?

I have had easier recoveries from a virus infestation

You've had "a virus infestation"? How did you "recover" from it?

Was the F-Secure suite installed when the computer got infested? Is it
installed now and is your subscription current now?

Norton...was the first thing to go before I installed anything else. (this
time too)

Had you ever run the Norton Removal Tool? Have you run the removal tool
since you "reinstalled everything"?

If you've just reinstalled Vista, KB955430 won't be installed.

KB949358 is dated October 2008.

Well, it's primarily for computers running Vista (no Service Packs) and we
didn't know if you were running Vista, Vista SP1, or Vista SP2. And even if
Vista SP1 was installed, Method 3 might've been the fix for that
"Configuring Updates State 3 of 3 0% complete" error anyway.

Anyway, at this point I am thoroughly sick of staring at this screen and
totally outraged at MS for dropping bombs like that one on my computer.

I have a hunch that your "virus infestation" was the culprit, Annie, not the
updates.

 

[Annie Woughman]

Did you reinstall Windows, too? Did you do a Repair Install (AKA an
In-place Upgrade) or did you format & do a clean install?

I had to use the recovery disk and reformat and reinstall, so yes I had to
reinstall Windows. None of the repair options were working.

You've had "a virus infestation"? How did you "recover" from it?

Yes, but not on this computer--an XP model. My 12 year old clicked yes on
the Anti-virus 2008 thing. I had to do a complete reformat and
reinstallation. (We have three desktops, two of which are XP and one is a
Vista as well as three laptops--all of which run Vista 64 bit.)

Was the F-Secure suite installed when the computer got infested? Is it
installed now and is your subscription current now?

Nope, that machine had AVG Free on it, but it can't help too much when
someone gives the virus "permision" to install itelf. I have F-Secure on my
Vista machine and yes it is (and was) current and my 12 yo isn't allowed
anywhere near it.

Had you ever run the Norton Removal Tool? Have you run the removal tool
since you "reinstalled everything"?

Never heard of it. Just went in and promptly uninstalled it before adding
anything.

If you've just reinstalled Vista, KB955430 won't be installed.

However, I did install KB937287 last night by the download method mentioned
in the stuff I printed out. That particular update must have been there
before my little disaster with the other update because I wasn't able to
re-install IE 8 until I had done so and IE 8 had been running on my machine
for several weeks. So, I still don't know exactly which update trashed my
machine.

Well, it's primarily for computers running Vista (no Service Packs) and we
didn't know if you were running Vista, Vista SP1, or Vista SP2. And even
if Vista SP1 was installed, Method 3 might've been the fix for that
"Configuring Updates State 3 of 3 0% complete" error anyway.


I have a hunch that your "virus infestation" was the culprit, Annie, not
the updates.

No, it wasn't--like I said--different machines. I just used the virus
infestation as an example of some of the things I have dealt with over the
years as a PC user. All of my computer experience has been "self-taught" on
our home network since we got our first Packard Bell back in the 90's. My
whole rant was based on the fact that one of the worst disasters I've ever
dealt with was caused by the very institution that is supposed to be helping
the whole PC experience be a better one--Microsoft. And, I definitely am
not here to bash MS, I love their products and I love these newsgroups--I
have used them over the years to learn how to do stuff (Like "Carolyn's 34
steps to set up a network" back in the days of wired networking). I am just
concerned that there is such a potential hazard being downloaded as an
update and causing users so much grief. I'm just thankful this happened at
a time when I didn't have a big project going that couldn't wait on a
two-day computer fix.

 

[Robert Miles]

Are you aware that many antivirus programs don't even try
to check for spyware, even though spyware can cause
about the same problems as viruses? In case you need
a separate antispyware program, here are the three I
currently use on one of my computers (free versions):

Spybot - Search & Destroy
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/spybotsd/index.html

Windows Defender
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/defender/default.mspx

Malwarebytes
http://www.malwarebytes.org/contact.php

If you need the Norton Removal Tool to finish the rather
inadequate uninstall procedure for a Norton antivirus
program, see here:

Download and run the Norton Removal Tool
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2005033108162039

However, I've seen on the microsoft.public.windows.vista.mail
newsgroup that the 2009 version of Norton Internet Security
is probably finally free of the problems that slowly corrupted
the Windows Mail database for earlier Norton versions, so I'm
currently trying it on my other two computers. It includes
spyware detection. I don't have much information yet about
whether this version is free of the other problems with Norton
antivirus programs, but I haven't seen such a problem yet.

Robert Miles