Two T61s trashed by Vista update last night

[tphawk]

Apparently, Microsoft pushed out a Vista Home Premier update last night that trashed our two T61s. Both boot to a black screen, or Windows says to insert the Installation CD and "recover" files. It doesn't say what files, but of course Lenovo doesn't provide the Windows installation CD so there's nothing to recover.

Semi-fortunately, one user made a backup using Lenovo's Rescue and Recovery about 6 weeks ago; it's being restored right now from a USB drive.

The other user did not make a backup, so we're using Rescue and Recovery to copy the user's main data files to a USB drive. Then, we don't know what we'll do but likely end up reimaging the drive and starting from scratch.

The HUGE question is, won't this happen again when Microsoft pushes the same Vista update? Since we don't know which update did the damage, we don't know what to avoid in the future.

Of course, neither Microsoft nor Lenovo is of any help at all in resolving this.

Thoughts? Advice?

[DAH]

Updates that appear to be pushed last night where;

ATI Technogies Inc - Other Hardware - ATI PCI Express (3GIO) Filter Driver

Installation date: ‎11/‎15/‎2007 5:30 AM

Installation status: Successful

Update type: Optional

ATI Technogies Inc Other Hardware software update released in November, 2006

More information:
http://winqual.microsoft.com/support/?driverid=20112754

****************************************************

Cumulative Update for Media Center for Windows Vista (KB941229)

Installation date: ‎11/‎15/‎2007 5:23 AM

Installation status: Successful

Update type: Recommended

This update addresses issues with Media Center for Microsoft Windows Vista. For complete listing of issues included in this cumulative update, see KB941229. After you install this item, you may have to restart your computer.

More information:
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=101267

Help and Support:
http://support.microsoft.com

************************************************

Update for Windows Vista (KB941649)

Installation date: ‎11/‎15/‎2007 3:04 AM

Installation status: Successful

Update type: Recommended

This update resolves some compatibility and reliability issues in Windows Vista. By applying this update, you can achieve better reliability and hardware compatibility in various scenarios. After you install this item, you may have to restart your computer.

More information:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/941649

****************************************************

Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool - November 2007 (KB890830)

Installation date: ‎11/‎15/‎2007 3:03 AM

Installation status: Successful

Update type: Important

After the download, this tool runs once to check your computer for infection by specific, prevalent malicious software (including Blaster, Sasser, and Mydoom) and helps to remove any infection found. If an infection is found, the tool will display a status report the next time you start your computer. A new version of the tool will be offered every month. If you want to manually run the tool on your computer, you can download a copy from the Microsoft Download Center or run an online version from microsoft.com. This tool is not a replacement for an anti-virus product. To help protect your computer, you should use an anti-virus product.

More information:
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=39987

****************************************************

Update for Outlook Junk Email Filter 2007 (KB943559)

Installation date: ‎11/‎15/‎2007 3:02 AM

Installation status: Successful

Update type: Important

This update provides the Junk E-mail Filter in Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 with a more current definition of which e-mail messages should be considered junk e-mail. This update was released in November 2007.

More information:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/deta ... laylang=en

*************************************************

Update for Windows Mail Junk E-mail Filter [November 2007] (KB905866)

Installation date: ‎11/‎15/‎2007 3:01 AM

Installation status: Successful

Update type: Recommended

Install this update for Windows Mail to revise the definition files used to detect e-mail messages that should be considered junk e-mail or that may contain phishing content. After you install this item, you may have to restart your computer.

More information:
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=79015

My guess is if you had problems it might have been with the first one. Also Thunderbird did an update last night to 2.0.0.9 There is a new PC-Doctor 5 for Windows out. Along with a number of other updates, that all seemed to hit last night.

[tselling]

Have you tried the Vista anytime upgrade DVD you can get from CompUSA for $5 shipped? I would think that would allow you to recover the files.

[tphawk]

Thanks for the suggestions. I was able to recover user files a couple of ways. But it appears that I must reinstall Windows to truly fix things.

The system that had a backup now refuses to connect to our LAN via cable or wi-fi, a well-known Vista problem that apparently has no solution. From what I found on microsoft.com, Microsoft has not found a fix to this since first reported 9 months ago, other than to admt Vista does networking differently than other computers, and to suggest "buy new routers"!!!!

The system with no backup I got going by recovering some files from the other system, but it's stuck in a perpetual loop of "installing components" AND it won't connect to the LAN either.

I can access the recovery parition on both so I can get back to as-built config, and apparently that's what I need to do.

BUT, faced with a few days of reinstalling and reconfiguring, we are asking why not revert the ThinkPads to XP. Is there a BUSINESS reason to NOT do this?

[egibbs]

Quite the opposite, I would think.

My company is still happily on XP, no plans to go to Vista.

Ed Gibbs

[eyecon82]

have you tried the shadow copies? there is a 'time machine' in vista as well..just go back to a day or so before you installed the updates..should be good to go!

[GomJabbar]

Can't you boot up into SAFE MODE and either use System Restore to go to a restore point before you did the update or else rollback your graphic adapter driver (video adapter) to the previous version in Device Manager?