Microsoft urges Windows 7 users to uninstall 'Blue Screen of Death' patch

[HiFlyer 9,372]

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9238371/Microsoft_urges_Windows_7_users_to_uninstall_Blue_Screen_of_Death_patch

 

 

 

Microsoft today urged Windows 7 users to uninstall a patch shipped earlier this week that has crashed customer's PCs and crippled the machines with endless reboots. The patch, which was originally issued Tuesday, has been pulled from Microsoft's Windows Update service.

 

But the company told users who had already installed it -- or had it installed for them by Windows' Automatic Updates -- to remove it as soon as possible. "Microsoft recommends that customers uninstall this update," the company said in a support document.

 

Microsoft yanked the patch in response to widespread reports that it was generating the notorious "Blue Screen of Death" (BSOD) error message and by rebooting repeatedly, making the PCs useless.

 

Early reports of problems originated from Brazilian customers running Windows 7, but others outside that country noted that they received error messages pointing to software from Russian antivirus vendor Kaspersky Lab as a contributing factor.

[n4gix 4,955]

Some folks think I'm strange because I don't allow Windows to auto-update will he, nill he, but instead only permit updates to install whenever I've got enough time set aside to monitor just what will be updated, and also have time to create a fresh restore image before applying the updates... B)

[xxxmikexxx 0]

Some folks think I'm strange because I don't allow Windows to auto-update will he, nill he, but instead only permit updates to install whenever I've got enough time set aside to monitor just what will be updated, and also have time to create a fresh restore image before applying the updates... B)

I have a similar policy -- no automatic updates of anything. 

 

I also have another policy -- Windows XP only.  I have a Win7 laptop but the next time I need to use it I'm going to install WinXP SP3 on it.  My other three machines are already XP SP3.

 

And hi Bill, it's Mike McCarthy.

[n4gix 4,955]

Hi Mike, welcome back. Thanks also for the kind words in your first thread.

[vc10man 732]

Oddly enough I did update Tuesday and have not seen any BSODs. I'd better re-check and undo.

[Ron Attwood 3,499]

Reading a bit more. Microsoft issue a fix KB2808735, I checked in the Programs and Features/ Installed updates and it was already there! :unknw: 

[HiFlyer 9,372]

Reading a bit more. Microsoft issue a fix KB2808735, I checked in the Programs and Features/ Installed updates and it was already there! :unknw:

 

And this was as of just a few hours ago.  :mellow:

 

According to some posts on Microsoft's Answers forums, the update is still showing up on some computers and sometimes it gets installed automatically, so users have no other option that to remove it manually every time they reboot the system.

 

Microsoft, on the other hand, recommends users to block the update from getting installed, at least until a fix is released, so make sure you skip KB2823324 until you're on the safe side.

 

 

 

Based on that, I would guess that there are people out there that probably still have the old update on their systems and are still unaware of the problem. I know I sometimes see updates available (I have my machine set for download but don't install) and if I am distracted, I may not allow them for days until windows gets a mind of its own and abruptly shuts down my computer before I can stop it (usually while I am in the middle of something) to install them.   

[mosteen 111]

Oddly enough I did update Tuesday and have not seen any BSODs. I'd better re-check and undo.

 

Neither have I, I have four Win7 PC's at home and plenty more at work, all updates go automatically, it has worked like a charm since day one. I have no time to install all updates manually, no time to make an image of every disk before every single "KB"-update either. It'll be fine, no worries.

 

If all my PC's blued out tomorrow I would spend a few hours to rollback and restore backups, no problem. I prefer that any day in comparison to sacrificing the benefits of getting the updates automatically, and unnecessary spending hours every time there is an update, when 99,9% of the updates are totally ok.

 

And by the way, I am never ever going back to XP either, no chance, Win7 is miles ahead

 

Just my 2 cents

 

Cheers,

[vc10man 732]

And I have just checked on my Installed Updates,and sure enough, it KB2823324 is there installed on the 11th as a Security Update but I have not experienced a BSOD. Maybe I ought to play safe and delete it.

 

Agree with most of your observations and comments too, mosteen

[Luke 782]

I also have another policy -- Windows XP only.  I have a Win7 laptop but the next time I need to use it I'm going to install WinXP SP3 on it.  My other three machines are alreadyXP SP3.

 

That seems like a poor idea going forward. You're running an out of support operating system that will soon cease to have any security patches created for it - not to mention the fact that it's not designed to support or take advantage of newer hardware.

 

At some point, you need to move forward. That doesn't mean accepting every upgrade (I skipped Vista and will likely skip 8).

 

Cheers!

 

Luke

[xxxmikexxx 0]

That seems like a poor idea going forward. You're running an out of support operating system that will soon cease to have any security patches created for it - not to mention the fact that it's not designed to support or take advantage of newer hardware.

 

At some point, you need to move forward. That doesn't mean accepting every upgrade (I skipped Vista and will likely skip 8).

 

Cheers!

 

Luke

These days I buy only remanufactured PCs from a licensed MS reseller that specializes in this stuff so there is no chance that I will be faced with unsupportable hardware.  My only real complaint is that they are forced to install XP SP3 -- they can no longer get SP2 installation CDs.  (My other complaint is that sometimes I have to pay a $50 downgrade surcharge to avoid Win7/8.)

 

I agree that at some point XP in the distant future will no longer be appropriate.  At that point I will move my work to either a Mac or Linux, not clear which.

 

In the meantime I enjoy a trouble free existence running not only FS but also such esoterica as WampServer, the old Corel Draw 12, a wealth of other digital darkroom software, and so on.  XP ain't broke and I refuse to fix it.

[Luke 782]

Wow. Why don't you even want SP3?

 

Cheers!

Luke

[xxxmikexxx 0]

Wow. Why don't you even want SP3?

 

Cheers!

 

Luke

Because in SP3 Windows Explorer was rebugged, as I like to say.  The modified behavior of the SP3 Folders feature was a step backwards.

 

Still, all my XP machines are at SP3 now so at least I'm not chasing a moving target to any major extent.  That said, I can hardly wait for the day when they stop doing security updates for SP3.

[Tom Allensworth 1,532]

@@xxxmikexxx Please read your PM's. Don't want you to miss anything.

[Air1 136]

It showed up as the last update installed so I did deleat it to be on the safe side. Now I have to check my windows 7 laptop that I have been having some problems with the last couple of days.