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Notices, Help With Problems and Your Forum Ideas... => Computer Help => Topic started by: TrevL on October 12, 2018, 05:43:53 PM

Title: Window 7 assistance please
Post by: TrevL on October 12, 2018, 05:43:53 PM
I have, upto now, been very happy with W7.  It's aways been very stable, with no crashes, and no spurious goings on and the like, and have been loath to upgrade because it has been so good.
However, after the last two MS automatic W7 updates, I've had trouble booting up the following day after the new updates have installed themselves.

Symptoms are as follows after booting up;-
1.  It takes a good five minutes to boot up.
2.  The curser starts to act slowly, the eventually fails to respond at all.
3.  Due to the failed curser, I can't shut the machine down, and CTRL/Alt/Delete dosen't work, so I have to pull the plug.
4.  Because I didn't shut it down properly, it asks me if I want to boot up in safe mode. I've tried to start windows normally, but items 1, 2 & 3 happen again so I boot up in safe mode.
5. As I figure the updates, (I've only permitted security type updates) are the cause, I've done a system restore. Yesterdays restore took me back to 06/10/18.
6. Restore failed to work due to some "numerical figure" reason (Sorry, I didn't write it down).  When I pressed "OK", the machine restarted normally as if nothing had happened out of the ordinary.  The machine has again worked flawlessly since then, and did so the last time too.

Annoyingly, this series of events has happened only twice, and was immediately after the last two automatic updates.

AMD Athlon II X2 250 Processor 3.00 Ghz.
8 GB RAM.
64 bit.
Windows 7 Home Premium SP1.
Firefox.
Paid for Bitdefender 2018 AV software.

Your thoughts please?
Title: Re: Window 7 assistance please
Post by: ntpntpntp on October 12, 2018, 05:49:50 PM
Our work PCs do that after windows updates, it can take 5 minutes to get past "welcome" after we've had an update. I just go to the canteen and get breakfast, and it's sorted itself when I get back.

Could be the AV deciding to do a full scan due to the changes.  We have so much monitoring/security software on our work boxes it's amazing we can get anything done sometime  :D

I can tell when it's downloading/preparing an update, it chews up RAM and stuff starts to slow down or misbehave (like refusing to close open windows).
Title: Re: Window 7 assistance please
Post by: keithfre on October 12, 2018, 05:53:37 PM
Quote from: TrevL on October 12, 2018, 05:43:53 PM
3.  Due to the failed curser, I can't shut the machine down
Try the keyboard method: Ctrl-Esc, then Tab to Shutdown.
Title: Re: Window 7 assistance please
Post by: Dorsetmike on October 12, 2018, 06:32:56 PM
I run Win7 pro 64 bit on 2 machines, I had trouble a couple of times last year after updates so I completely disabled updates in Control Panel, not had any problems since; both machines have SSDs and take about 30 seconds to boot, time enough for me to walk about 10 feet to the  window, open the curtains, have  a quick look at the weather, by the time I get back to the PC it's booted. Start the music playing, click the keyboard/Monitor switch to the other machine and hit that go button, then have me breakfast.

Win 7 does all I want, probably some of my software won't run on 10, one programme now I have to run on an XP virtual machine, it's a 16 year old image/photo editor, again it does all I want and I've used the same programme since 1991 on V2, 2002 it was up to V10 when the company was bought out.

If it ain't broke why fix it?
Title: Re: Window 7 assistance please
Post by: Railwaygun on October 12, 2018, 06:59:35 PM
The OED defines "curser" as "any user of a Windows machine"

I recommend Big Macs!
Title: Re: Window 7 assistance please
Post by: Dancess on October 12, 2018, 07:04:55 PM
Had problem with unable to access Internet explorer after latest update, just downloaded it again and everything seems fine though I only use it to read the forum as I don't want to log out as I can't remember my password!
Title: Re: Window 7 assistance please
Post by: Dorsetmike on October 12, 2018, 07:36:12 PM
You can save passwords in Firefox, wouldn't  know about other browsers though. I've got the paswords saved for all 8 of the forums I use.
Title: Re: Window 7 assistance please
Post by: TrevL on October 12, 2018, 09:05:17 PM
That's exactly the same a me, weird, hey ho, guess I'll just have to live with it if it's not unique to my 'puter. Maybe if I disable all updates?
Title: Re: Window 7 assistance please
Post by: dannyboy on October 12, 2018, 09:10:45 PM
Quote from: Railwaygun on October 12, 2018, 06:59:35 PM
The OED defines "curser" as "any user of a Windows machine"


Are we 'cursers' because of the comments we make following an update?  :hmmm:
Title: Re: Window 7 assistance please
Post by: Dorsetmike on October 12, 2018, 09:21:14 PM
Quote from: TrevL on October 12, 2018, 09:05:17 PM
That's exactly the same a me, weird, hey ho, guess I'll just have to live with it if it's not unique to my 'puter. Maybe if I disable all updates?

As
I said above, disable all Microsoft updates in control panel.
Title: Re: Window 7 assistance please
Post by: Ian Bowden on October 12, 2018, 09:52:08 PM
All microsoft updates contain the latest version of their malicious software removal tool. It runs automatically when the computer is next started and does some checks on your computer to erase any malicious software loaded since the last update. It does take some time depending on the amount of data to be scanned. Just wait and it should sort itself out. Disabling updates is OK if you don't go on the internet. Unpatched computers are the main source of virus propagation, spam bots are always looking for host computers.
It is reported by investigators that an unprotected computer will probably last about 15 minutes before being infected.
Title: Re: Window 7 assistance please
Post by: NinOz on October 13, 2018, 03:17:41 AM
When problems like these persist after a few days then I find a reinstall of windows has always removed problems.  Pain in the butt reinstalling programs but well worth the effort.
Had a flakey win10 due to an update, reinstall has given a stable system for now.
Friend religiously reinstalls windows each year, problems or not.