Vista SP1 Update Locks Out Some Users

Echostorm writes with word that Windows Vista SP1, which began rolling out via Automatic Update, has left some users' machines unbootable. The update loops forever on "Configuring updates: Stage 3 of 3 — 0% complete. Do not turn off your computer." "Shutting down"... restart and loop. Echostorm notes having found traces of what sounds like the same bug in early beta releases of SP1. It's unclear how many users are affected. So far there is no word on a fix from Microsoft.

Comments

You can't make this stuff up.

[kellyb9]

They actually DO beta test their software, right??????????

Re:You can't make this stuff up.

[Anonymous Coward]

WE actually DO beta test their software, right??????????

There, I fixed that for you.

Re:You can't make this stuff up.

[Fred_A]

They actually DO beta test their software, right?????????? They did test it in .au and even did a survey to see what people thought of it.
Oddly enough everybody thought it was the best thing since sliced bread.

Re:You can't make this stuff up.

[B3ryllium]

I think their test setups are entirely Hetero, dude. However, it's rather difficult to have every possible machine configuration represented. I mean, think of the permutations! Why won't anyone think of the permutations?

Re:You can't make this stuff up.

[rsmoody]

Just a few days ago with OS X 10.5.2. Several users were complaining of being stuck at the BDOS during boot, slow booting, etc. It seems that there are quite a few issues with 10.5.2, I myself have noticed apps starting much slower since the update. However, for the most part, it's very usable for me. Others however cannot even run some critical apps and has brought them to a complete halt. Not good at all. From what I have read and the trouble I had with using the Software Update version of the update, they needed to test more. I had to use the combo updater just to get the thing to install at all. Now, mod me over-rated.

Taking a leaf out of apple's book?

[KublaiKhan]

I know that they're said to have copied the concept of a GUI from apple (who, yes, stole it from PARC) but I didn't think Microsoft would follow the iBrick update also.

SP1 prevents Vista from booting?

[goldspider]

So in other words, it IS an improvement!

Win a T-Shirt!

[140Mandak262Jamuna]

Q: Vista SP1 gets locks up the machines after update.

A: [x] Fiction (wins a T-Shirt)
    [ ] Fact (truth but no T-Shirt to you bad boy.)

It's not on windows update

[Megor1]

You can't download SP1 yet from Microsoft, in fact its not due out for weeks...

Re:It's not on windows update

[nicklott]

Who modded this Offtopic? The summary says "which began rolling out via Automatic Update", which is just wrong. Admittedly they might want to have caught this a touch earlier, but it's not public yet, nevermind auto updating people's machines. OSS FUD I say...

Re:Regression testing, people

[cliffski]

more likely they are a software company rolling out tens of millions of copies of an O/S onto completely random hardware. I'd be amazed if there were not a few problems.

For those who say "Get a Mac"

[Radhruin]

Something similar happened with the 10.4.11 update as well.

Re:Regression testing, people

[tlhIngan]

Seriously, sounds like a version issue. An SCM (Software Configuration Management). Seriously, I worked for smaller companies that were serious about versioning and regression testing. Is it my imagination or does MS seem more and more like a software organization that is out of control?

It appears that each little division of Microsoft is their own little fiefdom. Take a common DLL - comctl32.dll (common controls). Windows ships with one version. Office ships with another version. Applications (using Visual Studio Redistributables) ship with a third version! Each has features that aren't in the others, so Windows apps get one look, Office another look, and 3rd party apps yet another look.

In addition, the OS team forked the compiler they use from the development team. It makes sense in one aspect - all developers have a stable toolchain. However, if the dev team breaks something, instead of the Windows team making a big stink, people who use Visual Studio do.

As far as anyone's concerned, Microsoft might as well be split up into separate companies - they more or less act that way anyhow. Code's taken from one team and forked, improvements aren't folded back in, etc.

That's some keen fucking reporting

[sharkey]

Echostorm writes with word that Windows Vista SP1, which began rolling out via Automatic Update, has left some users' machines unbootable.

A forum post from last month about issues with the Vista SP1 Release Candidate (prerelease code, just to let Echostorm know). SP1 does not go out via auto updates until next month, and is only officially available to select system builders and beta testers now.

It's unclear how many users are affected.

I counted 5, including the guy who yanked his power cable and trashed his filesystem.

So far there is no word on a fix from Microsoft.

It might possibly be fixed in the RTM version of SP1. Who knows? Certainly not Echostorm, who is having a poopie because he hosed his own PC and is trying to drum up a whine-fest about it. Definitely not kdawson either, who posted this because, well, it's kdawson.

This is taking slashvertisments to the preschool tantrum level.

Vista SP1 isn't public yet, unless you pirate it.

[Coopjust]

Vista SP1 isn't available publicly yet, unless you hop on The Pirate Bay.

Microsoft placed 6 weeks between code finalization and public release for 6 weeks of driver testing; some drivers were not properly written, and MS wanted to work with hardware manufacturers/OEMs to find hardware with problems. Everyone bitched about how technical users should get it early.

Then these same people download SP1 from an unauthorized source, and bitch when it breaks their system. They downloaded an update without letting Microsoft work the kinks out, and they didn't get the update from MS. No automatic download was involved in this.

Re:ROFLMAO

[ari_j]

Has safe mode ever worked? Yes, but it was called DOS back then.

Re:Regression testing, people

[AstroPHX]

Your funny math makes my brain hurt.

The number of vendors is a horrible measurement. Try variants on for size:

How many CPU variants does one of the two manufacturers currently support? Try over 125. http://products.amd.com/en-us/DesktopCPUResult.aspx?f1=&f2=&f3=&f4=&f5=&f6=&f7=&f8=&f9=& Oh, and that's just for the desktop.

GPU? NVidia has 38 families of chipsets. At ~5 products for each chipset, you're over 190.

What about all of the other hardware on a motherboard? Bluetooth, USB, Firewire, network drivers and modems are some of the largest contributers to OS development overhead/headache; tell me, have you ever tried to load up Feisty Ubuntu using a Broadcomm wireless device?!?

By the way, this doesn't include all of the half-assed components people drop onto their computers like humping dog memory sticks or coffee warmers let alone all of the out of date drivers people have installed on their systems (have you checked your BIOS rev lately?).

This isn't "Microsoft's way of saying 'we don't know what's wrong with Vista,'" it's Microsoft's way of saying, "we're trying our damnedest to clean this up, but you idiots keep pissing in the pool."

ASUS P5N-E

[nick_davison]

It may well not be SP1.

A very large number of owners of ASUS P5N-E motherboards are reporting the same issue simply with recent updates. It's quite likely the SP1 update is simply triggering the same issue.

Here's a google search on the issue. You'll notice a common thread is that P5N-E owners have the issue, users of other motherboards don't see it.

It's been happening since mid January, from what I can gather, and I'm not finding any solutions to it yet.