Tech: HELP Windows 7 Updates

Subject: RE: Tech: HELP Windows 7 Updates
From: MikeL2
Date: 29 Aug 10 - 11:00 AM

hi art

Yes I found that...so now I know that I can go from Home Premium to Ultimate without having to do other than run the upgrade.

But the upgrades from Microft are very expensive...I think I can get a better deasl by shopping around.

Thanks for interest

Cheers

MikeL2

Subject: RE: Tech: HELP Windows 7 Updates
From: artbrooks
Date: 29 Aug 10 - 10:20 AM

Control Panel>Windows Anytime Upgrade

Subject: RE: Tech: HELP Windows 7 Updates
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 29 Aug 10 - 09:45 AM

Win 7 as supplied on my Toshiba came with a direct menu link to upgrade.

Subject: RE: Tech: HELP Windows 7 Updates
From: MikeL2
Date: 29 Aug 10 - 05:55 AM

hi SRS

I have been looking to see if I can upgrade from Home Premium to either Ultimate or Pro.

By up grade I mean by not having to uninstall Home premium and replace it with the higher graded version.

I did not see anything on the link you kindly provided and anyway I live in the UK and of course yours is a US site.

I have spotted a couple of possibilities with Amazon and am looking into it.

Thanks agin for your comments and interest.

Cheers

MikeL2

Subject: RE: Tech: HELP Windows 7 Updates
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Aug 10 - 12:29 PM

MikeL2, you can buy an upgrade to the operating system. The Home edition is not nearly so robust as Ultimate. If you have a student or teacher in your household then you can have them act for you and buy an academic upgrade for some discount from the full price. I'd look at this site and see what you need to provide for documentation to get an upgrade.

Look at NewEgg.com for a good array of the non-academic software whole programs and upgrades available.

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: HELP Windows 7 Updates
From: MikeL2
Date: 28 Aug 10 - 11:41 AM

hi bill

I used to try to do the same. I always felt that the first months certainly is a time to avoid trying out a new O/S.

But these days with the advent of laptops and netbooks etc if you want a new computer they come set up with the latest O/S and it id difficult for the non teccies like me to go back to older versions. The warranties on the quipment wouldn't be honoured if there were problems etc etc.

In my set-up at the moment I have a desktop on XP on it's last legs, two laptops on Vista that in all honesty have given us no problems what-so-ever, and now I have this new laptop on Windows 7 that has given me the problems that I reported here.

I have stopped all up-dates on the XP and Vista machines unless they are absolutely essential.

But of course it is relatively early days for Windows yet but it is getting on for a year so it should be pretty stable by now..

Cheers

Mikel2

Subject: RE: Tech: HELP Windows 7 Updates
From: Bill D
Date: 28 Aug 10 - 11:09 AM

THIS is why I always wait a year or 2 before even considering changing OS. I read threads like this, and read tech forums and newsgroups until the 'canaries' seem to be breathing ok. They NEVER seemed to feel comfortable with VISTA, so I am still in XP...waiting...

Subject: RE: Tech: HELP Windows 7 Updates
From: MikeL2
Date: 28 Aug 10 - 06:10 AM

hiu joe

I agree with you. Microsoft get hammered regularly for almost anything that goes wrong.

I have to say though that the way they design and implement updates - usually fixes to problems rather than improved facilities - does leave something to be desired.

I realise that they have such a wide spread of users on an almost as wide a spread of equipment that it must be very difficult to test evrything 100% before release; especially in urgent situations.

Like you I think that by and large they do a pretty good job.

I am sure that the "knockers" will disagree though.

Cheers

MikeL2

Subject: RE: Tech: HELP Windows 7 Updates
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 Aug 10 - 02:32 AM

Hi, Mike-
I think this update came out within only the last couple of weeks. No doubt, it was tested before release, but still hangs on certain computer configurations. So, it takes time to identify and resolve the problem.
I'm sure many people use this as a reason to damn Microsoft, but I'm generally convinced that Microsoft does a pretty good job.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Tech: HELP Windows 7 Updates
From: MikeL2
Date: 27 Aug 10 - 04:30 AM

hi guys

Just a quick update ( no pun intended ....lol) on the situation regarding my problem.

Using some of the great help & information provided by you guys I managed to isolate the problem.

It is a particular new update that came in a clutch of others that Windows & Home Premium did not like on my new computer.

I stopped the auto-update function and managed the updates one at a time until I found the culprit.

It was Update no KB982110. If you Google this you will see that there have been problems with this update. At this time I don't have time to trawl through and see the specifics.

That leads to the question...if it is so well known to MS why has it not been fixed??

Many thanks for all your help ind interest.

Cheers

MikeL2

Subject: RE: Tech: HELP Windows 7 Updates
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 Aug 10 - 03:46 AM

Well, Greg, I've tried many, many iterations of Linux. Can't say I've been completely thrilled with "ease of use," but I've had it up and working. I use it mostly to resurrect computers that don't have the power to handle the current versions of Windoze. Trouble is, I want these underpowered computers to work for people who don't know nothin' about computers, so simple and dummy-proof are what I'm looking for.

I still haven't been able to convince my boss that Open Office is easier to use than Office...

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Tech: HELP Windows 7 Updates
From: Greg F.
Date: 26 Aug 10 - 04:15 PM

Like I said, Joe:

1. Mac

2. Linux

Or be an uncompensated beta tester for Bill Gates.

:>)

Subject: RE: Tech: HELP Windows 7 Updates
From: MikeL2
Date: 26 Aug 10 - 03:50 PM

hi art

Found it. Many thanks.

cheers

Mike L2

Subject: RE: Tech: HELP Windows 7 Updates
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Aug 10 - 03:08 PM

Well, yeah, Greg - but most of the updates have to do with fixing vulnerabilities before some outside program attacks your operating system. So, is it really safe to refuse updates?

Mike, it appears that you and I had the same problem at about the same time. Like you, I had to force a shutdown - but unlike your situation, my computer restarted on its own and finished configuring the updates, and now seems to be working normally.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Tech: HELP Windows 7 Updates
From: artbrooks
Date: 26 Aug 10 - 02:58 PM

@MikeL2: Control Panel>Windows Updates>Check for Updates will give you a list of updates available. You can then choose which one(s) to install.

Subject: RE: Tech: HELP Windows 7 Updates
From: Greg F.
Date: 26 Aug 10 - 02:53 PM

Do

Not

Install

Updates

If

Its

Running

OK

Leave

Well

Enough

Alone

If

It

Ain't

Broke

Don't

Fix

It.

Ya just gotta love MicroSpawnOfSatanSoft letting purchasers do their beta testing for them for free, dontcha??

Two words:

1. Mac

2. Linux

Subject: RE: Tech: HELP Windows 7 Updates
From: MikeL2
Date: 26 Aug 10 - 02:48 PM

Hi Joe

I agree with you but in the circumstances I just had to force a shutdown.

Problem is that until I blocked the two updates the problem just kept re-occurring.

I am seriously considering taking it back and asking either for my money back or and replacement machine....but if I buy the same model ( which I like and suits me for what I do) I am suspicious that it could happen on that one too.

Another trouble is that I didn't buy it from a specalist computer dealer. I bought it from John Lewis which is a large fairly up-market department store that does sell computers.

So I have a bit of thinking to do over the holiday week-end...lol

Thanks for the comments

Have a great week-end.

Cheers

MikeL2

Subject: RE: Tech: HELP Windows 7 Updates
From: MikeL2
Date: 26 Aug 10 - 02:41 PM

hi art

I have done exactly what you said. I haven't been able to get the option of installing separately manually but I know it can be done.

That should give me the pointerr as to which of the updates is faulty.

Thanks for help.

Cheers

MikeL2

Subject: RE: Tech: HELP Windows 7 Updates
From: MikeL2
Date: 26 Aug 10 - 02:38 PM

Hi SRS

I had been trying to find out if I could upgrade from Home Premium but hadn't found out if it was possible without having to buy the complete system.

Not sure it would have helped in thius situation or not.

Thanks for comments.

Cheers

MikeL2

Subject: RE: Tech: HELP Windows 7 Updates
From: MikeL2
Date: 26 Aug 10 - 02:36 PM

Hi
John

I have deallt with Windows over the years for some time and have experienced having the configure message many times before.

The thing that is different this time is that the wait to install two updates has never been more than half an hour.

This time it was taking 2+ hours and counting. So I figured that one or both of the updates was giving problems. Apparently this is not unusual for Windows and I understand that it has been quite common on Windows 7. I have Windows 7 Home premium by the way.

The problem is still there in that the two offending programs have not been installed. I have managed to gert into Windows by going into SAfe Mode and have changed the automatic installation of updates.

So now I can shutdown and re-boot as normal but I haven't tried to install the updates separately.

Cheers

MikeL2

Subject: RE: TECH HELP Windows 7
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Aug 10 - 12:51 PM

Ordinarily, I'd tell people they're asking for trouble if they shut down or reboot a computer while it's installing and configuring updates - but my Windows 7 computer got stuck in the "installing updates" mode for over half an hour last week. I finally held the power button until the computer shut down. It immediately rebooted and went into "configuring updates." It ran normally after that.

I have a Windows Vista computer at work that continually fails to install one update. I haven't figured out how to get around that one yet. Searching the Microsoft Knowledge Base and other resources hasn't helped.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: TECH HELP Windows 7
From: artbrooks
Date: 26 Aug 10 - 11:44 AM

If you go into Control Panel>Windows Update>Change Settings you will see a drop-down panel. It defaults to download and install updates automatically, but one of the choices there is something like "tell me about updates but don't load them without my permission". Changing to that will give you more control over this issue, and you can opt to install them one at a time until you determine which one is causing the problem.

Subject: RE: TECH HELP Windows 7
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Aug 10 - 11:17 AM

My ex bought a new Dell with Win7, and you may recall about 3 weeks ago Microsoft pushed out a huge batch of updates. Thousands of little tweaks. The message on the computer was "don't turn off the computer while these upgrades are in progress." The lights flickered, the computer was turned off, and that's all that hard drive wrote. Lots of attempts by someone who is fairly computer literate and talking to the Dell folks weren't able to solve the problem. They mailed out a new hard drive and he put the original one in the slave position because he had already transferred his data from the old computer and wiped that hard drive.

Of course information on the old machine can be retrieved, and he went ahead and did that. But in the meantime, my son and I were over at the computer store and picked up a SATA cable for him to connect the original Dell drive in an expansion slot.

I'm not sure if he's using Win7 Ultimate, but I always go for the top of the line OS. If you can, consider upgrading. Maybe with these difficulties Dell with cut you a discount and upgrading will help.

You may find that you can simplifiy the process if you remove uninstalled equipment, just to make the process less complicated. Take the printer, the scanner, the various USB appliances off of the machine so it doesn't have to deal with those peripherals at the same time it's working on the OS.

SRS

Subject: RE: TECH HELP Windows 7
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 26 Aug 10 - 11:04 AM

Cross posted with the last info, I think. (I'm a bit slow on the send today.)

If you check with Microsoft's Win7 update section you quite frequently should find fixes for update failures that are at all common, although I don't have experience with the Win7 pages to vouch for them.

John

Subject: RE: TECH HELP Windows 7
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 26 Aug 10 - 11:00 AM

In Vista, and probably in Win7, when an update is downloaded to your computer, and the update requires a reboot, you should get a message indicating that the machine will reboot in a few minutes. If the machine is inactive, it will go ahead and reboot. You can tell it not to reboot, and probably can set an option to not automatically do so.

The reason for needing a reboot is that files that are open cannot be modified, so the machine needs to start in a "minimal" mode, make the changes before the files are open and then finish the boot.

The message cited in the opening post is the one that you normally receive (in Vista - and I'd expect in Win7), especially if Registry changes are required.

Since Win7 is relatively new, you are likely to receive more updates that require the reboot.

Updates that simply require copying a file, to a location that's not in use, probably will never be seen - if you've used the default option to "automatically install critical updates."

Although there could be some other problem the message sounds perfectly normal. "Configuring Windows" just means "configuring to incorporate the update."

After you give permission for the reboot there commonly will be a "configuring" before the machine shuts down, followed by a "step 2" after the reboot during which files that were previously open are installed/deleted, and a "step 3" in which Registry changes are made.

Sounds perfectly normal to me, barring some additional reason for complaining. Just let it do its thing.

John

Subject: RE: TECH HELP Windows 7
From: MikeL2
Date: 26 Aug 10 - 09:54 AM

hi Adrian & guys

A bit more info -:

After over two hours I decided to force a power down.

Waited about a minute and re-started with exactly the same problem.

Soooooo... I forced shutdown again and re-booted and selected Safe Mode.
Got a message saying that Windows Update had problems and was reverting them.

Then it brought up Windows and it looked OK and I was able to operate as normal.

After doing what I had to do I closed down. As I closed it told me that it was installing 2 updates and not to power down. It shut down after "installing" the updates.

Just for interest I switched on again. Guess what??

Same situation that I had started with!!!!!

So I went in under Safe mode and it brought me up in normal Windows mode after telling me that it had reverted the updates.

So it looks like it is these two updates ( or one of them ) that is causing the problem.

So how do I stop these updates going through?? I changed the updates box to tell me what up dates there are so that I can decide whether to install or not but it didn't seem to work. These two must be stuck somewhere in the ether and just keep trying to install.

This appears to be a well known problem outstanding for some time so one would think that Microsoft would have patched it by now !!

Cheers

MikeL2

Seems

Subject: RE: TECH HELP Windows 7
From: GUEST,Adrian
Date: 26 Aug 10 - 07:08 AM

Hi Mike,

My reply to your initial comments now appears after your explanation, so we must have crossed in the post!

If the update process sometimes works but has got into difficulties this time, taking it back to the original supplier to be fixed might well be a good idea and save you a lot of time (I speak from personal experience here). If other people have reported the same problem they might be able to fix it quickly for you.

It is also very frustrating to try technical type things that don't work...especially as you can't get into the computer in the first place if it is hanging up on you!

Best of luck,
Adrian

Subject: RE: TECH HELP Windows 7
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Aug 10 - 07:03 AM

Mike,

If you have the option of taking it back, I'd do that (unless it's a long way from you). Why struggle? You are the CUSTOMER.

Subject: RE: TECH HELP Windows 7
From: MikeL2
Date: 26 Aug 10 - 06:58 AM

hi guest

My above mail explains that I forced a re-boot and the same thing happened. It is still running the configure screen as I type this.

As I understand it, it is when Windows tries to install updates it gets it's knickers in a twist.

Mind you I have had this laptop for a fortnight and it has updated Windows many times with as many as 22 updates without problems. But it seems that there is a glitch somewhere in the update procedure that sometimes creates the situation I am in.

Cheers

MikeL2

Subject: RE: TECH HELP Windows 7
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Aug 10 - 06:46 AM

Mike,

Any luck yet?

Did you reboot or just wait for the configuration process to complete?

I've recently got a new Dell with Windows 7 so would be interested to hear how you got on.

Subject: RE: TECH HELP Windows 7
From: MikeL2
Date: 26 Aug 10 - 06:46 AM

hi guest

I forced a reboot but the same thing has happened again.

On looking on the Internet this appears to be quite a common problem with Windows 7 on all types of laptops.

There doesn't appear to be any consistent fix that I could spot. Some were talking about doing all kinds of technical things that are beyond my abilities and anyway this is a brand new laptop and I don't want to mess about with it.

I am considering taking it back.

If the problem is as common as appears to be the case in the Net there will be people here who will have met it and can give me some sensible understandable assistance.

Thanks for your help

MikeL2

Subject: RE: TECH HELP Windows 7
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Aug 10 - 06:22 AM

Reboot and try again

Subject: TECH HELP Windows 7
From: MikeL2
Date: 26 Aug 10 - 06:03 AM

hi

Can anyone please advise.

I have a new ( two weeks old) Sony Viao running in Windows 7.
When I switched on this morning it came up with < " Preparing to configure Windows. Do not shut down your computer" >

It has been like this for well over half an hour now.
I have had this before on updates but never had to wait anywhere as long as this.

Does anyone know -

a) What could be happening
b) What action I can take to get into Windows.
C) Any other relevant information that will help

Thanks

MikeL2