Microsoft Automatic Updates

[^_^ 5,021]

That was the first thing I tried, but the all my restore points were wiped, except for one made before the updates were installed. I finally restored the system to that point after the third try. Then I began installing the updates on at a time until I found the one causing the problem. Did I mention that MS Support is clueless?

Take one look at the kind of people who work support. Of course support is useless. Anyone who is any good uses those level 1 support roles as a brief stepping stone to something better.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

Sounds like it was a combination of things. I have an XP system up-to-date w/ GC and no problems.

I haven't had any trouble since yesterdays update either and I'm using XP and Chrome too.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

I haven't had any trouble since yesterdays update either and I'm using XP and Chrome too.

Not that it matters, but I did notice they changed the queue order of the updates later in the day. I think something was somewhere that it wasn't supposed to be, and that caused the problem. Hopefully, I got rid of it when I deleted and reinstalled Chrome.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

Not that it matters, but I did notice they changed the queue order of the updates later in the day. I think something was somewhere that it wasn't supposed to be, and that caused the problem. Hopefully, I got rid of it when I deleted and reinstalled Chrome.

I installed the updates late in the day so maybe they changed something from when you updated.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

I installed the updates late in the day so maybe they changed something from when you updated.

I am thinking a hitchhiker snuck in there somewhere.

[rsn 135]

Take one look at the kind of people who work support. Of course support is useless. Anyone who is any good uses those level 1 support roles as a brief stepping stone to something better.

Very true. In fact, the people who know the most about the hardware or software are often not in a support position at all.

Edited February 11, 2011 by rsn

[rsn 135]

That was the first thing I tried, but the all my restore points were wiped, except for one made before the updates were installed. I finally restored the system to that point after the third try. Then I began installing the updates on at a time until I found the one causing the problem. Did I mention that MS Support is clueless?

I've had updates hose my system in the past, and, as a result, I turned off auto-updates and deal with them only when I have the patience. That usually isn't very often. Windows has its flaws, but the alternatives, other than maybe OS X (Macs are too expensive for my blood) are considerably more flawed (Ubuntu, I'm looking at you).

My new work computer has Win 7. I forgot to turn off updates and the damn thing restarted my whole computer in the middle of the night after installing the updates. How amazingly annoying.

Edited February 11, 2011 by rsn

[spookyturtle 9,466]

Take one look at the kind of people who work support. Of course support is useless. Anyone who is any good uses those level 1 support roles as a brief stepping stone to something better.

I've actually had good luck with tech support from several companies. I've used the online support for Norton a few times and it was outstanding. The support center was in India and the techs that I dealt with were quite knowledgeable. No problem understanding typing and no accents for either one of us to deal with. Ditto for Crucial Memory, only over the phone and email. A quick, efficient resolution to the problem. Same for Logitech getting a mouse replaced that was 2+ years old-it had a 3 year warranty. I've only used MS phone support once and they actually solved the problem quickly. I also used their email support a few years back with satisfactory results.

I've heard so many horror stories with customer service but I have been quite lucky overall. Verizon and Verizon Wireless have both been good on the phone, in store is another story. There is a VZ wireless store that it a bit out of my area but that is the only one I will go to for tech support. The two closest to me are not very good. And the funny thing is, it's the busiest store that has the best service.

I believe in being polite but firm with CS and overall I get what I want the majority of the time.

[NickD 203]

Life would be so much simpler if Microsoft would ask when you are loading Windows, Is this a personal or a public computer? Then load accordingly.

When you pay big bucks for a new Microsoft OS, only getting a small part of the program, have to download the rest of it off the net that can take hours and hours, and hope and pray your computer doesn't crash in the process. Not only the OS, but just about every program you load afterwards. With accessories like mice, printers, or scanners, really don't know to use the driver disk that came with it, or find upgrades. Many times, had to go back to the disk that came with it.

Another thing that disappeared is buying a hardware diagnostic program to make sure all of your hardware is intact, using a voltmeter or a oscilloscope is worthless with a hundreds of thousands of things to check.

Still using DOS, a disk operating system where you can manually to things like add programs, alter your file allocation table, FAT, and even format your hard drives. Those same commands can be placed in any file, like a .JPG, PFD, MP3, or even a DOC, so if you weren't paranoid before, will be now.

I really objected to sharing the same pin numbers for programs and data, as did thousands of other engineers. But would cost an extra penny for a pin and marketing as usual won out. Just like using the two digit year to save a couple of cents on memory that cost this nation billions in Y2K. One small error in one bit for the address counter, where a specific instruction code is being looked for with a data/programming sharing bus can crash your computer that can be avoided. Even/Odd parity works with one bit, but is you lose two, you are screwed. Surprised these things work at all.

In regards to the bit capacity of the microprocessor itself, OS systems have traditionally only used half of that capacity and still do.

The whole concept of the microprocessor was it is suppose to be a lot cheaper to write software than to design hardware. Certainly never was the case as you can spend thousands for software to run in now, a 400 buck computer. And you don't buy software, just a license to use it, and practically most of it is only good for a year. Make minor changes to the data format so what you paid for is now worthless so hit you with a huge upgrading fee.

Really got hit hard in what I was spending for hard and software during a tax audit, but reminded the IRS that blew 67 billion bucks on a computer system that didn't even work. That kept their big fat mouths shut. At least I was able to make a profit they could tax the hell out of.

In a several letters to my congressman and senator on Adobe, don't know if that made a difference or not, but had to lay out a fortune each year for Adobe Arcobat upgrades to save important government forms. Could never do that with the free reader. But can now, really don't know if my letters made a difference, if they did, you can thank me for that.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

Maybe you should consider a Mac since Windows has been so much trouble?

[rsn 135]

Maybe you should consider a Mac since Windows has been so much trouble?

Switching to OS X is quite an adjustment.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Switching to OS X is quite an adjustment.

I haven't used a Mac since college, when that was what they had in all the computer labs. I used to hate all those system bombs and spontaneous blue screen unrecoverable errors. I wonder if that has changed in the last 20 years. As much as I hate tweaking an MS based computer, at least you have the option to do so.