Problems with Microsoft updates
Discussion
A couple of weeks ago I suffered a failed hard drive. I replaced it and started to set up from scratch. Luckily I'd saved to CD only a few days before 
That's where the problems began.
I installed Windows XP, the office software and set up e-mail/explorer and checked my e-mails.
Doh! I thought, I should have installed the antivirus software first!
I did an online check at Trend Micro and it identified one viris and 78 security problems
I downloaded the "express" high priority updates from Microsoft and repeated the chech after rebooting, 81 security problems
I then downloaded the non express every single fix and patch option. The computer would not start. Except in Safe Mode. Thank God for system restore.
Trend Micro now identifies 82 security problems
Explorer is now prone to displaying "explorer has encountered a problem and needs to close".
And to cap it all Explorer is now not displaying the hover buttons on my home page. Apparently this is due to the updates refusing Java applets, in this case fphover.class (sp?).
This next point may be irrelevent but the software disc for windows XP has a small scratch on it and the loading seemed very slow towards the end, the screen displayed that it would finish in 7 minutes for a long time.
So....
Are these updates and fixes causing the problems?
Should I start again installing windows XP and skip the updates?
Are there really 81 security problems or are these in fact trivial things that the anti virus software will protect anyway?
Thanks for any help!
That's where the problems began.
I installed Windows XP, the office software and set up e-mail/explorer and checked my e-mails.
Doh! I thought, I should have installed the antivirus software first!
I did an online check at Trend Micro and it identified one viris and 78 security problems
I downloaded the "express" high priority updates from Microsoft and repeated the chech after rebooting, 81 security problems
I then downloaded the non express every single fix and patch option. The computer would not start. Except in Safe Mode. Thank God for system restore.
Trend Micro now identifies 82 security problems
Explorer is now prone to displaying "explorer has encountered a problem and needs to close".
And to cap it all Explorer is now not displaying the hover buttons on my home page. Apparently this is due to the updates refusing Java applets, in this case fphover.class (sp?).
This next point may be irrelevent but the software disc for windows XP has a small scratch on it and the loading seemed very slow towards the end, the screen displayed that it would finish in 7 minutes for a long time.
So....
Are these updates and fixes causing the problems?
Should I start again installing windows XP and skip the updates?
Are there really 81 security problems or are these in fact trivial things that the anti virus software will protect anyway?
Thanks for any help!
Chris,
I Think you've already seen the solution yourself...
Try doing things in this order...
Disconnect pc from internet..
Reload XP from the CD.. (Make sure you wipe out the build that's on your machine already)
If it isn't SP2 then install SP2 (windows update may not work with SP1 or lower)
Load AV software and current updates (hopefully from CD)
Then, connect to Internet...
go straight to Windows Update and load ALL Critical patches.. (Yes, all 81 or whatever)
Once these have installed, re-boot and you should have a good clean build.
To do this you may need to download SP2, AV software and virus updates before you trash the build you have already OR better still have someone do it for you who who has a fully working machine..
And don't worry, the only thing you did wrong, was to connect an unpatched, unprotected machine on the internet... you'll know next time.
Regards,
Brian (And a Red 350i)
I Think you've already seen the solution yourself...
Try doing things in this order...
Disconnect pc from internet..
Reload XP from the CD.. (Make sure you wipe out the build that's on your machine already)
If it isn't SP2 then install SP2 (windows update may not work with SP1 or lower)
Load AV software and current updates (hopefully from CD)
Then, connect to Internet...
go straight to Windows Update and load ALL Critical patches.. (Yes, all 81 or whatever)
Once these have installed, re-boot and you should have a good clean build.
To do this you may need to download SP2, AV software and virus updates before you trash the build you have already OR better still have someone do it for you who who has a fully working machine..
And don't worry, the only thing you did wrong, was to connect an unpatched, unprotected machine on the internet... you'll know next time.
Regards,
Brian (And a Red 350i)
I'm assuming your XP CD is pre SP2. It's not the anti virus you want to worry about, it's the windows firewall, which prior to SP2 is off by default. Doh!!
I do it in this order.
Install XP
Create connection but do not connect. If, you're using a USB modem you may need it plugged in to your machine to create the connection. If this is the case unplug the phone line.
*Turn firewall on for that connection* Windows own is fine for now.
Right click IE Desktop icon, => properties => set your homepage to http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com
plug the line back in and launch IE, it'll take straight to windows update where you can patch it up, this will probably take two or three goes.
Install Office, and go to windows update again just to check, then you can patch Office.
Assuming all this goes well create a restore point.Then load anything else you need.
I do it in this order.
Install XP
Create connection but do not connect. If, you're using a USB modem you may need it plugged in to your machine to create the connection. If this is the case unplug the phone line.
*Turn firewall on for that connection* Windows own is fine for now.
Right click IE Desktop icon, => properties => set your homepage to http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com
plug the line back in and launch IE, it'll take straight to windows update where you can patch it up, this will probably take two or three goes.
Install Office, and go to windows update again just to check, then you can patch Office.
Assuming all this goes well create a restore point.Then load anything else you need.
cymtriks said:
Thankyou for the advice!
I have Windows XP home edition SP1
If Windows update doesn't work with SP1, or actually causes the problems I'm getting, how do I get the correct updates and does it matter if I don't get them?
It looks like time to start again with this build...
Windows update does work with SP1, I think its vanilla XP it doesnt support any more. If you go on with SP1 it'l get you to download 10 ton's 'o' stuff, then SP2, then another 10 tons 'o' stuff. Then a bit more. In short, I'd go with mattley's plan!
A bizzare update-
Last night I checked my emails. Nothing.
I did send/recieve all and got a very slow result that ended in a "no response" warning, repeated requests for my password and ultimately a "application has encountered a problem and needs to close" message. I tried restarting and opening outlook again. Nothing happened, I double clicked on the icon and got no result. I tried again and a window appeared telling me that a similar process was already running. Shortly after I got the "needs to close" message despite not actually getting anywhere.
Just before I logged off I checked my McAfee antivirus.
There were dozens of blocked attempts to hack into my computer, it had been blocking stuff every minute or so for a long time!
Then I found all my incomming email messages in the accepted email file of Spamkiller.
So the emails had been recieved on my computer by McAfee but bizzarely all I got from Outlook was error messages and an empty inbox.
Last night I checked my emails. Nothing.
I did send/recieve all and got a very slow result that ended in a "no response" warning, repeated requests for my password and ultimately a "application has encountered a problem and needs to close" message. I tried restarting and opening outlook again. Nothing happened, I double clicked on the icon and got no result. I tried again and a window appeared telling me that a similar process was already running. Shortly after I got the "needs to close" message despite not actually getting anywhere.
Just before I logged off I checked my McAfee antivirus.
There were dozens of blocked attempts to hack into my computer, it had been blocking stuff every minute or so for a long time!
Then I found all my incomming email messages in the accepted email file of Spamkiller.
So the emails had been recieved on my computer by McAfee but bizzarely all I got from Outlook was error messages and an empty inbox.
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