Problems With M$ Updates

Linda

Hi, Hopefully this will NOT be too long.
On April 16th, I installed the update from Microsoft that was #811493, on my and my daughter's computers. Did NOT have any problem with it slowing anything down. This past week, (I have my automatic update notification on) it notified me of several updates, which I downloaded. One was Q817287 a Critical Updtate for Database Corruption in Microsoft Windows XP I downloaded it,(found on my Installation History after I had downloaded it,that this was already downloaded by me also on April 16),that was on Monday, then on Wed. I downloaded a Secutity update #0815211XP and on Thursday another Security Update for Windows XP #811993.
I had rebooted after each one and after Thursday, went back on, just to make sure everything was fine and then went off for the night.Next day, could NOT get on the desktop, on my computer was a black screen and it said that I had an error in my softwear and "load needed DLLS for HAL "..Contacted Dell and they got it corrected but when I went back on found that Thursday's file and two others that had been downloaded from Windows update needed to be downloaded again........I do NOT want to do this again,since I feel, that in someway, Thursday's download is what caused the missing DLLS.I also dont understand WHY it is on my critical download list once MORE.
Unfortunately, I may have been a bit trusting and felt that anything from Microsoft would be A-OK.
Does anyone think that this file may have caused my problems on Friday of the missing DLLS and what of those same files back on my critical download list ??
Thanks for any help,
Linda

 

Hello Linda,

Do you have a System Restore point prior the downloads? If so, roll back to that point and test to see if the problems went away.
Then, if no problem, either un-do the restore and if you can, un-install the updates one at a time, or stay at that earlier restore point. SR will undo some updates with the exeptions of .jpeg and .txt files and anything in the My Documents folder.

The above is "canned ". This is what Dell had you do.

And now forgive me, a lecture. When doing ANY update, to software or especially MS updates, take a Restore point prior to them so that you can recover. Also do them ONE AT A TIME with an interval of at least a week between.

Here are threads about the MS update issue:

http://www.windowsbbs.com/showthread.php? s=&threadid=18468

http://www.windowsbbs.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=16999

Regards - Charles

 

Do you have a System Restore point prior the downloads?

No, I had not made one prior to those downloads...and after I was unable to get to my desktop even trying in "Safe Mode ",a call to a Dell Tech was made and they had me repair and reinstall those Dlls.In this case, I wouldnt have been able to use the system restore!
Everthing is ok, except, I dont understand, why Microsoft wants me to reinstall those same updates that were shown to be "successfully "installed unto my computer. By my "losing" those 3 Dlls.,I dont think caused those updates to "flee" my computer!
I don't like to ignore a security patch from Microsoft but sometimes the wording of explanation for the patches is just too technical for me,I guess that's why I ran into this problem this past Friday night.

Thanks, Linda

 

Hi Linda,

Your system and the MS site are out of synch, you're right, parts of them are still there. At this point I would either go thru the updates again doing them one at a time, with restore ponts in between, or if you can, restore back to an earlier time and then do the updates or not. I don't know what happened here, never heard of updates disappearing .dll's!

To answer your question about what updates to install: any update that doesn't have to do with circumstances that a single home user would encounter you can take your time about or just don't download. You must be the final judge, like it or not.

Regards - Charles

 

Thanks Charles, for your help. I think I will try to restore to an earlier date before I put those updates in.....still think its doing something with my computer!
Linda