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New Bug In Windows 10 Anniversary Update Brings Wi-Fi Disconnects (infoworld.com)

Some Windows 10 PCs are now experiencing sudden drops in their Wi-Fi connections, with the Network Diagnostics tool reporting "Wi-Fi doesn't have a valid IP configuration." An anonymous reader quotes InfoWorld's Woody Leonhard: I've heard from many people who blame the Wi-Fi disconnect on Friday's KB 3201845, the patch (which still isn't documented on the Win10 update history site) that brings version 1607 up to build 14393.479. It's unlikely that the new patch brought on the bug because the large influx of complaints started on December 7 -- two days before the patch...

Speculation at this point says the disconnect results when a machine performs a fast startup, setting the machine's IP address to 169.x.x.x. It's an old problem, but somehow it's come back in spades in the past two days. I have no idea what triggered the sudden outbreak, as there were no Win10 1607 patches issued on December 6, 7 or 8.

Microsoft acknowledged the problem Thursday, recommending customers try restarting their PCs (or performing a clean start). Woody writes that it looks like Microsoft's latest Windows 10 patch "didn't cause the bug. But the patch didn't fix it, either."

112 of 191 comments (clear)

  1. Deja Vu? by Carewolf · · Score: 3, Funny

    Wifi disconnects after OS updates. My god, they really are copying macOS updates, right down to WiFI bugs.

    1. Re:Deja Vu? by ArmoredDragon · · Score: 4, Funny

      It's WAAS.

      Windows As A Superbug

  2. Fix Action by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    I have this problem as well. Running DHCP on the router I use. When I do an IP config I see a MS assigned address. Doing an IPCONFIG /RENEW gets a new IP address without the reboot.

    1. Re:Fix Action by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I was gonna say. I have a Command Prompt window open that I've been doing "ipconfig /release" and then "ipconfig /renew" in. (Is the /release unnecessary? I recall trying just the /renew and it didn't work.)

      Didn't consider that it was a recent Windows update that broke it, I figured I borked something in my DHCP configuration, but it's nice to know that I'm not insane and it's a Windows issue. Very annoying.

    2. Re:Fix Action by minstrelmike · · Score: 1

      I did the ipconfig/release .... stuff and it didn't work.
      Then logged into the router and turned off encryption (based on microsoft help page) and that _appeared_ to work
      Didn't actually work. After a reboot, still couldn't connect.

      Then it happened to my wife's PC but did not happen to my work one (windows 7) so, more searching.
      Turned off Windows Defender and it was able to get the new ip
      Windows Defender wanted itself turned on again so I did and now everything appears to be working.

      Looks like Windows Defender can protect you against everything except a windows update.

  3. Microsoft is killing the business use of Windows by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Forced Windows updates must bring constant excitement to business people at travel. You never know, if the machine works after connecting it to network. And nobody in IT is there to help them.

  4. sigh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    setting the machine's IP address to 169.x.x.x

    No no and more no, don't ever do that!

    The local link IP range is 169.254.0.0/16, aka 169.254.x.x

    If anyone is using IPs outside of 169.254.0.0/16 but within 169.0.0.0/8 like is stated, you are trampling on other peoples IP addresses!
    You don't want to be Linksys do you? No, no one wants to be Linksys, so stop that.

    1. Re:sigh by unixisc · · Score: 1

      Migrate to IPv6 already, instead of monkeying around w/ IPv4 addresses that may or may not be in a private range.

    2. Re:sigh by dugancent · · Score: 1

      My ISP doesn't offer IPv6. If I use a tunnel brokering service like hurricane electric, google keeps asking me for a capatcha.

      --
      SJWs are the new boogeyman. -Me
    3. Re: sigh by Billly+Gates · · Score: 2

      The issue is not ipv4. It's the corrupted windsock catalog. Ipv6 is impacted as well. The solution is to reset it with nutshell from an elevated command prompt or PowerShell:

      netsh winsock reset catalog
      netsh int ipv4 reset reset.log

      Or use an older more reliable OS until MS hires a QA team again and stop relying on Joe Six packs as their QA team

    4. Re:sigh by Zontar+The+Mindless · · Score: 1

      Tora! Tora! Tora!

      What do I win?

      --
      Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
  5. Same problem with a wired connection by Maddog+Batty · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I had the same problem on Wednesday with a wired connection. A reboot fixed it (after a lot of head scratching).

    --
    wot no sig
    1. Re:Same problem with a wired connection by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 1

      I had the same problem on Wednesday with a weird connection. A reboot fixed it (after a lot of head scratching).

      ftfy

      --
      Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
    2. Re:Same problem with a wired connection by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 1

      I had the same problem on Wednesday with a wired connection. A reboot fixed it (after a lot of head scratching).

      I also had the same problem on Wednesday, the last time I used Windows. But it was in 1998.

      --
      Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
    3. Re:Same problem with a wired connection by Highdude702 · · Score: 1

      I heard he switched to Ubuntu..

  6. There is a SORT-OF solution by Shaman · · Score: 4, Informative

    Hold the shift key down when you reboot, and keep it down until the login screen.

    Source: I own an ISP.

    --
    ...Steve
  7. Incorrect. KB3201845 contains a fix/workaround by Aryeh+Goretsky · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Hello,

    This issue has been going on for more than two days. Reports of it date almost a month:

    https://www.reddit.com/r/sysad...

    https://community.spiceworks.c...

    Although reports of it in Microsoft's support forum are more recent:

    https://answers.microsoft.com/...

    https://answers.microsoft.com/...

    https://answers.microsoft.com/...

    The December 9th patch - https://support.microsoft.com/... - might contain some kind of fix or workaround, although I don't see anything mentioned on the page which maps to the issue.

    Microsoft is keeping customers up to date with a page on its support forum. Here's Microsoft's short link to the page: https://aka.ms/netcom

    Regards,

    Aryeh Goretsky

    --
    Dexter is a good dog.
  8. An update installed last night and... by BenJeremy · · Score: 3, Informative

    ...my keyboard wasn't working. I had to unplug it and re-plug it back in. Annoying. I haven't tried out the WiFi issue yet, because I wire my network connections everywhere possible.

    The keyboard not working is a strange issue, though. I don't need a "fast reboot" option - with my system drive speed, I boot in 6 seconds from power button on to desktop on a cold boot. I don't need sleep mode, hibernation... I just need proper memory management for longer up times.

    1. Re:An update installed last night and... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I'm sure there's far more people out there that need fast boot,

      My screen takes longer to switch on, that is the amount of time a boot takes. Masturbating over boot times made sense when you could take a coffee break in the time. Now its just as pointless as the thinness of mobile phones ( I want better battery life damit ).

  9. Instability is the new normal? by ErichTheRed · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I've been on the Windows 10 Insider program for quite a while, and keep one work machine on a stable build and the other in the Fast ring. For a lot of our production machines, we're going to go with the next spin of Long Term Servicing Branch for just this reason. I'm not happy that you have to give up all feature updates for years in order to get an OS they're not going to be changing behavior on every month.

    Having seen both the stable and super-new builds running similar application loads, it's obvious that Microsoft is skimping on code quality in both, sacrificing it for fast feature releases. However, very few "breaking" bugs make it into their stable (CBB) builds. I'm not happy that the home consumers have to deal with these though...they have no choice. And when it's something like breaking wireless, that's a big deal -- most users are at least on laptops now if not tablets.

    On balance I think they made the right decision for the overall market on patching. Unpatched Windows home machines are just asking for ransomware or a botnet takeover, and consumers have no clue how to manage their machines. For business, I think they made an OK compromise, but wish they would make the updates not be all-or-nothing. The user population I support runs hundreds of applications from sources we don't control, and right now on Windows 7 we get a few security updates a year that break them, some in ways we can't fix without getting the vendor to make a change. In the old pick-and-choose model, we would figure out which monthly updates didn't break the application set and apply them, then wait for a time we could apply the "bad" ones when an application drops off the radar or gets fixed.

    1. Re: Instability is the new normal? by Billly+Gates · · Score: 1

      I hate to tell you this but build 1607 anniversary update is already CBB grade with enterprises running it as you read this .... Complete with their IT techs getting calls this weekend on why the director's laptop stopped working after an update.

      I have a fresh rebuild right now in my living room. I am seriously contemplating not going thru on Windows 10 and using an older saved acronis 8.1 image for the same cpu/ motherboard? I cannot guarantee it will just work until redstone2 comes out next April when 1607 goes into just security update mode? This is ridiculous

    2. Re:Instability is the new normal? by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 1

      I'm not happy that you have to give up all feature updates for years in order to get an OS they're not going to be changing behavior on every month.

      The good news is that I can fix your problem. The bad news is you won't be reveling as part of "The Glorious PC Gaming Master Race" with the latest titles anymore.

      --
      Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
  10. This is what you get... by Chas · · Score: 4, Insightful

    When your OS vendor tosses their Q&A and basically uses their user base for testing out their shitty product.

    Still very happy with Win7, and there's ZERO need to upgrade at this point.

    --


    Chas - The one, the only.
    THANK GOD!!!
    1. Re:This is what you get... by CaptainDork · · Score: 1

      This.

      I'm a retired IT guy, and at 71 years old, I started my geek career 52 years ago in this man's Navy repairing avionics.

      I have lived every stinking second of Microsoft starting with DOS back in 1978, Windows 1.0, Office products, and servers.

      I've associated with some piss-poor systems people before who would make a change, step out the door of the computer room, and if they heard a chorus of, "God Damn!!!!!" would revert and undo.

      That's my experience with Microsoft.

      They release prematurely and crowd-source QA.

      Me?

      I never released until well after the early adopters were fired.

      --
      It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
    2. Re:This is what you get... by Zontar+The+Mindless · · Score: 1

      You're 123 years old?

      --
      Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
    3. Re:This is what you get... by CaptainDork · · Score: 1

      ... at 71 years old, I started my geek career 52 years ago ...

      71-52=19

      --
      It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
    4. Re:This is what you get... by antdude · · Score: 1

      Yes, operating system vendors have too many question and answers!

      --
      Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
  11. Re:Will reboot to fix Windows ever end? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Standard M$ textbook answers... 1- Reboot, 2- Reinstall Windows.

  12. Poor Windows by thundercattt · · Score: 1

    I really feel for their users..... really I do. Poor poor them. *Continues using apt-apt update*

  13. Re:Will reboot to fix Windows ever end? by cjjjer · · Score: 1

    Try and explain to a typical Social Media / Netflix user how to do ipconfig /renew and get back to us on that...

  14. DHCP broken too! by Billly+Gates · · Score: 2

    The Register has the scoop on it.

    Some users report typing:
    netsh winsock reset catalog
    netsh int ipv4 reset reset.log

    Has repaired their TCP/IP stack.

    Unrelated, I just woke up after I rebuilt a computer last night. I am greeted with a Windows 10 setup screen. I also have an older saved Windows 8.1 acronis image for same cpu and motherboard. I was just wondering if I should bite the bullet and go Windows 10 as I work in IT and need to know it ...

    However this story scared me and got me wondering if that is really a good idea? What do you all think? Hmm

    1. Re:DHCP broken too! by rcharbon · · Score: 1

      I had the problem. Resetting in CMD didn't work, but when I tried resetting in PowerShell, I was able to reconnect. http://www.speedguide.net/faq/...

    2. Re:DHCP broken too! by wjcofkc · · Score: 1

      It if you work in IT WIndows 10 is great as you get all things Windows as well as Bash on Windows. This is a Microsoft\Ubuntu collaboration that is merging Linux and Windows and it is proving to be very effective. This is not a VM or some compatibility layer, this is total Bash on Windows with all the *nix utilities you would expect. You can even interact, configure, and otherwise modify the Win 10 OS from a bash shell. As it is Ubuntu, you also have apt-get and can install pretty close to any Linux software. Using Xming, you can even run GUI programs, just remember to execute "export DISPLAY=:0"

      I am a former long time Windows hater, and while I still use straight Linux and FreeBSD on some machines, I am very pleased with Windows 10. Go for it.

      --
      Brought to you by Carl's Junior.
    3. Re:DHCP broken too! by MightyMartian · · Score: 2

      Translation: I'm an MS shill

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    4. Re: DHCP broken too! by Billly+Gates · · Score: 1

      No offense but you don't work in IT unless you're a developer. If you are then I forgive you.

      If you're an admin or end user support then 10 is a nightmare! Having something as fundamental as DHCP not working will wreak havoc in the office ... And your career if problems keep hitting every few months. They will blame YOU not 10 after 3 or 4 outages.

      Then you're fired or denied a promotion etc. We tend to hate change like Vista and 8 and now 10 as compliants are brought up each performance review

    5. Re:DHCP broken too! by dbIII · · Score: 1

      this is total Bash on Windows with all the *nix utilities you would expect.

      Cygwin has had more of them on MS Windows since Win2k was new.

    6. Re:DHCP broken too! by gtall · · Score: 1

      Shut up, Satya.

  15. 20 years by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 3, Insightful

    "Microsoft acknowledged the problem Thursday, recommending customers try restarting their PCs"

    Almost 25 fuckin' years after releasing Win 3.1, and their trouble shooting advice is still "have you tried restarting it?"

    On the other hand, I have a Linux server that just passed 1015 days uptime with no restarts or reboots. It hosts about 50 websites and runs 24/7 with constant activity. Windows couldn't even dream of that kind of service.

    --
    Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
    1. Re: 20 years by Billly+Gates · · Score: 2

      Not to sound like an ass but I will quote/paraphrase something I read on similar topic on theregister.co.uk this morning.

      He said um what do you guys do all day on your computers that run Linux? Do you all just browse the web and do nothing else but pretend to be important with no other apps?

        Do you all run 90% of your work in virtual machines where you run Windows anyway?

      He went on saying he uses music production software and hardware and something called DAW. The free software is horrible and is no substitute or doesn't meet his needs.
      Sorry LibreOffice, the gimp, and Killustrator are no substitutes for Word, Excel, Adobe Photoshop, or Adobe illustrator. No can-do. If your resume is misformatted because LibreOffice can't be bug to bug compatible with your tables it goes into the trash.

      So the argument is moot as not everyone becomes a Unix system administrator when they grow up. Besides web browsing what can you do with Unix? No serving doesn't count either for mere mortals so don't give me that?

    2. Re: 20 years by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Go ahead and keep using that bloated crapware infested security nightmare clusterfuck of an operating system you call Windows, I'll stick with Linux.

    3. Re: 20 years by CaptainDork · · Score: 1

      ... I'll stick with Linux.

      But you won't answer the question.

      --
      It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
    4. Re:20 years by thegarbz · · Score: 2

      Almost 25 fuckin' years after releasing Win 3.1, and their trouble shooting advice is still "have you tried restarting it?"

      Their? Everyone's advise is that. It puts a device back to a somewhat known state. There are plenty of cases where Linux machines have been suggested to do the same. I've done it with Unix machines to fix faults to which we had limited insight. Vendors will ship devices with embedded controllers that have dedicated reset switches on them and when they don't they'll advise simply turning it off and on again.

      And on one of our $100,000 Nuclear E1 certified safety systems, when a discrepancy is noticed between the 3 redundant controllers do you know what happens? The 2 which are presumed correct initiate a watchdog restart of the third. One day a main processor didn't seem to startup properly so you know what we did? Pulled it out of the rack ... and put it back in again.

      On the other hand, I have a Linux server that just passed 1015 days uptime with no restarts or reboots.

      Ha piss weak. All of our Windows machines at my last work place had over 5 years on them until we needed to power them down to cut over the powersupply of the building during a plant outage. Windows can dream of that kind of service, but that dream only becomes a reality when looked after by a compitent IT person rather than a "It's Linux so it's the bestest attitude".

      Get off your high-horse.

    5. Re: 20 years by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 2

      He said um what do you guys do all day on your computers that run Linux?

      Like I said, I have a Linux server (3 actually) that host websites. Between the 3 of them they host about 150 sites, and they make money for me as well as providing various other services, some which I give away at no cost. So that's what I do with Linux.

      I also have Linux Mint on my laptop and for basic day-to-day stuff it does everything I need (email, browsing, video, audio, etc).

      I'll be the first to say that there's really no good equivalent for some applications like Photoshop, Illustrator, etc. For those you'll need a Windows box. However, the vast majority of people don't those applications.

      --
      Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
    6. Re: 20 years by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 1

      Also I will add Windows can serve 50 websites just fine with high uptime

      That's nice. I hope you enjoy paying for it year after year. :)

      As I mentioned in another post, I have 3 servers. One has about 50 sites, one has about 100 sites, and the newest one has only had about a dozen sites put on it so far. Quite a few of them are high traffic, probably more than a Windows box could sustain. And these servers are basic, medium grade units, nothing heavy duty...and yet they seem to do just fine. Millions of hits a day, day after day, week after week.

      Uptime? I have 1000+ days on one server, about 390 on another, and about 100 on the newest one.

      Let me know when your Windows server hits 1000 days of continuous, sustained use without a reboot or restart. :)

      --
      Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
    7. Re:20 years by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 3, Funny

      All of our Windows machines at my last work place had over 5 years on them

      Lol, sure they did. And I was a door gunner on the Space Shuttle.

      --
      Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
    8. Re: 20 years by donaldm · · Score: 1

      I'll be the first to say that there's really no good equivalent for some applications like Photoshop, Illustrator, etc. For those you'll need a Windows box. However, the vast majority of people don't those applications.

      You can always find alternatives to most computer applications and in many cases, the alternative while not being feature to feature identical are good enough for most people and in the case of Linux are usually free and well maintained.

      For "Photoshop" the Gimp is pretty much identical and for "Illustraltor" you could use Inkscape . Of course, you will always get people who say "But it is not the same as [name your Windows-centric product here]" then it becomes rather pointless even attempting to point out the alternatives.

      --
      There ain't no such thing as proprietary standards only proprietary formats. Standards are by definition open.
    9. Re: 20 years by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 2

      For "Photoshop" the Gimp is pretty much identical

      Look, I like Linux, but I know enough about Photoshop and GIMP to know that GIMP is in no way "pretty much identical" to Photoshop.

      --
      Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
    10. Re: 20 years by Billly+Gates · · Score: 1

      Again running servers does not count. THat is even more niche than uses with photoshop and illustrator as some people do photography as a hobby and any marketing department uses these tools for sales, commercials, promotional material creation, etc. However, if you hate Windows there is always the Mac for these users. I would argue MacOSX is superior to these folks due to things like color calibration and fonts, but Windows 7 and 10 have finally caught up to Mac of 1998 :-)

      So before blaming the user why should they go to Linux? What do they gain out of the deal? Can they run their apps such as excel macros or accounting software, turbo tax, odd printers software, video games, etc? Will Linux work eternally with updates with 0 CHANCE OF BREAKING?

      Google the Hairyfeet challenge on Slashdot? Take any Linux distro and do more than 2 major release updates and see if it still works? It won't as no kernel ABI exists and XORG changes stuff all the time. THese users will try Linux and it will break eventually.

      FreeBSD is much better OS for a unix for this reason, but again no real reason for a mortal to use it and learn to setup.

    11. Re: 20 years by Billly+Gates · · Score: 1

      There's no Windows software I need.

      Well then you are not important. Who doesn't need Office in 2016? Really?

      For someone important who is not a Unix admin there is no software in Linux they need either to throw it right back at ya

    12. Re:20 years by MrLogic17 · · Score: 1

      >that just passed 1015 days uptime with no restarts or reboots

      If that's really true, then you haven't been patching. I would not be bragging about a system that poorly managed and vulnerable.

    13. Re:20 years by thejynxed · · Score: 1

      Anything that is certified for use as a nuclear control device generally has no outside network connection access, patching is optional.

      --
      @Mindless Drivel: 100% of Twitter posts ever Tweeted.
    14. Re: 20 years by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 1

      Again running servers does not count.

      It counts for me. :)

      --
      Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
    15. Re: 20 years by dbIII · · Score: 1

      He said um what do you guys do all day on your computers that run Linux

      Typically when linux is used in an office it is to run scientific, engineering or other workstation software so they just sneer right back at you and your one page spreadsheets.

    16. Re:20 years by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Windows doesn't randomly crash, and hasn't had a specific periodic crash frequency since Windows 95. On boxes like servers specifically which spend a lot of time doing very repetitive and continuous tasks such as firing up a thread to serve a web page and killing it again, if it works the first time it's likely to keep working baring some programming error such as a memory leak or a hardware fault.

      If you can't keep such a machine up, you shouldn't be a system administrator.

      Actually I'd challenge the opposite. These machines are more likely to stay up when they are completely untouched, and no one is doing something stupid on them.

    17. Re:20 years by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      I would not be bragging about a system that poorly managed and vulnerable.

      Are you replying to me or the parent? The parent's example is quite scary as it hosts a wide variety of customers and clearly has outside access.

      The even longer uptimes we have, you're 100% right. We haven't been patching. We didn't patch in the previous outage, we weren't planning a patch in a subsequent one, and we don't run virus protection or firewalls on the system either.

      Mind you it's a closed network inside a room with access control and restricted to only 5 people each of whom have a lot to lose when it goes wrong so quite frankly machine vulnerability isn't at all on the radar, and the login name was Administrator and the password was Password.

    18. Re:20 years by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      patching is optional

      Patching is not optional. Patching is outright not allowed without approval and certification.

    19. Re:20 years by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 1

      If you can't keep such a machine up, you shouldn't be a system administrator.

      I don't really need to be a system administrator; my servers all just run and run without having to dick around with them.

      On the rare occasion I install something or make a change, I don't even have to reboot them, unlike a Windows machine. On Windows, just updating your mouse driver requires a restart, lol.

      -

      These machines are more likely to stay up when they are completely untouched

      Ahhh, so a Windows box will run forever as long as it's not actually used for anything. Wonderful.

      --
      Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
    20. Re:20 years by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      Windows doesn't randomly crash,

      Sure about that? That's not my experience.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
    21. Re:20 years by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Yes. Since the days of Windows XP and later every crash can be traced back to an improper driver handling, a hardware failure or my personal favorite: software doing shit it was never supposed to (I'm looking at you specifically anti-virus software).

    22. Re:20 years by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      I don't really need to be a system administrator; my servers all just run and run without having to dick around with them.

      So what you're saying is you're just a janitor and someone else gave you a computer to sit next to and dust off every so often. Or do you think computers magic themselves into existence, or do you not understand the job description?

      On the rare occasion I install something or make a change, I don't even have to reboot them, unlike a Windows machine.

      If you're rebooting your windows machine for anything other than OS updates you're doing it wrong. If a reboot is a problem for you, you're doing it VERY wrong.

      Ahhh, so a Windows box will run forever as long as it's not actually used for anything. Wonderful.

      You said it yourself, dick around. Not touching a machine and it not doing anything useful are two different things. If you're ever touching a super computer for instance you're also doing it wrong. Does that mean they aren't doing anything useful?

      Please learn to understand english. The language involves more than taking a few words in isolation and then declaring yourself superior (which given this discussion is quite ironic).

    23. Re:20 years by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 1

      Or do you think computers magic themselves into existence

      Lol, yes, thegarbz, that is exactly what I think. I hope you don't claim some different reason for them appearing right in the exact rack where I need them to be.

      --
      Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
    24. Re:20 years by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      So you're saying that Windows is insufficiently robust? Hardware failures that can't be recovered from are pretty darn rare. We're talking CPU, memory, and mass storage devices. Crashes from anything less vital to the OS are Windows' fault. Application programs should never cause the OS to crash.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
    25. Re:20 years by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      So you're saying that Windows is insufficiently robust?

      No I'm saying that it is flying under the radar of obscurity. I'm sure HP programmers can bring down the Linux kernel with a driver 4x larger than the kernel itself just as easily as windows.

      Speaking of, last time I had a problem with my RAID controller on my Linux server do you know how I found out? "Oops" Followed by gibberish.

      Hardware failures that can't be recovered from are pretty darn rare

      Which is why Windows has no problem with uptime on enterprise grade hardware. In the mean time I can crash both my Windows machine and my Linux machine right now by unplugging a fan on the GPU.

      Crashes from anything less vital to the OS are Windows' fault. Application programs should never cause the OS to crash.

      Applications never do. But it's cute you think that Windows somehow allows an even lower level of system access than a Linux Kernel module.

    26. Re:20 years by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 1

      Yes. Since the days of Windows XP and later every crash can be traced back to an improper driver handling, a hardware failure or my personal favorite: software doing shit it was never supposed to (I'm looking at you specifically anti-virus software).

      Ahhh, the "No True Scotsman" fallacy, or in this case, the "No True Windows Bug" fallacy.

      Glorious. It's always something else's fault, it couldn't POSSIBLY be a fault in Windows. lol

      --
      Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
    27. Re:20 years by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      I said I get random Windows crashes on a computer that's not low-end. The original claim was that that didn't happen.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  16. No use by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    My computer is used for retail. The last time there was an updat it too about 4 hours to get my system back. I've shut down and turned back on and nothing. I can't believe this is happening on a Saturday in December.

    1. Re: No use by Billly+Gates · · Score: 2

      Or just don't run Windows 10.

      Thankfully I have a copy of acronis with an older 8.1image with updates disabled to just download. I install them manually a month or so later.

      I really did want to keep 10 and if works fine for a few weeks and I always run into a problem every other month or so. So damn frustrating. I NEED to learn 10 for work as we will migrate soon but shit too many problems??

    2. Re:No use by CaptainDork · · Score: 2

      This.

      If one computer aggravates, scoot your chair over to the other one.

      --
      It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
    3. Re: No use by ledow · · Score: 1

      To be honest, the price of a copy of VMWare Workstation or similar is well worth it.

      Run business stuff in a VM, then any computer you can put that VM onto and carry on. Meanwhile your choice of hypervisor OS (Linux or Windows), and your choice of personal platform (e.g. Windows for gaming) doesn't make any difference.

      Hell, Pro versions of Windows all come ready with the software to create and run HyperV images of Windows and Linux, even the client versions.

      If your business depends on it and you can't run to a few hundred dollars to insulate it against failure, loss or hardware change, you're an idiot.

    4. Re: No use by rew · · Score: 1

      > but shit too many problems??

      You should see a doctor about that.

    5. Re: No use by Billly+Gates · · Score: 1

      I use both.

      Problem is I do EUS end user support as well. That means if I work into an executive conference room and some VP or VIP client has a MS Surface with 10 I need to have the mouse clicks and screen memorized. Everything from logging out to changing TCP/IP settings are obscured or changed.

      Worse if I want to work with a MS gold partner I need my MCSE Mouse Click System Engineer cert updated. HUGE mouse click and option memorization to pass these tests. Though I do give credit MS has made the tests very hard now :-) ... as in 50% is now powershell scripting questions and more rigorous compared to the joke last decade. But still the only way to really learn is to use it and not just fire up a VM every once in a while to check something. I bit the bullet and went to 10 again this afternoon on rebuilt system dreadfully. I guess working around bugs will give me experience until I can become a Unix admin.

  17. Happy Anniversary! by JoeyRox · · Score: 3

    You loved last year's gift of privacy invasion so much I didn't know how to top that. Then I thought of disconnecting your WiFi so you would lose access to the single most essential activity on your computer. I hope you enjoy it!

    1. Re:Happy Anniversary! by SeaFox · · Score: 1

      You loved last year's gift of privacy invasion so much I didn't know how to top that.

      Well, people said they wanted their computers to stop communicating with Microsoft's servers...

    2. Re:Happy Anniversary! by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      I would laugh at Microsoft's incompetence but I'm too busy trying to get my Debian system to boot after its last update.

    3. Re:Happy Anniversary! by donaldm · · Score: 1

      I would laugh at Microsoft's incompetence but I'm too busy trying to get my Debian system to boot after its last update.

      Yes, I can sympathize with that. I mean my Fedora 25 distribution takes 40 seconds to cold boot of which it plays around in the BIOS for 10 seconds and then it takes me another 20 seconds to authenticate, fire up a web browser, VLC and pretty much any other application that I want to run.

      That's one minute of wasted time which I could have boiled a jug of water, made an insipid cup of coffee and scrounge up some stale biscuits. Oh, wait that originally took over five minutes if I was lucky. Damn those SSD's they are far too fast and there is just not enough time to make the necessities of life. :-)

      --
      There ain't no such thing as proprietary standards only proprietary formats. Standards are by definition open.
    4. Re:Happy Anniversary! by Billly+Gates · · Score: 1

      I would laugh at Microsoft's incompetence but I'm too busy trying to get my Debian system to boot after its last update.

      Isn't SystemD great?

    5. Re:Happy Anniversary! by minstrelmike · · Score: 1

      When our new-fangled computer room lost all power to the air conditioning and fried a whole mess of servers, the IT group got mad because our Linux server was taking 5 minutes to boot up. The main lady complained saying their windows servers booted up in 30 seconds. I said they'd better since they have to reboot for every single update, or to install software, or to remove sofware. Whe nit "finally" came up, our log said the box hadn't been rebooted in 4 years.
      It didn't get fried either. Had an automatic shutoff. And this was a few years ago.

    6. Re:Happy Anniversary! by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      *sigh*

    7. Re:Happy Anniversary! by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      the IT group got mad because our Linux server was taking 5 minutes to boot up.

      Let me guess. 30 seconds for Linux and 4min 30seconds for HP's ILO and BIOS?

  18. Experience by luckyunicorn · · Score: 1

    I have experienced Wi-Fi connection drops as well using Windows 10 and was thinking that something wrong with the router but I guess it may not be the issue.

  19. Since Windows 8 by hvidstue · · Score: 1

    It has dropped WiFi since Windows 8

  20. Re:Microsoft is killing the business use of Window by ledow · · Score: 1

    Why would a business person not be subject to domain control and WSUS even on a mobile PC?

  21. Re:Microsoft is killing the business use of Window by Anonymous+Brave+Guy · · Score: 1

    They're just trying to keep up with Google. More than once, I've given a sales person a locally installed demonstrator for some web app that was working when they left the office, and then the demo was undermined when they connected their laptop to the Internet while out of the office and Chrome self-updated and broke something.

    --
    If you disagree, post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like.
  22. Re: Will reboot to fix Windows ever end? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    At my work the Linux techs have a joke thatall you need to train a Windows tech is the "five R's of troubleshooting Windows"

    1. Restart the application
    2. Reboot the server
    3. Reinstall the application
    4. Rekick the server
    5. Redhat

  23. Finally, a long-awaited feature! by temcat · · Score: 1

    N/T

    1. Re:Finally, a long-awaited feature! by CaptainDork · · Score: 1

      Discrimination in private business on any grounds should be as legal as it is in sex and friendship.

      As long as the sex and friendship are bought.

      --
      It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
    2. Re:Finally, a long-awaited feature! by temcat · · Score: 1

      There is no reason for this distinction. Selling and buying is just one possible type of exchange which is the general basis of human action.

    3. Re:Finally, a long-awaited feature! by CaptainDork · · Score: 1

      Discrimination in private business ...

      Logic requires equivalence.

      --
      It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
    4. Re:Finally, a long-awaited feature! by temcat · · Score: 1

      Yep. There's nothing illogical. Private business, friendship, and sex are all types of voluntary exchange between humans (the voluntary part was something that I missed in the last comment). They should have an equal legal status, whatever that status may be.

    5. Re:Finally, a long-awaited feature! by temcat · · Score: 1

      You're hasty with your conclusions. What if I hate whites and heteros for their privilege? Anyway, all I'm saying is that you should either or disallow discrimination in all of these areas to an equal extent.

    6. Re:Finally, a long-awaited feature! by CaptainDork · · Score: 1

      Nah.

      Like most analogies, it breaks down quickly with extension.

      SCOTUS agrees with you, though.

      --
      It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
  24. Re:who uses windows 10 garbage? by CaptainDork · · Score: 1

    In the maths, "TOTAL" = 100% -- not 90%.

    --
    It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
  25. Re:Will reboot to fix Windows ever end? by peragrin · · Score: 2

    Type cmd.exe into Cortana

    Run program
    Type ipconfig /release. Press enter
    Type ipconfig /renew. Press enter

    Press red close x in corner

    Wifi fixed

    --
    i thought once I was found, but it was only a dream.
  26. Re:Will reboot to fix Windows ever end? by ArmoredDragon · · Score: 1

    I disabled cortana because she's a nazi sympathizer.

  27. Re:Diagnostic 1D 10T by colinrichardday · · Score: 1

    The headline is not only misleading it is downright incorrect!

    Welcome to Slashdot!

  28. Finally catching up to Linux features by sciengin · · Score: 2

    As a long time Linux user I am glad that the Windows peasants are finally getting this feature that we have been enjoying for years.

    (yeah I know, its the fault of the device manufacturers)

  29. Re:Microsoft is killing the business use of Window by Leslie43 · · Score: 1

    You do realize that not every business is large enough to justify such a system right?

  30. This is EXACTLY why we want to control our updates by Noishkel · · Score: 1

    You know I can see the reasoning by hind Window's current choice to take the users control away in terms of updates and why the want to force you to do so... but I'm sorry, how many critical bugs like this must we suffer until we can have our control back? How many times are we going to suffer the corporate whims of the Microsoft corporation before enough is enough?

  31. Not strictly a WiFi issue by nuckfuts · · Score: 1

    I noticed just recently that my Windows 10 machine wasn't connecting to either the wired or wireless networks when I moved between home and office. IP addresses were defaulting to Microsoft's 169.254.0.0/16 range, as happens on Windows when DHCP attempt fails. Doing ipconfig /release and then ipconfig /renew would restore operation.

    The problem seems to stem from "fast startup" being enabled under Control Panel -> Power Options -> Choose what the power buttons do. With this feature enabled, performing a shutdown doesn't really shutdown the computer, it basically just hibernates. I'm not terribly surprised that acquiring an IP address, hibernating the machine, then waking from hibernation on a different network might cause a networking issue, but for whatever reason this wasn't causing any problem until just recently.

  32. Re:Will reboot to fix Windows ever end? by Billly+Gates · · Score: 1

    THat will only work ... until the lease is up again.

    A more permanent fix is to type
    netsh winsock reset catalog
    netsh int ipv4 reset reset.log

  33. ah so it wasn't my wifi router by schematix · · Score: 1

    This happened to me twice this week. I had to do a battery pull from my laptop to get it to work right. A shutdown still did a fast boot so it didn't work Also an electrical contractor on a job site came in earlier this week to say his wifi didn't work. I had to do a battery pull for him too after wasting 20 minutes resetting the wifi, etc.

    --
    Scott
  34. At least four easily exploitable local root by Artem+S.+Tashkinov · · Score: 1

    ... vulnerabilities have been found during this period. Have fun! Of course it might be theoretically possible that none of the websites that you host allow any form of code execution and your entire user space is up to date but that's just crazy - boasting about your uptime while keeping your kernel unsecured.

  35. Shit of update by andrei.paduraru · · Score: 1

    Last night my WIN10 updated. Don't have wifi problems, but a host of other. PulseSecure VPN client won't work now, I can't even uninstall it. Add remove programs from control panel does not open. I click on it and nothing happens. After booting a explorer window appears saying a drive is inaccessible; don't know what that's about, I don't have any usb dongle or sd card inserted. MS is trying so hard with Cortana AI, instead it should focus on not ruining basic things.

  36. Re:who uses windows 10 garbage? by Highdude702 · · Score: 1

    I dont quite understand the problem, ive been on windows 10 since about when it came out, i like it better than 7 and damn sure better than windows 8. i dont worry about the telemetry.. so what they see i like porn.. hopefully they will prioritize it! either way, i abuse my system, have had the same install over 3 processors 4 motherboards and 2 GPU's. I add/remove programs alot.. i RARELY have a problem that a simple reboot doesnt fix. and as of right now i have atleast a 7 day uptime, which was almost unheard of when i was running windows 7. they have done better with windows 10 than with the rest of windows os's over the years. the fact that there is no picking and choosing updates per package kindof sucks but other than that it works as expected from a microsoft product. the main thing that pisses me off is when it erases the boot sector infavor of its loader over grub, found a way around that. windows on sda linux on sdb.. tell bios boot from sdb. havent had an issue in almost a year because of it

  37. Interesting by Fencepost · · Score: 1

    I probably ran into this at a client site on Friday, but I blamed it on the ancient WiFi router that they'd reconfigured to use as a switch. Ancient as in "hardware predates WPA2 and the plastic has faded to grey," wasn't handing out DHCP, and had nothing connected on the WAN side.

    One cheap 5-port switch and a reboot after removing a couple of unrelated pieces of junkware that I noticed and the PC and printer were back up.

    --
    fencepost
    just a little off
  38. ipconfig /renew will fix it by BrianMahoney1357 · · Score: 1

    I thought this was just on HP laptops but it seems to be widespread. First my daughters, well before December 7th, then mine. Opening a command window and using 'ipconfig /renew' works for me. Everyone here knows that but maybe some guests might not.

  39. Had the problem, fixed the problem by MercTech · · Score: 1

    Solution is more than a cold boot. Deleting all the remembered network connections and renewing connections (Yes, you have to re enter the wifi codes) solves the problem.
              It looks like an update changed the expected data format in the registry for remembered wifi connections. Old data doesn't read correctly into the driver for a reliable connection.

    --
    NRRPT/RCT
  40. No auto connect by Tomjr78 · · Score: 1

    I have noticed wifi dropping per say; upon startup I've noticed I have to manually connect to my home WiFi, even with auto connect selected

  41. No more "Don't be evil"? by Futurepower(R) · · Score: 1

    "They're just trying to keep up with Google."

    Google has become an abusive company, and Microsoft wanted to add Google's abuses to Microsoft's long list?

    Explanation of Google's former motto, Don't be evil.

  42. Re:who uses windows 10 garbage? by CaptainDork · · Score: 1

    I've done all of the Windows OS, as part of my job. I'm retired, now.

    I've never had any issues with a single version of the desktop after 3.1.

    1.0 was a bad joke.

    3.0 had a fatal flaw in that File Manager refreshed the entire folder structure on the drive (called "directory" back then") when opening different folders.

    They fixed that with 3.1 so that File Manager just re-swept the current folder.

    That was when I rolled it out at Mobil Oil Corporation.

    I never had issues with Windows ME, Vista, or 8 because I banned them from the workplace and never had them at home.

    I liked 95, 98 (ran that one into the ground) LOVED XP and still use it. There's a registry hack that makes XP think it's a legacy OS embedded into ATM machines so it still gets security updates to this day.

    I like, and still run, Windows 7, 8.1 (not 8 SP1).

    I like 10 except for that goddam auto-restart. Any information on how to stop that and still get updates would be greatly appreciated.

    For servers, there's a legacy app still running on a Windows NT Dell box where I retired. The backup tape died long ago and the USB ports are 1.0, so we do over-the-wire backup to another server via batch copy.

    All the servers up to, and including 2008 were nice; no problems at all. I never rode a 2010 or higher.

    I had to pre-approve updates because every now and then Microsoft would give me one for something I didn't have.

    --

    Interestingly, and pre-Windows servers, Novell (up to 3.2) would bail and "server down" was a common phrase. The users were used to it and it was just a way of life.

    The Novell 4.1 I had was not Y2K compliant and that's when I switched to Windows servers.

    --

    So, all-in-all, I've had good luck with Windows.

    --
    It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
  43. How I fixed this for my wife: by Gibgezr · · Score: 1

    The update left my wife's laptop with limited netwrok access: she was connected to the network, but had no internet connectivity. The following lines, typed in an admin prompt, fixed it:

    netsh int tcp set heuristics disabled
    netsh int tcp set global autotuninglevel=disabled
    netsh int tcp set global rss=enabled

  44. Re:Will reboot to fix Windows ever end? by Some_Llama · · Score: 1

    this is what fixed the issue when it happened to me on a laptop with win10.

    all other suggestions here did nothing, once i tried to reconnect to the wifi AP it would get a self assigned IP address.

    funny timing too because i had just upgraded my internet modem and was recreating my wifi AP so i spent some time verifying other devices did not have this problem (one of them was a win 7 desktop).