Recently, Microsoft released updates for Windows 8.x that caused BSODs (Blue Screens of Death) on users’ PCs. After discovering this they silently pulled the updates and removed the links from their update site.
A week later, updates released by Microsoft cause Windows 7 users problems. Many reported BSODs after installing the updates rendering some computers unbootable. Your results may vary. Apparently some folks installed the update and had no problem while others experienced BSOD’s.
One would think that Microsoft would actually test these updates extremely well before releasing them and causing Windows users so much trouble.
Here’s an article from ComputerWorld explaining the buggy Windows 7 update problem. You can read about the Windows 8.x update problems here.
Microsoft urges customers to uninstall ‘Blue Screen of Death’ update
One of last week’s security updates has bricked an unknown number of PCs running Windows 7
Computerworld – Microsoft on Friday quietly recommended that customers uninstall one of last week’s security updates after users reported that it crippled their computers with the infamous “Blue Screen of Death” (BSOD).
The update, identified as MS14-045 in Microsoft’s numbering, was one of nine released on “Patch Tuesday,” Aug. 12, was designed to fix three separate flaws, including one related to a font vulnerability and another in the Windows kernel, the heart of the operating system.
Within hours of its release, however, users reported thatMS14-045 had generated a Stop 0x50 error on some systems, mostly on Windows 7 PCs running the 64-bit version of the OS.
“Installation went smoothly. After rebooting everything worked fine. But when I shut down my notebook and switched it on a little later it came up with a blue screen with a Stop 0x50 in Win32k.sys. I could not even boot into safe mode as Windows failed to start no matter which mode chose,” wrote a user identified as “xformer” to start a now-long thread on Microsoft’s support discussion forum.
As of Sunday, the thread contained nearly 380 messages and had been viewed almost 50,000 times. The latter is a large number even for Microsoft’s support forum, and hints at the scope of the problem.
Others on that same discussion thread pointed to different updates issued the same day that caused identical problems, including one meant to support the Russian ruble symbol.
Woody Leonhard of InfoWorld, like Computerworld an IDG publication, reported the BSODs on Thursday, Aug. 14.
Some customers were able to regain control of their PCs by using System Restore to return the machine to a previous date, but only after they’d booted the computer using original install media.
In the updated MS14-045 and other supporting documents, Microsoft said it had removed the patches from its Download Center. As of Saturday, however, the flawed update was still being pushed by Windows Update, Microsoft’s service for delivering patches to PCs.
“Microsoft is investigating behavior associated with the installation of this update, and will update this bulletin when more information becomes available,” the company said in the revised MS14-045’s Update FAQ. “Microsoft recommends that customers uninstall this update. As an added precaution, Microsoft has removed the download links to the 2982791 security update.”
Microsoft’s advice, however, may not be of any help to those already afflicted. It told users, for example, to boot using Safe Mode, which many on the support thread said didn’t work.
Not every PC that installed MS14-045 or the other suspect patches reported problems. Several IT administrators posted messages on Patchmanagement.org, a mailing list dedicated to the subject, that said they had successfully updated hundreds of client systems and servers.
Last week’s patch problem was not Microsoft’s first by any means.
In April 2013, Microsoft urged Windows 7 users to uninstall an update that had generated BSOD screens. And last August and September Microsoft had such a run of problems with updates for its Office suite that experts called it a “worrisome” sign of declining update quality.
In October 2013, Microsoft yanked a Windows 8.1 RT updatefrom the Windows Store after some tablet owners reported their devices had been crippled.
Although Microsoft always publicizes its Patch Tuesday slate, it has not broadcast that MS14-045 should be uninstalled. Neither the blog run by the Microsoft Security Response Center nor the Twitter account the group uses has mentioned the flawed update or the company’s recommendation.
Additional information on how customers should deal with the buggy up.dates can be found on Microsoft’s support site.
Last two up dates I had to reboot my computer to get back online , gee I wonder if this is going to be a ongoing problem so every time I get an up date I lose internet connection it happened last week and this week . I was just sitting there and lost connection come to find out when I booted back up it was configuring an up date this week it just disconnected and when I rebooted I had internet again . I kind of put the two together and still do not know why or what , but I bet you it was the up date .
I haven’t downloaded the updates yet, but the notification came in for the updates. So should I not download any of them? & assuming the 15 updates will stay in the notification for download, do I have to just keep track of which not to download in the future or can I somehow get rid of those? Am I making sense?
Honestly, Amy, I’m having a hard time making sense of anything that Microsoft does! The update in question has not affected my pc YET but who knows what updates in the future might!!! If its’ just the one then just don’t install it but I would install all the rest (but that is up to you). I’m beginning to wonder if I should change my update notification to ” CHECK FOR UPDATES AND LET ME CHOOSE WHETHER TO INSTALL THEM OR NOT.” Right now I have it set to AUTOMATICALLY INSTALL but that is getting to be scarier as time goes on. What to do, what to do???? Cloudeight can you help us out here??
Thank you Nora.
I have mine set to choose what to install because we had massive issues when we were set to auto install. What I don’t know is how to get rid of the updates to install that are now in the choose to install list. I now have 40 from the last week or so. Most are language updates but the bad ones mention in the article are here. If I don’t want to install any of them ever will they just stay in that list for the rest of my life??? TC, Darcy…help pls!
Amy, if they are critical updates I would install them…optional are probably not necessary. Don’t install the bad ones that were listed. All pending updates will probably stay in the list unless you want to “hide” them….some systems allow you to “do not show me this update again” but if I were you I would install all updates that are critical or “recommended”….I have 8.1….what do you have? Also some windows operating systems updates will say “restore hidden updates” and then you can choose in the future whether to install them or not. …maybe googling each update and doing some research on it first would be a good idea. When I had XP I waited a long time to download the update to IE 9 and also Service Pack 3…almost a year or more before I had the courage to do it (lol).
This is why we are staying with XP. MS promised no more updates and our machines run well all the time. Just don’t use IE 🙁
I don’t have my pc’s set up for automactic updates. I just received the request to update this on my windows 8x pc. Should I?