Automatic updates F**** up my rig (every time)

[-Slacker-]

Crashes like an ass hole (constant bsod) and it's a lot slower. Seems to happen every time there are 90 freaking updates ready to install (after I install them).

I'm going to reinstall my windows, but in the mean time, I'm hoping for an answer on how to best manage them (you know like tips and tricks or whatever).

edit: w7 home premium 64 bit.

 

[lxskllr]

Seems to me you shouldn't have that many updates at one time. In any case, I set Windows to notify of updates, but not download them. I then review the updates, and install them when I'm ready. That won't prevent problems, but by reading the updates, it gives you an idea where to look. It also prevents surprise reboots, or unnecessary interruptions to work.

 

[wirednuts]

dear god youre not installing win7 rtm are you? when i try that these days it has to install like 45 updates, then it does the sp1 install, then it does a slew of others after that. the damn pc has to restart about 8 times and it takes about 3 hours to get it all installed.

 

[jhansman]

This is why I created a bootable image of Win7 + SP1 (Google that; many resources out there) that I can install from a USB flash drive. Still have to sit through updates, but far fewer, and installation takes a fraction of the time.

 

[FishAk]

(you know like tips and tricks or whatever).

Sometimes updates interfere with each other, so it's best not to use auto-update.

Install the small updates first, that don't require reboot.

When that's done do the larger ones, and any patch that needs a reboot one at a time. It takes longer, but it prevents problems.

Never allow more than one update to load at one time that needs a reboot.

 

[-Slacker-]

Ah nice. Everything seems simple enough to do, and I never even considered the flash drive thing until now. Thanks folks

 

[Nothinman]

Sometimes updates interfere with each other, so it's best not to use auto-update.

Install the small updates first, that don't require reboot.

When that's done do the larger ones, and any patch that needs a reboot one at a time. It takes longer, but it prevents problems.

Never allow more than one update to load at one time that needs a reboot.

I've never had to do any of that on my workstations, I just blindly install whatever pops up and have had virtually no issues. On a fresh install I've seen multiple updates fail to install, but usually a reboot and retry works fine. Nothing has ever happened that's caused anything close to BSODs. SQL updates are the worst and usually take a manual installation, it's almost as if the people who develop them never even try installing them before pushing them out to WU.

 

[Gillbot]

This is why I created a bootable image of Win7 + SP1 (Google that; many resources out there) that I can install from a USB flash drive. Still have to sit through updates, but far fewer, and installation takes a fraction of the time.

I need to update my install media to include SP1 at least. That would save me a lot of headaches.

To the OP, maybe select a few at a time to see what's messing it up?

 

[jhansman]

From what I found, slipstreaming SP1 into your original install DVD image is not as easy as it was with XP. It can be done, but I ended up downloading the ISO file as torrent, which is easily found. Know that this is a legitimate, M$ compiled ISO that requires an activation key.

 

[Vic Vega]

In ten years of using automatic update on thousands of machines I can't say I've experienced the OP's issue.

 

[VirtualLarry]

In ten years of using automatic update on thousands of machines I can't say I've experienced the OP's issue.

This. I suspect hardware troubles, not automatic update issues.

 

[imagoon]

Sometimes updates interfere with each other, so it's best not to use auto-update.

Install the small updates first, that don't require reboot.

When that's done do the larger ones, and any patch that needs a reboot one at a time. It takes longer, but it prevents problems.

Never allow more than one update to load at one time that needs a reboot.

Never encountered that.

Main office: 100 workstations 17 servers: Number of issued caused by windows update: (excluding IE upgrades screwing up internal websites) : 0. Some the imaged PCs that have been on the shelf for awhile will install 60+ updates from WSUS in one shot and be fine.

 

[imagoon]

This. I suspect hardware troubles, not automatic update issues.

This or a virus.

 

[corkyg]

In ten years of using automatic update on thousands of machines I can't say I've experienced the OP's issue.

This for me as well. Usually Windows updates come in the first part of every month - never more than 10-11. They happen while I'm sound alseep - never a problem.

 

[Meghan54]

I've had the same success as the others. Never had a BSOD from doing Windows updates, at least with Win 7. Long ago with some XP updates, problems. None with 7, even when doing a fresh install and doing the download/install/reboot/download/etc. dance of updates, SP1, updates.

Have had one or two updates randomly fail to install on new builds, but like Nothingman said, a reboot and reinstall has always fixed that.

 

[Emulex]

sounds like a virus or a warez problem - i've had no such issues with 60+ machines and 30+ windows servers ever. check yourself dude.

 

[lowrider69]

From what I found, slipstreaming SP1 into your original install DVD image is not as easy as it was with XP. It can be done, but I ended up downloading the ISO file as torrent, which is easily found. Know that this is a legitimate, M$ compiled ISO that requires an activation key.

I wouldn't touch a torrented Windows ISO with a ten foot pole. Yeah I know MD5 checksums, still, I just stay away from them.

 

[imagoon]

Building a SP1 Windows 7 wim isn't particularly difficult. The hardest part is just downloading the WAIK kit. I rebuild the images at the office every few months with it. MY current windows 7 install (in wim format so could be cd installed) is current as of about 2 months ago with patches I have several apps installed also.

 

[jhansman]

I wouldn't touch a torrented Windows ISO with a ten foot pole. Yeah I know MD5 checksums, still, I just stay away from them.

I hear ya. Somewhere in the depths of the the M$ sight is the ISO, but they use such obtuse filenames, it becomes a pain figuring out if you have the right image or not.

 

[Seero]

Interesting how people made it sounded like windows never crash. If it is so perfect then what exactly are those patches for?

OP, chances are you have have some issues with drivers and hardwares though. Update SHOULD not cause BSODs and/or crashes, but if a BSOD and/or crashes occured during update, then you may have ended up with a corrupted OS. Sometimes windows can repair itself, but usually it fails. The best bet is to do a clean reinstall and check stability on each individual components of the PC via benchmark tests. Try to read what the BSOD is about and you may be able to locate where the problem is quicker.

Once all problems are resolved, do a full back up so if shit happens again, at least you don't need to reinstall every little things.

 

[Nothinman]

Interesting how people made it sounded like windows never crash. If it is so perfect then what exactly are those patches for?

I don't think I've ever seen a BSOD in my Win7 install for work and I've had it since it came out.

Click the individual patches to see what they address. However, the vague descriptions and closed bug tracking and development MS does for Win7 makes it impossible to know what they really fix. I picked a few random ones that were in my update history and the first sentences were literally "This is a reliability update." and "Install this update to resolve issues in Windows." You get some more details by clicking in the KB article links, but who takes the time to jump through all those hoops?

 

[StormSide]

Building a SP1 Windows 7 wim isn't particularly difficult. The hardest part is just downloading the WAIK kit. I rebuild the images at the office every few months with it. MY current windows 7 install (in wim format so could be cd installed) is current as of about 2 months ago with patches I have several apps installed also.

http://www.mydigitallife.info/official-windows-7-sp1-iso-from-digital-river/

This has links to all the W7 SP1 integrated images on digitalriver.

 

[imagoon]

http://www.mydigitallife.info/official-windows-7-sp1-iso-from-digital-river/

This has links to all the W7 SP1 integrated images on digitalriver.

That works also, I just like embedding things like the .net patches in there also. Esp since those a huge updates that take forever to download and install. I just built this image in June (I also use it to network deploy Win7 to workstations but I can put it on a CD also) and there are already almost 550MB of patches in the WSUS to be applied.

 

[VirtualLarry]

http://www.mydigitallife.info/official-windows-7-sp1-iso-from-digital-river/

This has links to all the W7 SP1 integrated images on digitalriver.

Thanks for that. Getting 3.6MB/sec download on my 25/25 FIOS line. Life is good!