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Author Topic: Cumulative Update a Real Pain  (Read 8423 times)

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Allan

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Cumulative Update a Real Pain
« on: May 26, 2016, 11:21:23 AM »
There is a cumulative Windows update that appears in each monthly set of updates and if I don't catch it in time it prevents three different Windows 10 systems in my house from booting and I have to use True Image to restore. This has been going on for about 5 months now and I know there are a lot of folks with the same problem. You'd think Microsoft would pull or fix the update.

At least two of the systems are are W10 Professional or Ultimate so I've just used gpedit to stop automatic updates (you'd think I would have done this earlier), but the other system isn't and I have to remember to create the images and/or hide the update on the day it comes out. What a Pain!!!

Just using the forum to rant ;D
« Last Edit: May 27, 2016, 05:27:17 AM by Allan »

DaveLembke



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Re: Cumulative Update a Reap Pain
« Reply #1 on: May 26, 2016, 12:54:28 PM »
I really dont understand Microsoft these days:

Pushy for people to 10 even when people go through measures to avoid it, and then now to hear that they are even pushing updates that are unwanted once your onto 10 which break systems. WOW.

Patio suggested that he has set his updates to notify vs auto for his system(s). I am going to do this for all my systems now. It might be the fix to your problem here too. My situation is that systems on 7, Microsoft is trying to force to 10 and I dont want 10. I have one computer that I took the free Windows 10 upgrade on from 7. And that system is in my closet for someday when I need 10 for some reason I will have a system on 10 and not miss out of the free upgrade. But other systems I want to remain on 7. Some of which clearly do not support 10 due to age of a single-core laptop for example where the Intel Chipset was lucky enough to have Windows 7 driver for integrated video, but of which there is no Windows 10 driver for the GPU so it fails to upgrade to 10. Others I know have have their computers turn into a brick when taking free upgrade and then the system is stuck in a boot loop because there was a malfunction with a driver or something else causing a crash condition boot loop etc.

I ended up cloning the drive in my one highly configured Windows 7 system so that if Microsoft somehow tries again to forcefully upgrade me to 10, i should be able to clone the cloned drive back to the master drive. I have the drive that is cloned inside the tower disconnected from power and comm. So that its not able to get infected as well as doesnt wear on the drive idling when the system is running.

Makes me wonder what kind of a monster Microsoft is turning into and what the end game is for everyone they are forcing to 10. Also saw a comment elsewhere online where someone stated that if they are so pushy for people to be on Windows 10, why not make the upgrade from 7, 8, 8.1 to 10 available forever vs a deadline. Of course new builds etc would need to buy the OS, but if they really want to KILL OFF 7, 8, and 8.1 make the upgrade available forever. Eventually people might take up the upgrade if there are no pressure tactics, and once the true intent of getting everyone to 10 is brought to light to be maybe not such a bad thing where as the push to 10 seems like there may be something hidden to this free upgrade model since they are so pushy for people to be onto 10 and they will be making money somehow on the people taking the free upgrades, just not sure how yet!

patio

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Re: Cumulative Update a Reap Pain
« Reply #2 on: May 26, 2016, 01:56:33 PM »
You happen to have the update # from your update list ? ?
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Allan

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Re: Cumulative Update a Reap Pain
« Reply #3 on: May 26, 2016, 03:04:18 PM »
This month it's KB3156421


Computer_Commando



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Re: Cumulative Update a Reap Pain
« Reply #5 on: May 26, 2016, 04:41:49 PM »
You can get it manually from here:
https://catalog.update.microsoft.com/v7/site/Home.aspx
You must use IE, not Edge, Firefox or Chrome.

[attachment deleted by admin to conserve space]

Allan

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Re: Cumulative Update a Reap Pain
« Reply #6 on: May 27, 2016, 05:25:09 AM »
Why would I WANT to get it? I'm blocking it from installing.

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Re: Cumulative Update a Real Pain
« Reply #7 on: May 27, 2016, 04:22:20 PM »
I was going to post yesterday that Windows 10 updates themselves haven't caused similar issues. I have that update on one of my Win10 systems and the other uses the insider track so tends to get full releases every while.

It sounds like the update might cause problems on systems with NVidia drivers from what I've read. Would explain why it installed on the "normal" Windows 10 system as that's using AMD hardware.

However I decided to update the insider PC system to check out a new Application Manifest feature involving declaring support for >260 character paths, and Windows 10 no longer boots on that system. Hangs trying to install the update with the Windows Logo. Rebooting will cause it to give up installing the new update and "restoring your previous version of Windows" and then I'm back on the previous build which shows a notification right away that the system needs to be restarted to install updates, Rinse and repeat. Perhaps it is failing to upgrade because that cumulative update is in the new insider track release as well.

Unrelated but their use of an 'Active Voice' in messages is kind of weird. "We couldn't finish installing updates" compared to "Updates could not be installed".

I was trying to dereference Null Pointers before it was cool.

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Re: Cumulative Update a Real Pain
« Reply #8 on: May 27, 2016, 04:44:13 PM »
The problem is getting it downloaded, not the update itself.  I've installed it on 6 machines with no issues.
MS's update servers don't seem to be up to the task of this new way of updating.

BC_Programmer


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Re: Cumulative Update a Real Pain
« Reply #9 on: May 27, 2016, 05:08:15 PM »
The problem is getting it downloaded, not the update itself.  I've installed it on 6 machines with no issues.
MS's update servers don't seem to be up to the task of this new way of updating.

Perhaps I have the timeline incorrect. In my mind, the update is downloaded, and when that download is completed, it is verified and then installs. (if the download fails it throws up an error and you have to retry the download) In this case, it needs to reboot to complete the installation. It doesn't seem very likely that the issue with systems being unable to boot is related to a problem downloading the update.
I was trying to dereference Null Pointers before it was cool.

patio

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Re: Cumulative Update a Real Pain
« Reply #10 on: May 27, 2016, 06:19:44 PM »
Quote
It doesn't seem very likely that the issue with systems being unable to boot is related to a problem downloading the update.

Actually it does explain why systems aren't able to boot...unfinished rollups/updates are the most common cause of fully healthy systems having boot issues...
" Anyone who goes to a psychiatrist should have his head examined. "

BC_Programmer


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Re: Cumulative Update a Real Pain
« Reply #11 on: May 27, 2016, 11:14:03 PM »
Actually it does explain why systems aren't able to boot...unfinished rollups/updates are the most common cause of fully healthy systems having boot issues...

Windows Update downloads all the updates first, and then starts installing them, as far as I can determine. This would suggest issues installing the updates aren't related to the download except in the case that they completely fail to download at all (eg. the server issues CC noted), but in that case, it seems it would only result in the update not installing at all since the download can't complete.

Of course if it somehow works such that the download is in progress and it starts installing while it is still grabbing data for that installation from the server, then I've assumed excessive competence on the part of Microsoft.
I was trying to dereference Null Pointers before it was cool.

Allan

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Re: Cumulative Update a Real Pain
« Reply #12 on: May 28, 2016, 03:49:57 AM »
The update APPEARS to install normally and then says "100% installed" after reboot, and hangs there. However, it does give me an idea - later today I'll try to install from safe mode and see what happens.

Allan

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Re: Cumulative Update a Real Pain
« Reply #13 on: June 01, 2016, 09:58:42 AM »
Well, here's what I decided to do. I upgraded the problematic system from W10 Home to W10 Pro using the universal Microsoft update activation code. The process was not straightforward because as part of the upgrade Windows also installs all available Windows updates (including cumulative updates) and that means the system would not boot after the upgrade. I had to enable legacy boot command options so I could get into safe mode, uninstall the one update that was installed today (it was NOT the cumulative update listed above, but a different update which did not say "cumulative update" in its Programs & Features description, but IS a cumulative update - KB3140743), hide the cumulative update listed in the "show-hide" applet (which, btw, was the original one listed in this thread, not the one I just deleted), and then reboot.

The system then booted nominally, allowing me to activate W10 with an old (and of course legitimate and no longer in use) W7 Ultimate activation code. Using the gpedit snap-in I disabled automatic updates and then created an image with True Image, rebooted, and everything now seems fine. Now all of my systems are running W10 Pro with auto-updates disabled. YEA!!!!!

patio

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Re: Cumulative Update a Real Pain
« Reply #14 on: June 01, 2016, 10:11:36 AM »
Interesting point...so i allowed 2 updates last eve to see if it did work that way.

At 1st net activity was steady...then slowed...disk activity started.
But about 1/2 way thru activity was pretty consistent on both so...no definitive conclusion on my end.
" Anyone who goes to a psychiatrist should have his head examined. "