Windows 10 update

[RCW]

We have an older laptop computer.

Every time there’s a Windows update, I cross my fingers it’ll work.

Been running for almost 45 minutes.....

With tax season coming, I hate like hell to replace it just yet. But I should take this as an indication we’re on the downhill side of the computer’s ability??

Our wifi was working properly....not a connection or communication problem.

 

[RCW]

I use the damn thing for OTT a couple times a week and taxes....

Of course it has to shit the bed for taxes....

I know there’s some sharp IT guys here. Do you think I can limp it through 2 months ( assuming I can get this update to work)?!?!

 

[Daren Todd]

I use the damn thing for OTT a couple times a week and taxes....

Of course it has to shit the bed for taxes....

I know there’s some sharp IT guys here. Do you think I can limp it through 2 months ( assuming I can get this update to work)?!?!

We had one of their updates tank my wifes laptop. We got the dreaded black screen on start-up.

Had to take it to someone to have the hard drive wiped, rebooted, and updated.

Good luck buddy

 

[JimmyJazz]

If my wife, who is vacuuming, saw that keyboard she probably wouldn't let me on this forum anymore. HaHa.

 

[RCW]

If my wife, who is vacuuming, saw that keyboard she probably wouldn't let me on this forum anymore. HaHa.

Yes Jimmy, over years, that computer has been through some major projects here in the house and has proof of it.

Now it sits closed but for a couple hours a week as I’m the only one to use it.

Appreciate your contribution.

 

[jimh406]

Updates went really downhill when they moved all Windows sustaining to India a few years ago, and decided they didn’t need to have testers any more. Really, no excuse for it other than to promote people in India.

An update last year trashed my desktop computer. A different one trashed my daughters laptop. I reloaded Windows just to do taxes. I have a backup, but I had moved and my home server wasn’t up to retrieve it. I barely used it since I retired.

For the past 3 years, I primarily just use my iPad Pro with keyboard. It’s obviously lighter and easy to take with me whenever I travel. I expect I will fire it up soon to do taxes. I did notice that apparently Turbotax is requiring a fairly new update, so I guess I’ll have to cross my fingers that the update works.

 

[xrocketengineer]

From what I can tell, its almost impossible to run any Windows 10 computer these days without a solid state drive (ssd). The hard drive will become fragmented in no time flat and the computer starts to bog down. My laptop that used to run very well with a hybrid drive, even good for some games, the other day got updated and after that it took almost an hour until it was usable. While it was running "ok" I created an image of the drive and saved it. Then I tried to defragment the drive and not only it was taking forever, it was getting more and more gummed up. So, I ended up having to reload the image that I had previously created back to my C drive. To my surprise the computer was running decently. When I checked for fragmentation, lo and behold, there was no fragmentation whatsoever.
On my desktop and wife's desktop, I replaced the hard drive with an ssd and all the issues are gone even though both computers are about two generations older and slower than the laptop.

 

[RCW]

Yeah, guessing it’s just an old PC that’s having issues.

As Jimmy pointed out, probably the dust and dirt don’t help.

 

[xrocketengineer]

If your computer came with Windows 7 or later, adding an sdd can make a huge difference in performance and extend its life.

 

[NHSleddog]

You guys crack me up.

First off a Windows update can take well over an hour depending on what is being updated and the machine. The worst thing to do is try to rush it.

I am pushing a thousand server/workstation builds/deployments at this point going all the way back to Windows 3.1 - NT.

One unrecoverable machine after an update. Probably 6 or so that needed attention before being able to re-deploy. Based on 40-50 incremental updates and several major updates a year it is literally hundreds of thousands of updates that I have managed over. Odd to hear such terrible luck here from such a small sampling.

Older machines do need more care as they get older and the updates get larger and more processor intensive. I put old machines like that on MANUAL updates (turn off automatic). When you are ready to run an update (if you don't backup regularly DO IT NOW), (on a HD machine, if you don't defrag regularly - do it now) after the machine is ready, open task manager and close all unnecessary programs. Once everything is closed and settled down, run the update.

 

[Magicman]

I finally tired of having continual problems with the Laptop running Windows so I yielded to a Grandson's suggestion and got a Macbook Air. It's a sorta steep learning curve but short. My Firefox and all of my Bookmarks transferred over without a hitch and this thing is lightning fast booting up. I am very pleased.

 

[jimh406]

It’s not odd that consumers have issues with the updates, and you don’t see them with the updates you do. I’m not sure what’s humorous though.

Most enterprise computers are pretty generic/vanilla as far as what they have installed, and the hardware as well. Also, most enterprise computers are aged out in 3 or 4 years.

Windows runs on almost anything and there is a ton of old devices out there that usually. The issue is there is no rollback, and once the system is trashed the only option is to restore the backup.

 

[NHSleddog]

I finally tired of having continual problems with the Laptop running Windows so I yielded to a Grandson's suggestion and got a Macbook Air. It's a sorta steep learning curve but short. My Firefox and all of my Bookmarks transferred over without a hitch and this thing is lightning fast booting up. I am very pleased.

The apple will just abandon the platform instead of keep it running. Most businesses don't have the luxury of scrapping hardware like that. At least with MS and the PC architecture there is a path to upgrade. Also, based on the number of tech support support calls we deal with, apples are every bit as needy.

How old was the old laptop and what was it running for an OS?

 

[NHSleddog]

It’s not odd that consumers have issues with the updates, and you don’t see them with the updates you do. I’m not sure what’s humorous though.

Most enterprise computers are pretty generic/vanilla as far as what they have installed, and the hardware as well. Also, most enterprise computers are aged out in 3 or 4 years.

Windows runs on almost anything and there is a ton of old devices out there that usually. The issue is there is no rollback, and once the system is trashed the only option is to restore the backup.

You must not work with media generating systems. There is nothing generic or vanilla about them. On the server side, I would agree, we run all known good hardware. Still, hundreds of thousands of updates.....

Current server core and Win10 are the same, so the OS isn't what it used to be. You should also be able to "roll back" any current MS OS. If we are just talking about 10yo machines then yes, you would use your backup to restore your system.

What is funny is all the folk lore surrounding windows updates. We have been providing tech support with our service for over 20 years now. Our reality does not come close to the - "my uncles computer did an update last night and it forced his tractor to reboot and now all the cows are beeping at the chickens...... tales.

 

[Code]

Ive migrating just about all my extended family to macs, or for the more technical, linux. My family tech support calls have dropped to almost 0 now. I wont touch windows except if I am paid handsomely.

@RCW If its still using s spinning disk and not an ssd then they can take easily over an hour. especially if the hd is fragmented badly. plug it in and let er sit a bit. itll probably reboot 4-5 times too

 

[sheepfarmer]

Well if misery loves company I’d be happy to oblige. My trusty Dell latitude has been having trouble with Chrome, and being as it was still hooked into the university network, took it into IT guy in former department. Asked to re-image, see if another copy of Chrome would help. He had it for a month, didn’t do anything, said his password didn’t work, it is running on Windows 7, couldn’t reimage it because the only image he had was for Windows 10, and you can’t put 10 on that old computer, the IT guys only work on university purchased machines, etc etc and so since I am retired I am out of luck if I go get another machine. It wouldn’t matter I could go buy something to read email with, but I had duplicated my work setup with a bunch of fancy stuff I use for image analysis, giant monitor, hi res scanner for negatives, good printer, etc etc that I like. They work. Well they are no doubt viewed as old, and I can imagine the nightmare tracking down drivers to get them to work with a new computer.

Picked it back up, and he gave me back wrong power supply, good thing I had a spare, and now having trouble getting back to where I was so I can save everything to an external drive. Basically he said it was old, needed a new battery, probably hard drive going bad, and couldn’t be bothered. Was under the illusion it was under constant back up to a university drive. Main incentive to keep the affiliation. That was the last instructions I got. And that was where the files were. He said no? How could it go from one system to another with no notification? It is going to be interesting. NOT

 

[jimh406]

You must not work with media generating systems. There is nothing generic or vanilla about them. On the server side, I would agree, we run all known good hardware. Still, hundreds of thousands of updates.....

I’m assuming your company controls what hardware is acceptable and what can be installed or the company supported computers. There are infinite possibilities in consumer Windows hardware/software. Compared to that ... yes, your systems are vanilla ... well, maybe French vanilla, but still vanilla.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Just let it cook for a while it will get there!

 

[bearbait]

The last windows computer I had it was nothing but trouble so I put Linux mint on it, a bare bones operating system that worked very well and super fast compared to windows 10 but it finally died of old age but I swore I'd never go back to windows. I ended up picking up a Mac mini off eBay for cheap which I still have and ended up buying another for my wife. Sorry I couldn't be more help but if yours can't be fixed it would be worth it to check out the Mini's but like anything else you have to have so idea what you're looking for, good luck

 

[GreensvilleJay]

I get a chuckle out of the 'update' problems people have and I've had puters since tha Altair days, still have an 8008 system here 'somewhere'.' Did 'updates' by editing the hex files on floppy OS. Computers' today are a vicious spiral, 'they' promote a 'must have' ap, so you need the latest OS to run it, and then you find out you need the newest hardware to run the new OS.. It's all about getting coins from you. To use the new tax ap , gotta have Win10,which won't run on this PC(too old...not compatible BS)Running Win7U,NO upgrades on theis 14yr old desktop, zero problems,cept for the usualy USB krap. I still have a W98SE machine here as it has REAL comports,needed run custom communications equipment.
The only updates I have enabled are for the virus databases cause if it ain't broke, no need to fix !