Win7 Home Premium (non) update this week

[Metr0Land]

My wife's laptop had an auto update yesterday when she tried to shut down (which tends to mean this desktop gets the same update a few days later).

 

At first it didn't seem too bad as the shut down msgs was saying 'Don't switch off, installing 1 of 1 updates' or somesuch.  However it took quite a while which seemed long for a single update.

 

This morning when she booted up, she got the usual kind of msg along the lines of 'updating item n of N' and generally going from 1 to 30,000 or so in a few secs.

 

Then it got to 37,700 of 39,800ish items updated and stopped saying 'unable to complete' (or words to that effect). 

 

It then tried to open the previous config which worked ok.

 

However, when she tried to shut the laptop down normally it went through the same routine ie installing 1 of 1 update, taking quite a while, then on rebooting gets to 37,700 of 39k, refuses to finish, but opens ok after falling back or whatever it's doing.

 

 

Any ideas how we can get out of this loop?

 

 

 

(Changing to Linux, Mac or any other OS isn't an option, we need a fix for this Win7 fault if any kind person has one?)

 

 

[Pannier Tank]

I think this is a Internet Explorer problem. Are you using Internet Explorer or another browser?

[RFS]

Try going into Control Panel and then Windows Update to see what updates are pending.  You may well see one that is marked "failed".  I would try hiding the update.  Also go into "change settings" and for important updates use the option to "let you choose when to install them".

[DonB]

Using Chrome this week I got the same update at shut-down, and which went through the following boot-up satisfactorily. It did seem a larger than usual patch / update. 

[Metr0Land]

I think this is a Internet Explorer problem. Are you using Internet Explorer or another browser?

 

Firefox

[ZiderHead]

This sounds like malware of some kind, potentially something very nasty since its effecting Windows Update. What antivirus are you using?

[Metr0Land]

This sounds like malware of some kind, potentially something very nasty since its effecting Windows Update. What antivirus are you using?

 

It's the McAfee one you get with BT Broadband

[Edwin_m]

We had a big update come through at work yesterday.  I was then unable to login with my PC standalone on the train afterwards as it was claiming my password was invalid.  I could login with home broadband but found that Internet Explorer was virtually useless - couldn't even close it down except through task manager.  The IT people needed to log in as administrators and reset several registry variables which appear to control whether Explorer is permitted to do various things. 

[ZiderHead]

I'm not familiar with McAfee, but try running the deepest scan you can with it (if it takes less than 30mins its not looking hard enough) and see what it turns up.

 

If it doesn't find anything, or finishes suspiciously quickly, grab the free version of Malwarebytes and run that after starting up in safe mode.

[Metr0Land]

I must admit I'm confused as to why you're all asking about browsers (though my knowledge of these things is scant).

 

The update didn't/doesn't load until everything is shutting down ie the browser is closed, and then on booting up the pc, the browser isn't open whilst the pc is going thru its operating system stuff before you get to the point where you put in your password (my wife has her laptop password protected).

 

Am I missing something here?

[ZiderHead]

Not sure about the browser stuff either - I assumed you meant Windows Updates (maybe because XP used IE for updates rather than the Control Panel Win7 uses?)

 

What happens when you try doing the Windows Updates manually via Control Panel? Does it show 1000s to update there too?

[PGC]

Normally the updates you're talking about are the registry changes that come with some of the Windows updates.

 

If you're finding that you can get in to the previous configuration, you're best off going in, then following the advice from RFS above about changes to Windows update and let us know what happens.

 

Phil

[Edwin_m]

I must admit I'm confused as to why you're all asking about browsers (though my knowledge of these things is scant).

 

The update didn't/doesn't load until everything is shutting down ie the browser is closed, and then on booting up the pc, the browser isn't open whilst the pc is going thru its operating system stuff before you get to the point where you put in your password (my wife has her laptop password protected).

 

Am I missing something here?

The problem in my case appears to be to do with an update to the registry that corrupted the settings used by Internet Explorer.  The forward and back buttons in folder windows were unusable as well - I've a feeling Windows (7 in this case) uses something similar to Internet Explorer to display folders. 

 

But I'm not an expert either - the BBC Micro was probably the last computer I understood reasonably well.

[shortliner]

This happened about a month ago on XP Pro - and ever since I have had 8 updates trying to install when I close down - each one showing as "failed" and no apparent way of killing them off!

[Metr0Land]

Thanks for your response guys, will have a look at the laptop later today.

[Pannier Tank]

Firefox

Ok so you can disable Internet Explorer?

 

1: click on "Start"

2: Type "Windows Features"

3: Select "Turn Windows features on/off"

4: disable Internet Explorer

That should solve the problem after a "restart"

[Ian J.]

Updating so many items seems odd behaviour to me. IE is a pain in the a**e as far as I'm concerned and I only use Firefox now, but I don't know that the browser is relevant to this problem. I second the mentions of checking Windows Update via Control Panel to see what's found there and let us know.

 

Disabling IE is not necessarily a good idea. While the sentiment is sound, the logic of certain things MS does isn't, so some elements of IE will still likely be needed to do things on a Windows computer regardless of those things not being internet related.

[Pannier Tank]

Disabling IE is not necessarily a good idea. While the sentiment is sound, the logic of certain things MS does isn't, so some elements of IE will still likely be needed to do things on a Windows computer regardless of those things not being internet related.

 

It's worked so far with no noticeable issues, will see how it goes.

[Bernard Lamb]

Had the same sort of thing.

On two machines.

One had a message about the version of explorer.

After shutting down three times and ticking the box that was telling me to change the version all is back and working OK.

On the other machine it all works fine except that when I go into AOL email it tells me that I am using the wrong version and emails appear in the in box in a strange order and manner.

Changing the settings as asked does not hold good when I turn the machine off and then back on.

Is it all part of a Microsoft plot to force you into buying a new version of windows/

Cynic?

Me?

Probably.

Bernard

[Metr0Land]

OK today's saga which at the moment has a happy ending

 

Last night the laptop turned of normally so on booting it this morning it started normally...........

 

However, when my wife tried to switch off at lunchtime she got the 'Do Not Power off, installing 1 of 1' msg again so of course upon rebooting it went through the rigmarole of trying to update but failing.

 

I tried to see if anything was failing but in the screens I got up nothing seemd to have failed, there were just 2 items awaiting installation:

 

a/ Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5.1 for Windows 7 x64 based system (KB2858725) 53MB

b/ Bing Desktop v1.3.1 - 9MB

 

AFAIK I don't need these so tried to hide them.  Well actually I did hide them according to the screen but........

 

When I switched off I got the 'Do Not Power off, installing 1 of 1' msg again so of course upon rebooting it went through the rigmarole of trying to update but failing.

 

Another tack. 

 

I downloaded the free version of Malwarebytes as it needed trying since my wife has been picking things up (I assume) from her sewing circle message boards and shop sites where it looks like the well intentioned users know even less about 'puters than we do, so it's very easy for scrotes to put malware on sites. The likes of McAfee and others don't pick them up 'cos they're not virusus per se, and for some reason Ad Blocker in Firefox seems to partly miss some of these.  (I say partly - since installation of Ad blocker very little has fully popped up, but she gets quite a lot of white screens popping up where you can see a url at the top of the tab (Australian brewery being a frequent one, and Mosquito offers another).

 

I ran the quick scan and that found 27 items scattered around here hard drive that mostly looked like annoying ad type names.

 

I've now gone thru a couple of cycles of switching off and rebooting and so far the Windoze update thing has gone away.

 

Until my wife has spent an evening doing what she normally does on the laptop I can't be fully sure but fingers crossed you've helped her and me a great deal.

 

Thanks

[Guest]

I have had "Installing 1 update of 1 - Do not power off/unplug machine/pass go/collect £200" every night for the past week now (Windows 7 Home Premium/Opera browser). Clearly, it's not just me getting this stuff, then. I'll be speaking with elder son later and will ask if he knows anything.

[BoD]

I think it has already been covered above but this takes you through one possible solution step by step.

[ZiderHead]

I downloaded the free version of Malwarebytes … I ran the quick scan and that found 27 items scattered around here hard drive that mostly looked like annoying ad type names.

 

I've now gone thru a couple of cycles of switching off and rebooting and so far the Windoze update thing has gone away.

 

Thats good news!

 

However … you should run the Full Scan in MalwareBytes and McAfee as well, as the Quick Scans will not find everything.

 

If either of them find anything, make sure they have cleaned/deleted it, then reboot and run both the Full Scans again. Its common for viruses and malware to apparently get cleaned and then reappear next time the machine reboots.

 

[Metr0Land]

Thats good news!

 

However … you should run the Full Scan in MalwareBytes and McAfee as well, as the Quick Scans will not find everything.

 

If either of them find anything, make sure they have cleaned/deleted it, then reboot and run both the Full Scans again. Its common for viruses and malware to apparently get cleaned and then reappear next time the machine reboots.

 

 

OK thanks - I ran the quickie just to see what it would show up.  Will do more thoroughly soon.

[Metr0Land]

Just an update to say my wife's laptop has now been running ok for several nights (I do hope I haven't just put a curse on it).

 

I've stopped it auto-updating Windows.

Run full scan with Malwarebytes

Run full scan with McAfee

 

Neither of the scans showed any new problems.

 

Thanks for all your help guys.