Vista SP1 Update Locks Out Some Users

Echostorm writes with word that Windows Vista SP1, which began rolling out via Automatic Update, has left some users' machines unbootable. The update loops forever on "Configuring updates: Stage 3 of 3 — 0% complete. Do not turn off your computer." "Shutting down"... restart and loop. Echostorm notes having found traces of what sounds like the same bug in early beta releases of SP1. It's unclear how many users are affected. So far there is no word on a fix from Microsoft.

You can't make this stuff up.

They actually DO beta test their software, right??????????

Re:You can't make this stuff up.

WE actually DO beta test their software, right??????????

There, I fixed that for you.

Re:You can't make this stuff up.

Actually, yes. In fact, those of us inside Microsoft (I'm a Vendor, and not on Vista team) have had access to SP1 for over a month.

Re:You can't make this stuff up.

I think their test setups are entirely Hetero, dude. However, it's rather difficult to have every possible machine configuration represented. I mean, think of the permutations! Why won't anyone think of the permutations?

Re:You can't make this stuff up.

They actually DO beta test their software, right??????????

They did test it in .au and even did a survey to see what people thought of it.
Oddly enough everybody thought it was the best thing since sliced bread.

Taking a leaf out of apple's book?

I know that they're said to have copied the concept of a GUI from apple (who, yes, stole it from PARC) but I didn't think Microsoft would follow the iBrick update also.

SP1 prevents Vista from booting?

So in other words, it IS an improvement!

Win a T-Shirt!

Q: Vista SP1 gets locks up the machines after update.

A: [x] Fiction (wins a T-Shirt)
    [ ] Fact (truth but no T-Shirt to you bad boy.)

Vista is imitating Apple Again!

this time, it's with "One Infinite Loop"

Ye who lack faith

Eventually the loop will stop, and the installation will complete. But only if you BELIEVE!

Regression testing, people

Seriously, sounds like a version issue. An SCM (Software Configuration Management). Seriously, I worked for smaller companies that were serious about versioning and regression testing. Is it my imagination or does MS seem more and more like a software organization that is out of control?

Re:Regression testing, people

Seriously guys, seriously.

Re:Regression testing, people

more likely they are a software company rolling out tens of millions of copies of an O/S onto completely random hardware. I'd be amazed if there were not a few problems.

Re:Regression testing, people

Seriously, sounds like a version issue. An SCM (Software Configuration Management). Seriously, I worked for smaller companies that were serious about versioning and regression testing. Is it my imagination or does MS seem more and more like a software organization that is out of control?

It appears that each little division of Microsoft is their own little fiefdom. Take a common DLL - comctl32.dll (common controls). Windows ships with one version. Office ships with another version. Applications (using Visual Studio Redistributables) ship with a third version! Each has features that aren't in the others, so Windows apps get one look, Office another look, and 3rd party apps yet another look.

In addition, the OS team forked the compiler they use from the development team. It makes sense in one aspect - all developers have a stable toolchain. However, if the dev team breaks something, instead of the Windows team making a big stink, people who use Visual Studio do.

As far as anyone's concerned, Microsoft might as well be split up into separate companies - they more or less act that way anyhow. Code's taken from one team and forked, improvements aren't folded back in, etc.

It's not on windows update

You can't download SP1 yet from Microsoft, in fact its not due out for weeks...

Re:It's not on windows update

Who modded this Offtopic? The summary says "which began rolling out via Automatic Update", which is just wrong. Admittedly they might want to have caught this a touch earlier, but it's not public yet, nevermind auto updating people's machines. OSS FUD I say...

Re:It's not on windows update

In fact, all the posts to the thread in the article were made after this article was posted to slashdot and by posters with a post count of 1. They talk about SP1 on auto-update (which the original post didn't) yet that can't possibly be true because that's not the case. And oh look, echostormfury is one of the posters, could he perchance be related to the Echostorm who posted the story? I smell bullshit...

Brick?!?

I'm sorry. I can't believe I read a summary about a computer problem without it being called "bricking". What the hell is wrong with the world?!?

For those who say "Get a Mac"

Something similar happened [slashdot.org] with the 10.4.11 update as well.

That's some keen fucking reporting

Echostorm writes with word that Windows Vista SP1, which began rolling out via Automatic Update, has left some users' machines unbootable.

A forum post from last month about issues with the Vista SP1 Release Candidate (prerelease code, just to let Echostorm know). SP1 does not go out via auto updates until next month, and is only officially available to select system builders and beta testers now.

It's unclear how many users are affected.

I counted 5, including the guy who yanked his power cable and trashed his filesystem.

So far there is no word on a fix from Microsoft.

It might possibly be fixed in the RTM version of SP1. Who knows? Certainly not Echostorm, who is having a poopie because he hosed his own PC and is trying to drum up a whine-fest about it. Definitely not kdawson either, who posted this because, well, it's kdawson.

This is taking slashvertisments to the preschool tantrum level.

Repair disk fixes vista problem

you can download a disk image, boot from the disk, and start being productive. It's a proven fix that worked for me.

Vista Repair Disk [kernel.org]

I used it as soon as I started having problems with Vista on a new work computer and it's been smooth sailing ever since.
 

Somewhat reminds me. . .

of the situation years ago when a patch went that killed ones network connection. The solution from Microsoft? Download a new patch to correct the situation.

Um, yeah.

Re:ROFLMAO

Has safe mode ever worked?

Re:ROFLMAO

Has safe mode ever worked?

Yes, but it was called DOS back then.

Vista SP1 isn't public yet, unless you pirate it.

Vista SP1 isn't available publicly yet, unless you hop on The Pirate Bay.

Microsoft placed 6 weeks between code finalization and public release for 6 weeks of driver testing; some drivers were not properly written, and MS wanted to work with hardware manufacturers/OEMs to find hardware with problems. Everyone bitched about how technical users should get it early.

Then these same people download SP1 from an unauthorized source, and bitch when it breaks their system. They downloaded an update without letting Microsoft work the kinks out, and they didn't get the update from MS. No automatic download was involved in this.