8mm Forum: WINDOWS UPDATES

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Posted by Chip Gelmini (Member # 44) on February 22, 2010, 05:38 PM:

WATCH OUT FOR WINDOWS UPDATES

Not to long ago, I took the step of downloading the recommended updates for Windows when I was on line. Being very careful, I assumed these were perfect for the system I use. Most times, they are. I believe that I downloaded an update that was not required and yes, it was installed and crashed the system.

THE START OF THE PROBLEM

I turned on the PC to use the word processor to create a document. Everything was fine until I opened the MS Word. While it has always ran just fine, this time the main page came on to write a letter but was incomplete. This happened every time I tried it. All that appeared was a blank page. There was no text, pull down menus, fonts, pitches, buttons or icons across the top. By pressing the X on the top right window to exit, a message appeared saying the program was not responding. Upon checking to see if there was a solution online, that box halted, then disappeared. And then the program disappeared off the screen leaving me to my desktop background image.

CHECKING DEVICE MANAGER

I was taught early on with Windows to immediately check this area. I was told that, sometimes a driver can be downloaded when the device it has to operate does not physically exist inside the system. And sometimes, such a driver can be installed regardless. Most times thousands of drivers sit on the hard drive whether you have the device installed or not.

In this situation I spotted the exclamation point next to the network adapters shown on Device Manager from the Systems section off control panel. One of the two drivers shown I recognized. The other I did not. But still, I wasn’t sure about this so I left it alone.

BACK TO THE WORD PROCESSOR

Suspecting the word processor crashed because of an accidentally removed file primary to the functioning of this program, I deleted the program then reinstalled it. This reinstallation showed it was successful. Upon opening the word processor the same problem described earlier was on the screen.

COURSE OF ACTION TAKEN

Not really knowing what to do next, I suspected this had something to do with the network adapter I did not recognize. So I took the gamble and ran recovery management. I was not enthusiastic about this because although everything was backed up I knew it would be lost. But I also knew that even with virus protection installed, the pc was probably due for this route canal of a job.

REINSTALLATION OF WORD PROCESSOR

After the recovery management was complete, I reinstalled the word processor program and then went right to Device Manager to check the network adapters. And I was right. The only network adapter now installed was the one I had been familiar with.

RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET

Using Google before the recovery management, I learned that the update from Microsoft accidentally installed the driver for the device that did not exist. Windows locked up and crashed the word processor because of it. There are still many questions and few answers, but my system is back and wanted you guys to know.

Don’t always assume it’s the program that crashes to be the problem. And I know this to be true with the human body.

Several years ago I developed pain in my right leg in the thigh area. After several weeks of aspirin the pain was getting worse so I went to the Doctor. He checked me over and didn’t find anything until he looked in my mouth. He asked if I had been to the Dentist recently and the answer was no. He suggested two of my wisdom teeth that had not been removed were in need of being extracted.

I went to the Dentist who agreed on the Wisdom teeth. Sitting in his chair one week later watching those teeth come out, the pain was going away in my leg. At that precise moment. The Dentist explained to me that, when decaying teeth rot up underneath the gums, the rotten liquid that can not escape puts pressure on the nerves. From there the nerves send the wrong impulses to the brain, and the brain creates the pain in the right thigh.

From one extreme to another. I had a driver installed for a device that did not exist, yet the problem looked like it was the word processor.

I’ve entered this here because I find it most interesting. It shows how advanced computers are today. And that if the computer user becomes technically involved with his/her computer, they can easily fix a problem instead of paying a tech at a store to do exactly what the consumer could have done at home. And when I have been in places like Best Buy or Staples, I’ve never seen a tech stay with the personal computer addressing the problem or performing that tooth extraction. They simply load the software, get it going, then walk around the store helping other customers before they charge you a ridiculous amount of money you shouldn’t have to be paying.

It can also be said that after 12 months being on line even with primary virus protection, a personal computer used several times per day all week long doesn’t take long to fill up with a bunch of garbage. And when all of that is trashed via recovery management, the home computer will suddenly become a much faster system to use.

Chip Gelmini
02/22/2010

Posted by Christian Bjorgen (Member # 1780) on February 23, 2010, 04:29 AM:

I work with computer tech every day, and this is a problem that I have seen several times.

I've thought of publishing a "how-to" of computer protection here, but haven't gotten around to it yet. I'll see if I can get the time to post it this week [Smile]

Posted by Damien Taylor (Member # 1337) on February 23, 2010, 09:04 AM:

Yep, Mac OS sure is nice.

Posted by Tom Photiou (Member # 130) on February 23, 2010, 02:15 PM:

If an update causes a problem you can roll back that update, in a way rewinding. This is not the same as the restore point.

Posted by Rob Young. (Member # 131) on February 26, 2010, 07:19 PM:

Chip, old English saying...an Apple a day keeps the doctor away! [Wink]

Posted by Chip Gelmini (Member # 44) on February 26, 2010, 10:32 PM:

Another old saying:

The only good Mac is a Big Mac [Big Grin]

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