Computer problems ......

R

rgp

Well-known Member
Location
Milford,OH
How often do any of you here have computer "needed" updates from Microsoft, I suppose?

I swear it happens to me about every week to ten days. I mean damn , shouldn't an update last for some time ?

I had one this morning that took over an hour before It was back up ! And I had a shorter one just about a week ago.

All I use this thing for is, email and a couple of discussion groups just like this one. I do no business on it at all, no checking/savings , no medical ........... nothing.

Just seems really odd to me ........ And it is very annoying as well.
 

i always say i know just enough about computers to be potentially dangerous. i set those updates to some time when VERY unlikely that i'd be online. if there's a point in an update where i have to click on something, i click on whatever is highlighted... even if it doesn't seem like right choice. i can read "computereze" but not comprehend it!

my TV does some kind of update around 3 am. have been having sleep issues so am sometimes up when that happens. there's always an option to "skip" and it doesn't come with "i wouldn't do that if i were you" warning!
 
How Often Does Windows Update Check for New Updates? You can always check for updates manually via Windows Update but it does happen automatically every day. Actually, Windows Update checks for updates randomly, every 17 to 22 hours. But for me I turn it off, and once a month turn it back on and check manually.
 

The one this morning didn't give a time choice , it just stated that an update was necessary, do not turn computer off ?! This was on a black screen background .
 
rgp said:
How often do any of you here have computer "needed" updates from Microsoft, I suppose?

I swear it happens to me about every week to ten days. I mean damn , shouldn't an update last for some time ?

I had one this morning that took over an hour before It was back up ! And I had a shorter one just about a week ago.

All I use this thing for is, email and a couple of discussion groups just like this one. I do no business on it at all, no checking/savings , no medical ........... nothing.

Just seems really odd to me ........ And it is very annoying as well.
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You don't have to take all the updates offered. I'm not sure now but at one time you could turn off the automatic updates and just select the ones that you want. I don't have windows 10 so I don't know if that's still available.
 
This is one of the reasons that I ditched Windows and moved to Linux. I still get security updates loading automatically, but they usually only take a few minutes. All other updates, I choose if and when I load them.

My laptop came with Win 10 Pro loaded. I don't use it , but just in case, I used the 'Group policy' to disable updates. This is only available on the 'Pro' version.
 
Update speed depends on the speed of your computer. My desktop is quite a bit slower than my wife's laptop. The laptop is "lightning fast". We bought the laptop last Nov. from Best Buy, because it is so speedy.

Microsoft updates don't bother me at all, and I'm the one that checks/downloads any updates on both computers. But then again, we use both computers for many things.
 
rgp said:
The one this morning didn't give a time choice , it just stated that an update was necessary, do not turn computer off ?! This was on a black screen background .
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"ON a black screen background"...that doesnt sound right? I'm wondering if it's legit.
I'm not that computer savvy, but when my desktop gets a black screen....it means bad news to me. Like someones interfering w/my computer.

Maybe someone w/more experience can weigh in....
 
macgeek said:
operating systems like Microsoft Windows have millions of lines of code, all written by humans. so their always finding and fixing bugs or security issues or fixing other problems that they find so they put the update out for users to install to fix these issues.
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True. This also leads to the problem that no single person understands all the code and can therefore determine when a fix in one area will not affect another area of the code. I find that with the Microsoft updates, one thing might be fixed, but another may stop working properly. Of course, the security updates we usually won't see since they are operating in the background or don't run unless that part of the code is specifically being run at the time.

The problem is one of "darned if you do, darned if you don't". If one doesn't take the updates, then that computer starts to become a security liability. If one does take the updates, then be prepared for some frustration if something stops functioning properly. I recall a situation a few years ago when there was a cyber-attack that affected Windows computers in hospitals in Great Britain that was reported in the news. At the time, it was stated that the reason we didn't see it in the US was due to Microsoft's auto-updating of computers here and that if the computers that were affected had been updated as frequently, the problem would not have occurred. Of course, that begs the question as to whether those computer users and IT department are notified in a timely manner of such updates.

That is the nature of things when the code base becomes so large and complicated that no single person can grasp it all. Coding by committee is usually a recipe for trouble, even if not outright disaster. With Microsoft's updates, I have yet to see an outright disaster, but often do see little irritating problems come and go. I would think the Chromebook would have a much smaller, and therefore more easily patched, code base than the Windows operating environment. Though I don't have a Chromebook, I think it is intended to be more of a network appliance that relies on Google's cloud apps and data storage. In theory, that is probably the best solution for the average home user, rather than such users needing to be their own IT and support department maintaining a Windows system.

Tony
 
dobielvr said:
But what about the black screen?
Is that normal?
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That doesn't seem normal to me. Windows will automatically reboot your computer if the update requires it, and some do. If you have a black screen, perhaps your computer failed to complete the reboot. I can't determine that since I wasn't there.

Can you boot your computer into Windows?

I had that failure happen to me with an ASUS laptop once. Fortunately, it happened within the return period. I returned the computer rather than have Windows reinstalled at Best Buy because I figured that if the computer was not compatible enough to handle a Microsoft update, which I knew would be an ongoing issue, I didn't want that hassle in my life. I replaced it with a decent Dell instead, and all subsequent Microsoft updates have gone about as smoothly as to be expected. At least they have never failed. :)

Tony
 
rgp you can cancel Microsoft updates but I would not advise it. Google "how to stop Microsoft updates" and you will see the steps to do so.
How your computer reacts depends on your computer. Mine acts like a wounded duck after the updates and takes about three days before it goes back to what it was. Mine is a Dell and probably 7 years old and I am running Windows 10. It has never crashed and runs about 95% on a scale of 100. Sometimes I get updated only to get updated again a couple days later. We all agree it is aggravating.
 
Updates are a "necessary evil", especially in a world that is full of hackers and scammers. I keep Auto Update turned on, and get the latest revisions as they are released. If an update starts while I'm using the PC, our download/upload speed if fast enough that it is hardly noticeable. I do, however, select the time for a Restart....at night, while sleeping...and by morning all is back to normal.

The speed of a persons internet service, and the capabilities of a given PC determine how long an update might take.
 
My computer crashed about a month ago and couldn't recover, so Windows had to re-install. It gave me the option of either deleting all my files or just deleting all my software. Great.
 
Irwin said:
My computer crashed about a month ago and couldn't recover, so Windows had to re-install. It gave me the option of either deleting all my files or just deleting all my software. Great.
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I would have seriously considered a third choice - deleting my computer. :)

Tony
 
Camper6 said:
Congatulations. So for the unwashed and uneducated, how did you figure that out?
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Sorry, Camper6, if you took offense to my sense of humor. I do have Microsoft Office for Mac on my iMac Pro which does occasionally receive updates. So, contrary to popular belief, Apple products are not absolutely devoid of Microsoft products :). Don...
 
Macfan said:
Sorry, Camper6, if you took offense to my sense of humor. I do have Microsoft Office for Mac on my iMac Pro which does occasionally receive updates. So, contrary to popular belief, Apple products are not absolutely devoid of Microsoft products :). Don...
Click to expand...

Though I knew you were joking in that post, I honestly wish you were joking in this one. Windows on a Mac? Perish the thought of crippling such a lovely machine. :)

Tony
 
tbeltrans said:
Though I knew you were joking in that post, I honestly wish you were joking in this one. Windows on a Mac? Perish the thought of crippling such a lovely machine. :)

Tony
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Whoa there Kemosahbee! Microsoft Office, Not Windows! I do not have Windows on my iMac Pro and, quite frankly, only find Office useful once or twice a year but still, the worst tool in the tool box is occasionally just the tool needed, if you catch my meaning :unsure:. Don...
 
rgp said:
How often do any of you here have computer "needed" updates from Microsoft, I suppose?

I swear it happens to me about every week to ten days. I mean damn , shouldn't an update last for some time ?

I had one this morning that took over an hour before It was back up ! And I had a shorter one just about a week ago.

All I use this thing for is, email and a couple of discussion groups just like this one. I do no business on it at all, no checking/savings , no medical ........... nothing.

Just seems really odd to me ........ And it is very annoying as well.
Click to expand...
You are prime candidate for a Chromebook lap top..

Rosemarie said:
This is why I prefer to use a Chromebook. Switch on and straight to work...no waiting. If I use the desktop, you can guarantee I will have to wait for updates. You can't by-pass it, you're not in control of your own computer!
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1 ditto.gif..I got mine and never regretted it!!
 

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