What recent update should I NOT install?

Running Vista Home Premium...The night before last, my laptop downloaded and
installed a Microsoft update that killed my 2 month old Dell Inspiron 1720.
I'm not sure if it was KB941649 or something else for that matter since I
literally could not boot into Windows (tried everything - even phone support
- sigh...) but at any rate, my only option was to nuke the laptop and
reinstall Vista. Soooo...now that everything is back to square one, I'm
going to need to update Vista with Microsoft updates and am not certain which
update I *shouldn't* install. Can anyone tell me if there was a common
update that I should avoid? It seems as though a recent update in the last
few days has caused unfortunate PC carnage for many people. It would be a
huge pain to install all the updates as a gamble in hopes that 'it will just
work this time' and then cannot boot again - or if it does boot what "side
affects" are waiting around the corner? Can someone please help and let me
know if KB941649 is Microsoft's weapon of mass distruction?? How long should
I wait before installing these recent updates?

Thanks,

Brian

Hi Brian,
I had the same problem, I have seen some other forums mentioning KB941600. I
am going to be spending my weekend now re-installing windows (might judst try
Ubuntu!)

Andy

"Brian" wrote:

> Running Vista Home Premium...The night before last, my laptop downloaded and
> installed a Microsoft update that killed my 2 month old Dell Inspiron 1720.
> I'm not sure if it was KB941649 or something else for that matter since I
> literally could not boot into Windows (tried everything - even phone support
> - sigh...) but at any rate, my only option was to nuke the laptop and
> reinstall Vista. Soooo...now that everything is back to square one, I'm
> going to need to update Vista with Microsoft updates and am not certain which
> update I *shouldn't* install. Can anyone tell me if there was a common
> update that I should avoid? It seems as though a recent update in the last
> few days has caused unfortunate PC carnage for many people. It would be a
> huge pain to install all the updates as a gamble in hopes that 'it will just
> work this time' and then cannot boot again - or if it does boot what "side
> affects" are waiting around the corner? Can someone please help and let me
> know if KB941649 is Microsoft's weapon of mass distruction?? How long should
> I wait before installing these recent updates?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Brian

Speaking from experience, stay AWAY from KB941649. I installed all updates
one by one (after disaster struck) and they all installed successfully except
941649. I was able to get my system working again without having to through a
complete re-install/wipe-out. Search the forums for 941649 and you'll see my
post (which is yet to be answered from any Microsoft techs).
In my post, I explained how I was able to do a recovery. Not a solution by
any means. Just a temp work-a-round until they fix the bug in patch/update.


"Brian" wrote:

> Running Vista Home Premium...The night before last, my laptop downloaded and
> installed a Microsoft update that killed my 2 month old Dell Inspiron 1720.
> I'm not sure if it was KB941649 or something else for that matter since I
> literally could not boot into Windows (tried everything - even phone support
> - sigh...) but at any rate, my only option was to nuke the laptop and
> reinstall Vista. Soooo...now that everything is back to square one, I'm
> going to need to update Vista with Microsoft updates and am not certain which
> update I *shouldn't* install. Can anyone tell me if there was a common
> update that I should avoid? It seems as though a recent update in the last
> few days has caused unfortunate PC carnage for many people. It would be a
> huge pain to install all the updates as a gamble in hopes that 'it will just
> work this time' and then cannot boot again - or if it does boot what "side
> affects" are waiting around the corner? Can someone please help and let me
> know if KB941649 is Microsoft's weapon of mass distruction?? How long should
> I wait before installing these recent updates?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Brian

"JT" <JT@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:6D974FAF-9A38-474E-B764-EB1FBC92A56B@microsoft.com...
Search the forums for 941649 and you'll see my
> post (which is yet to be answered from any Microsoft techs).

MS Techs rarely respond in these groups - if they do its in their own time,
and they say so.
You have to rely on getting an answer from a well informed person, of which
there are at least 6 of a very high standard in the update group.

Just keep watching, search, waiting and hoping - it becomes a monthly
past-time ;-(

Antioch

"Brian" <Brian@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:1C6C6190-FDD0-4019-B3B0-F6572CC4EDEA@microsoft.com...
> Running Vista Home Premium...The night before last, my laptop
> downloaded and installed a Microsoft update that killed my 2 month old >
> Dell Inspiron 1720.

Not the wisest way to get updates - Notify and let me slect what to install
is more prudent.

> I'm not sure if it was KB941649 or something else for that matter..

I dont run Vista so cant help there.

> Can anyone tell me if there was a common update that I should avoid? > It
> seems as though a recent update in the last few days has caused
> unfortunate PC carnage for many people.

You would need to install each one of the suspects one at a time until you
find the culprit.

> It would be a huge pain to install all the updates as a gamble in hopes
> that 'it will just ..........

Agreed.

> How long should I wait before installing these recent updates?

Well you could install all the other months critical/security updates that
you know installed OK and leave this months Black Tuesday offers in the hope
that similar probs in this group and others have been sorted.
Or as said above, do one at a time - make a list of these updates, the
security ones only, go to the relevant web page for each one and download
from there to desktop or disc - once you have them, disconnect from the
net - disable ALL AV/Antispyware etc - especially McAfee which you probably
have with your Dell, then open and install one at a time and restart after
each and check that each has installed.
This way has worked for some but not all - there are many ways to skin this
cat when it comes to downloading updates.

> Thanks,
>
> Brian

Rgds
Antioch

I had problems I was pretty sure was 941649. on startup only every now and
then my system would crash but I never lost any information or anything. I
recently had to restore my computer to the dell factory image and I did
reinstall 941649 and its been working fine for me this time. I think the mix
of all the different updates as a whole was what was the real problem.
--
smokeyfish


"Brian" wrote:

> Running Vista Home Premium...The night before last, my laptop downloaded and
> installed a Microsoft update that killed my 2 month old Dell Inspiron 1720.
> I'm not sure if it was KB941649 or something else for that matter since I
> literally could not boot into Windows (tried everything - even phone support
> - sigh...) but at any rate, my only option was to nuke the laptop and
> reinstall Vista. Soooo...now that everything is back to square one, I'm
> going to need to update Vista with Microsoft updates and am not certain which
> update I *shouldn't* install. Can anyone tell me if there was a common
> update that I should avoid? It seems as though a recent update in the last
> few days has caused unfortunate PC carnage for many people. It would be a
> huge pain to install all the updates as a gamble in hopes that 'it will just
> work this time' and then cannot boot again - or if it does boot what "side
> affects" are waiting around the corner? Can someone please help and let me
> know if KB941649 is Microsoft's weapon of mass distruction?? How long should
> I wait before installing these recent updates?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Brian