Topic: Windows Patch Leaves Many XP Users With Blue Screens

[sam]

Tuesday's security updates from Microsoft have crippled Windows XP PCs with the notorious Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), users have reported on the company's support forum. Complaints began early yesterday, and gained momentum throughout the day. 'I updated 11 Windows XP updates today and restarted my PC like it asked me to,' said a user identified as 'tansenroy' who kicked off a growing support thread: 'From then on, Windows cannot restart again! It is stopping at the blue screen with the following message: 'A problem has been detected and Windows has been shutdown to prevent damage to your computer.' Others joined in with similar reports. Several users posted solutions, but the one laid out by 'maxyimus' was marked by a Microsoft support engineer as the way out of the perpetual blue screens.

http://tech.slashdot.org/story/10/02/11/2217239/Windows-Patch-Leaves-Many-XP-Users-With-Blue-Screens

[Clive]

Which is why it's so important to keep Windows Updates turned off!  I downloaded November and December earlier this week. 

[Simon]

Mine updated with no problems at all. 

[Clive]

   It probably has a time delay.   

[Simon]

  It's just a well oiled machine. 

[chorleydave]

I won't be downloading this lot until April/May, so (hopefully) they will have been patched by then.

[chorleydave]

Which is why it's so important to keep Windows Updates turned off!  I downloaded November and December earlier this week. 

Yep.  Same here.

[Simon]

Cynic! 

[Rik]

But safe with it.

[Rodders]

It's been an eventful few days for me.  I'd only just recovered from Nita's attempt to murder me in the shower on Friday evening when my pal rang to say that his Asus Eee toy PC was knackered and could I please mend it for him.

Well, like all the machines affected by this MS Update problem, it turns out that he'd unknowingly given the TDSS Rootkit (virus) a home at sometime and this had overwritten his atapi.sys file.  Since he stores his data on another, larger, drive, I thought it best to let Online Armor ++ eradicate the infection and dropper files, then reformat and reinstall XP from his recovery disks.  Although I've used 486s that are quicker, we finally ended up with a fully-patched system plus a ton of extras including Kaspersky IS 2010.  So I finally signed it off at stupid o'clock on Saturday morning and shuffled off to beddie-byes.

Today I got a call to say his HD had failed.  I've got it here and he's right.  Why is life so bleedin' unfair?   

[Simon]

  These days, I hate it when people ask me to fix their machines.  I've really lost interest in fiddling about, and just want things to switch on and work.

[Clive]

That's a harrowing story Rod.  I trust his valuable data on the larger drive is still safe? 

[Rodders]

@Simon:
Stupid computers.  I hate them with a passion.  I just seem to have this eight-foot-high floodlit sign above my head that says "Computer-mender-man, please hassle me."

@Clive:
Yes, his movie/sounds collection on the larger HD appears to be intact and free from infection.  I hope he can still access it from where I'm going to insert it.

[Simon]

@Clive:
Yes, his movie/sounds collection on the larger HD appears to be intact and free from infection.  I hope he can still access it from where I'm going to insert it.

He probably could, but may not get surround sound.

[sam]

  These days, I hate it when people ask me to fix their machines.  I've really lost interest in fiddling about, and just want things to switch on and work.

yeah I have that opinion now! I still dont mind messing a bit.. especially when its a weird problem.