20 Epic Microsoft Windows Automatic Update Meltdowns

[CommanderFrank]

InfoWorld just loves to stir the pot on occasion and this turn around the barrel is none other than Microsoft and its 20 Windows automated updates from Hell. Take a cruise through the slide menu for a quick memory refresher of past monumental failures of MS’s auto update.

From inscrutable driver problems to bricked machines and everywhere in between, Automatic Update is a poster child in “what’s wrong with Windows” circles -- rightfully so.

 

[delahaya]

Let's be honest. Its really actually amazing there have only been 20 major ones. The fact it works as well as it does the vast majority of the time is pretty great. Microsoft gets so much crap from people, none of who could do any better.

 

[nutzo]

I guess the could just follow apple's example and just not fix the problems for several months.

 

[Trimlock]

Let's be honest. Its really actually amazing there have only been 20 major ones. The fact it works as well as it does the vast majority of the time is pretty great. Microsoft gets so much crap from people, none of who could do any better.

The rabid hate on the internet for Microsoft is funny to read sometimes, and sometimes its downright sad.

I wasn't burned that bad by most of these patches, nor have I had a bricked machine by it but MS did make it easy to roll back. I think I had 2 instances where I needed to re-image because of a bad patch.


Not sure how to brick a machine with an OS patch but ...

 

[PeaKr]

Instances vary depending on the software and configuration of the machine. A gaming box prolly wouldn't suffer much but a workstation/server running critical software could cause major headaches. And lets be honest, there have been a great deal more than 20. The borked updates problem has been getting worse by the month. Just a few weeks ago KB3034196 broke cisco's anyconnect. Perhaps all the layoffs to boost their stock price is causing some blowback. IMO 'one OS for all' will become a nightmare.

 

[Spidey329]

I thought these were going to be people losing their sh** and having epic meltdowns because Windows decided it was time to force an update.

My god, that is so frustrating. Never had a problem in Win7, but Win8 loves to f with you. "Oh, you want to do a simple quick reboot because you installed an app? Well, here's a forced update to make this 10minutes long!" Or the classic "That looks like an unimportant document you're working on, let's go ahead and reboot."

 

[Megalith]

What if I told you that you could turn automatic updates off.

 

[Master_shake_]

no mention of kb971033?

the "update" that killed genuine windows 7 installs?

wth?

 

[Cerulean]

Let's be honest. Its really actually amazing there have only been 20 major ones. The fact it works as well as it does the vast majority of the time is pretty great. Microsoft gets so much crap from people, none of who could do any better.

That and that Windows is probably the most complex OS in existence with 20 years+ of hardcore experience worldwide owning up to the majority of the consumer and business markets.

 

[Cerulean]

I thought these were going to be people losing their sh** and having epic meltdowns because Windows decided it was time to force an update.

My god, that is so frustrating. Never had a problem in Win7, but Win8 loves to f with you. "Oh, you want to do a simple quick reboot because you installed an app? Well, here's a forced update to make this 10minutes long!" Or the classic "That looks like an unimportant document you're working on, let's go ahead and reboot."

Or when Windows 8 prompts you a full screen notification saying Windows 8.1 is available but is never available in the Store or when it does become available it is unable to install for unknown reasons without any error code or explanation. (I kid you not!)

 

[Ashbringer]

The rabid hate on the internet for Microsoft is funny to read sometimes, and sometimes its downright sad.

So sad that more bitching here about people who hate on Microsoft instead of Microsoft itself. What's the internet come to today?

 

[denali]

Is there a list, by KB number, of all the fucked up patched from 2014? I actually turned patching off and I've been... concerned about actually doing patches until I could manually verify that none of the screwy ones were on the list.

 

[Godmachine]

The rabid hate on the internet for Microsoft is funny to read sometimes, and sometimes its downright sad.

I wasn't burned that bad by most of these patches, nor have I had a bricked machine by it but MS did make it easy to roll back. I think I had 2 instances where I needed to re-image because of a bad patch.


Not sure how to brick a machine with an OS patch but ...

Its easy to hate the top dog. Microsoft has years of being a big easy target to it. People always scramble to tell me that this Linux distro or that Linux distro is best. Every time I try it I just end up disappointed. Yep , its safer but nothing is safe anymore. If you haven't watched Citizen Four I suggest doing so , with all the recent news on the Equation group there is no such thing as a secure OS so what's the point with fucking with Linux anymore? That was its best feature.

You can buy a $99 tablet that runs a full desktop Windows 8.1 OS and its very smooth and you can even stream games to it from Steam. The iPad needed its own OS and market to accomplish only half that and its far more expensive.

Microsoft is making the right choices and advancing itself in the right direction. And Windows 8.1? It runs great for me. Better than Windows 7 or anything else.

 

[daglesj]

Can't say as I noticed any of those causing me or any of my customers any issues.

I also raise my eyebrow at the hate MS gets on the internet. If it wasn't for MS most of us wouldn't be here.

For instance the tame IT press slagged off and laughed at MS two years ago for the WinRT debacle and also at Windows 8 with its tablet interface.

Now where are we? Oh yes MS has most of it's software on pretty much every platform worth bothering with. They now have the chips they wanted from Intel in the first place that will allow their whole OS to sit on a $99 tablet or laptop or desktop...oh that also actually works well on a tablet too due to the UI.

Yeah silly old MS!

Quite honestly MS is now quite a way ahead of the rest of the pack.