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Christer

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	Re: Windows Update locks up computer Reply #30 - Sep 26^th, 2007 at 9:16am Right now, there is no FW or AV installed. I can slap on some flavour of Norton, get it updated and let it do a full system scan. I have to work for a few hours and won't get around to it until later tonight or tomorrow. Christer
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	Re: Windows Update locks up computer Reply #31 - Sep 26^th, 2007 at 4:29pm NIS 2005 installed and updated. Found nothing what-so-ever. Christer
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Christer

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Re: Windows Update locks up computer
Reply #32 - Sep 28^th, 2007 at 8:18am

I don't recall if I mentioned ... Undecided

... the below so here it comes:

When the computer is rolled back to 2005-03, the file version of the Windows Update Agent files is 5.4.3790.2182 (most of them).

Installing windowsupdateagent20-x86.exe off-line updates the files to version 5.8.0.2694. The computer works well afterwards (still off-line).

Installing WindowsUpdateAgent30-x86.exe off-line updates all the files to version 7.0.6000.374 but the computer locks up (still off-line).

If I do not install WindowsUpdateAgent30-x86.exe but go on-line with Windows Automatic Update enabled, it attempts to install version 7.0.6000.381 but not all files get updated and the computer locks up.

I will compare my own computer with the one that gets messed up and try to find out what goes wrong.

Yes ... Roll Eyes

... I'm sick but I want to know. For some reason, I don't think a reinstallation is the fix!

Christer

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NightOwl

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Re: Windows Update locks up computer
Reply #33 - Sep 28^th, 2007 at 9:10am

Christer

Quote:

I don't think a reinstallation is the fix!

I would tend to agree--may have to see if there's a Microsoft fix out there for what appears to be a hardware/software incompatibility for that newest version of Windows Update and the system you are working with!

It could be an issue of resource allocation causing the incompatibility--I have run into that with other software/hardware issues.

I had to remove all add-on cards except the video card, disable all extras that the BIOS loads (such as parallel port, built-in NIC functions, serial ports, built-in sound support, etc.), and then forced the BIOS to update its allocation table for Plug-n-Play resource allocation--and then install Windows.

Do the Windows Updates.

Once everything was working okay, then started adding back the various add-on cards and functions one at a time making sure everything worked okay before moving to the next item (I was also making Ghost images so I could go back and do troubleshooting testing if something went wrong with a given addition of a card or function that also required software installation--including *drivers*!

On my system, it turned out to be a conflict between the NIC and sound card--not a conflict with a Windows software component--everything has worked fine after the re-allocation of resources!

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Christer

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Re: Windows Update locks up computer
Reply #34 - Sep 30^th, 2007 at 7:37am

I removed the original hard disk and installed the new hard disk. Booted from the XP-SP2 CD. Created a 40 GB primary partition for the system, formated NTFS and installed XP-SP2 (slipstreamed). When done, I changed the drive letters for the opticals from D: and E: to X: and Y: respectively. I created an extended partition with a single logical of the rest (120GB) and formated NTFS.

Now, I had to install drivers for one of the NICs and I choose Marvell since it was a stand alone driver.

I disabled Windows Automatic Update and went on-line to Windows Update. The ActiveX control installed and the new software too. A reboot and back to Windows Update. Now, three updates were downloaded and installed: WGA, MSI and Package Installer.

A reboot and back to WU, eightytwo (yes, 82!) updates were offered but I didn't install any of them.

It worked okey and now, I started installing the rest of the needed drivers. I installed them one by one and went back to WU to confirm that it still worked after each one:

1) Marvell NIC drivers > installed OK > reboot > WU OK
2) nVidia Chipset drivers (including the second NIC) > installed OK > reboot > WU OK
3) RealTek sound drivers > installed OK > reboot > WU OK
4) GeForce 6200 video drivers > installed OK > reboot > WU OK

Now, the Device Manager had no more "yellow entries" but I continued to install:

5) nVidia USB drivers > installed OK > reboot > WU OK
6) nVidia IDE drivers > installed OK (optical devices and hard disk redetected) > reboot > the computer locked up!

I have yet to do the complete reinstallation but it seems like the new Windows Update Client is conflicting with the nVidia IDE drivers. All drivers listed above (except the GeForce 6200 drivers which are on a separate CD) are pre-checked for installation when the Motherboard CD is autorun. I downloaded the latest motherboard drivers and they are prechecked there too BUT when clicking to install, there is a warning that the system probably works fine without the nVidia IDE drivers and it is recommended to NOT install them.

Christer

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NightOwl

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Re: Windows Update locks up computer
Reply #35 - Sep 30^th, 2007 at 9:09am

Christer

Excellent troubleshooting/detective work--and reporting of your results!

Quote:

I have yet to do the complete reinstallation

Might be able to use your original Ghost image, disconnected from Internet access--once restored--go to Device Manager and remove the nVidia IDE drivers and let WinXP install its own drivers.

Now, re-image for your future *base-line* system image, and continue from there!

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Christer

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Re: Windows Update locks up computer
Reply #36 - Sep 30^th, 2007 at 1:09pm

NightOwl,
thanks for your kind words!

I have started the reinstallation from square one. The old HDD will be used for backups and the new HDD will be used for the system and data.

I didn't find a way to uninstall the nVidia IDE drivers. I probably didn't look in the right place ... Undecided

... my brain was spinning in its little bowl.

Christer

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John.

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Re: Windows Update locks up computer
Reply #37 - Sep 30^th, 2007 at 2:48pm

Christer wrote on Sep 30^th, 2007 at 7:37am:

I downloaded the latest motherboard drivers and they are prechecked there too BUT when clicking to install, there is a warning that the system probably works fine without the nVidia IDE drivers and it is recommended to NOT install them.

That's an interesting non-recommendation warning. Angry

I didn't realize that nVidia made motherboards. I thought they were exclusively Video cards.

Anyway, great detective work Christer.

Ghost4me Ghost 9, 10, 12, 14, 15. Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7

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Christer

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Re: Windows Update locks up computer
Reply #38 - Sep 30^th, 2007 at 3:32pm

Ghost4me,

Quote:

I didn't realize that nVidia made motherboards. I thought they were exclusively Video cards.

nVidia make the chipsets but others manufacture the boards, in this case - Gigabyte. They work well, in general terms. No need to do the F6 thing to install SATA-drivers when installing. Just slap XP on it right out of the box.

I don't know if nVidia or Microsoft are to blame for this situation but it's the first problem I have had with a computer based on a Gigabyte board.

Previously, there was an icon for a removable device in the Notification Area. I found it suspicious since it listed the SATA HDD which I didn't consider being removable. It's no longer there ... Shocked

... !

Quote:

Anyway, great detective work Christer.

Thanks! I spent a few hours trying to figure out the reason and my persistence payed off.

Christer

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NightOwl

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	Re: Windows Update locks up computer Reply #39 - Oct 1^st, 2007 at 10:03am Christer You might find this thread of interest in regards to Windows Update--and some problems that are occurring! Windows Genuine Advantage and Windows Update See this: Stealth Windows update prevents XP repair
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Christer

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Re: Windows Update locks up computer
Reply #40 - Oct 1^st, 2007 at 1:27pm

NightOwl,

I have seen the other thread and also the "secret". It seems like the Windows Update Agent and/or its installation is buggy. More than one problem is discussed in that context.

It also seems like the new WUA is worked on. It gets installed differently now compared to a few days ago. Trust me ... Roll Eyes

... I have checked!

Christer

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Christer

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Re: Windows Update locks up computer
Reply #41 - Oct 2^nd, 2007 at 8:10am

I did some further tests to find out what "good" the nVidia IDE driver possibly would do. Without it, the SATA in the mobile rack must be powered on at bootup. If not, it will not get detected if powered on when the system is up and running. With the nVidia IDE driver installed, the SATA in the mobile rack gets hot swapable. It can be powered on and off at will.

By chance, I installed the nVidia IDE driver from the most recent setup file, downloaded from the Gigabyte site. When I went to Windows Update, to my surprise, it worked well.

I restored the Ghost Image and installed the nVidia IDE driver from the CD that shipped with the motherboard. When connecting to Windows Update, the computer locked up.

I think that I will play it safe and leave it out. The small benefit from a hot swapable SATA in the mobile rack is something that the owner can live without ... Wink

... especially if I don't tell him about it!

Christer

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NightOwl

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	Re: Windows Update locks up computer Reply #42 - Oct 2^nd, 2007 at 8:27am Christer Quote: ... especially if I don't tell him about it! Made me smile! Yes, sometimes that's the key--ignorance can be bliss!
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