Windows 10 Update has trashed my computer! Again!
 

Who is having issues with the last few MS Windows 10 updates? Who has Windows 7, and is now experiencing issues? My Windows 10 laptop is functional, so long as I don't want to open and edit any files... I can surf the web just fine, but file associations are trashed, old apps don't start anymore, and those older apps that do run, can't do what they were written for without bending over backwards to get files opened. Just now I went to delete a folder that resides in another folder, using File Explorer. There are six other folders in there with it. Instead of deleting the target, which is a folder with 3 files in it, Windows 10 was going to delete the parent folder, with all 1871 files in the other six folders along with the "target". Apps that do seemingly function, have had their interfaces changed, and their functionality has changed, such as menu choices no longer stay open, and I have to click-and-hold the mouse button, then drag down the menu to my choice, and release the mouse button to make my choice... way different than it was the other day before the last updates... ??? Comments? Any suggestions as to where to go for info and / or help with this unacceptable behavior from Win10?? So far, all of the MS sites are worthless and "mute" on the subject. thanks. :salute:

Hi propbeanie
Number version of your guilty update?

Thankfully I have not experienced these issues. Did you back up your info and can uninstall the update?

Here's the fun part. CapnScurvy, s7rikeback and myself have been discussing this, and my "build" is weird. System shows version 10.0.17134.17134, which is a strange set of numbers after the last period. If I look at the actual abstraction, it'll tell me 10.0.17134.285, which is NOT the latest (the computer is still downloading something though). Update shows that 1803 successfully installed on August 14, 2018, after three fails. The last update (besides a Flash Player update) shows two updates, for 1803 Cumulative. One in September, one in October. I have been having issues since August with this, but in September it got worse, but the computer still functioned as desired. The last one is the one that borked everything else, and came across last Thursday / Friday the 25 / 26 of October on my machine. I have tried "Advanced Options" and cannot change settings. Win10 also will not let me remove the last, much less any other updates. I no longer have restore points older than October 26th at 02:52 hours ~ after the update. Very strange set of circumstances. At least, I'm hoping they are rare - although I do know that s7rikeback experienced an almost total loss on his computer. I don't know if I trust any files transferred from this computer to another, but I'm trying to move more data off of this thing and then will check and be sure that it read the data OK. It takes ~forever~ for files to transfer, almost like they've messed with the SATA interface set-up. When I experienced my first set of noticeable issues a few weeks ago, I ran Chkdsk on this thing, and did a scan of the sectors, thinking that something must be wrong with the hard drive. Several hours later - nothing wrong... So it (almost) has to be the OS... :salute:

Edit: Well, I've given up... It won't even transfer files properly. I've got strangely named stuff on this Win7 computer in the "Shared" network folder that had shown to have transferred fine from the Win10 box. It almost looks like cryllic, but it's not. windows 7 doesn't open the files. I right-click on them and Open With Notepad++, and they look to be digital files, or binary, and not text files, like they are on the Win10 beast... Thankfully, I don't have anything important on the machine, but still... I did find an article where the earlier data loss is from MS using OneDrive for the backup, and then deleting the wrong folder after supposedly moving the files to a "safe" location, leaving the User with an empty folder on their hard drive... I have not experienced that issue much, though I was missing some files. My main issue is that the computer at first glance works. But upon closer inspection, it does NOT. I can use my ethernet to connect to the internet, but Vivaldi has been changed. My old Photoshop LE no longer opens, but my "replacement" Gimp 2.10.6 has now been altered and different funtionality. NONE of my SH4 inistalls work correctly, and while most of the mods ~look~ like they are there in JSGME, and I do get different graphics screens, I am not getting the same game as before, and thiings do NOT spawn in the game. Very strange. All of my SH4 installs have now had their file properties changed to Read Only, and changing that to untick the box at first looks like it works, but then looking at it a few minutes later, the files are once again Read Only. Similarly with LAA. All of the files that had LAA "True" previously are now "False". I switch them to "True", looks fine, but go to run the game and it doesn't work correctly, go back to LAA and the setting is "False" again. These are NOT in a "protected" folder. I have not attempted to run Steam yet for my SH3 and SH5 installs, but I do know that all of the work I had put into activating The Wolves of Steel has been for naught. The files no longer even reside in the MODS folder. In fact, there ~is~ no MODS folder... Same with my SH3 GWX. No MODS folder... - Does anyone know if the SATA interface can be changed, like in Win7? Or is this maybe a UEFI alteration by the OS? My computer is a quasi-UEFI box, an old first gen i3, not fully compliant... :salute:

I haven't had any of the listed problems. That said, I haven't reinstalled SH3 yet, as I'm still having too much fun with Wings Over Flanders Fields. I'll be getting there soon, and I'll try to report back my results.

You are not alone, propbeanie, many have reported issues, and not one month passes thrse days without the majrity of monthly oatches and updates beign porked: often now even ALL such patches and updates are pred and problems in themselves.

I can only once again recommend to follow this blog daily, get the comments (so many knowing people there, pros), and to read the sometimes linked articles as well. Rockin Robbins brought this one to my awareness some long time ago, I have read others before, two German and one English one, but this one is easier and better for my purposes and limited needs.

https://www.askwoody.com/

Woody and Patch Lady usually give good headups on status of every single patch released, usually combined with the reocmemndation to NOT use it. Susan Bradley is no unknown in the business. She knows the stuff inside out, and her verdicts weigh heavy. Listen to them.

I also recommend, if you can afford it, to use two system, Windows for gaming or whatever software you desperately deoend on using under windows, Linux for everything. If a second system is out of the question, then go dual boot on one platform.

Updating has chnaged fundamentally. In the past the advice was to keep updated. Today it is: avoid, delay, opt out if you can. Don't do it withiout having issues, and don't do it before Woody went down to Defcon 3 or better even 4. Use the Windows options to delay all update types and oatches for as long as your master at Microsoft allow. Define your internet connection as "metered". Use a tool like WUB (Windows Update Boocker) to switch on and off the WU service.

Windows is a mess these days, a zombie, an echo of the past with better days that are no more. And as was argued just short time ago, i linked it somewhere, Microsoft even CANNOT do it any better anymore. Bah, dont get me started again. Its all a mess. Don't update or patch if you must not. Its not 2005 anymore.

Octobre '18 was one of the worst patching months ever:


https://www.computerworld.com/articl...nightmare.html

Just a quick thought, is this the same system with Ubuntu?
Or is that a different PC?

If it is the same... Copy all the files while in Ubuntu.
If it is a different system, and you have a free SATA slot (and power connector), put it in the Ubuntu machine.
And copy it all over, either to a USB, or burn it to a DVD...

If this,
If that,
I feel like I'm programing here!:har:

Sorry I'm late, it's been really busy lately...


Barracuda

Ubuntu is on the desktop downstairs. The laptop has Win10 only on it, which was Win8 until Win10 installed itself on the sly... Anyway, the plan, when I decide to take the time, will be to dismantle the computer and take the drive out (it's a Dell, and "protects" the hard drive) and move it to the Ubuntu machine for re-formatting. My main concern is that even with "fixing" the current Win10 install with a full re-install, is that it will be a brick again in just a few short weeks when MS decides to do further uncontrolled, "live" experiments... I do have another MS seat license for Win7 available, and might go that route. I would do Ubuntu on it, if I didn't have certain "requirements" that Ubuntu can't do (proprietary stuff)... :salute:

Ohh, it's a "protection" racket, eh? :haha::har:


Barracuda

'Zactly... "Hey youse! You wanna for maybe take out an insurance policy on your hard drive? On-nuh account youse never knows when you might needs it... " The computer is a first gen iCore, and can't decide if it's got BIOS or UEFI... poor thang :salute:

Next time I partition a hard drive, I might use an axe... :o

I have no clue why, but the computer is sort of "working" once again. However, I cannot change file associations and other user settings. I haven't had time to go through it and catalog what works and what doesn't, and I haven't looked to see if Windows Update did something - which it probably did. I've been too busy to mess with it, other than get data off of it. In fact, it's junk to me with Win10 on it. The plan is still to eventually disassemble the beast, put the hard drive in a Linux machine to reformat it, then do a Win7-64 install - but I might not mess with it at all - maybe I'll just use the hard drive elsewhere. :salute:

Just so long as you can still play 'Whac-A-Squirrel' on there, mate :)

Definitely. I've got that part going just fine! It is the one important aspect of the computer that does function as intended... :salute: