Some installation woes with Windows 7 SP1

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	BEST PRACTICES[/size][/font] Some installation woes with Windows 7 SP1[/size]
	By Susan Bradley Windows 7 Service Pack 1 is out. But does that mean you need to install it? For those who just bought a brand-new PC, install it. For those who are running an existing Windows 7? You’ll need it, just not for several months.[/size]

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The full text of this column is posted at WindowsSecrets.com/2011/03/03/08 (paid content, opens in a new window/tab).

Columnists typically cannot reply to comments here, but do incorporate the best tips into future columns.[/td]

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A word of warning. Don’t install it if you have a lot of language
packs installed. I had many installed and the SP1 (Win 7 64 Ultimate)
trashed my HD.
I couldn’t safe boot, nor could I do a restore when booting form the
installation DVD. Some people reported that safe boot loaded if one
waited 10 to 15 min. Well I tried a few times waitnig up to an hour
for safe boot, without success. I found the offending file
(pending.xml). I booted to DOS from my installation DVD, and could
apply the recommended edit, but the DOS interface would not let me
save to that folder. I booted using a live Linux disk, but still
could not apply the patch.
As others found, the failed SP1 installation either blocked System
Restore or had dealeted the restore points. (Acessed by booting from
the installation DVD)
A command line starting with DSIM was supposed to help, but didn’t on
my PC.
I spent 20 hours apply the many suggested fixes, none of which worked
for me. I am now gradually restoring everything, after a reformat.
I recently added a new MOBO, cpu and memory, and my last image was
before I did the hardware upgrade. 🙁 &^%%^%&*(&^!!!!!!
The problem is widespread. Google C000009A

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Doug, This is the biggest reason why a complete backup is highly recommended before applying any service pack. I originally installed from a site that had the SP before the official release. I decided to then go back and download the entire file directly from MS. I used the Image I created just prior to installing SP1 originally. It took less than 10 minutes to be back where I started. How could it have been easier.

Installing a service pack does indeed wipe out old System Restore points since the restore points would no longer be appropriate.

I also highly recommend shuting down whatever AV/AM app you have running prior to installing SP1. It does appear that many of the installation woes are due to AV interference with the installation.

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Anyone using WSUS to deploy SP1, be aware that Microsoft usually takes a few extra weeks to repackage major updates like SPs for WSUS. From postings on Technet, estimates range from the next Patch Tuesday (3/8) to the end of March for availability of SP1 on WSUS. Microsoft erroneously posted that SP1 would be available immediately on the Windows Update Catalog. It’s not. You can either deploy it manually or wait. I’m waiting.

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In the article, Susan Bradley mentioned installing KB2502285 before installing Win 7 SP1.

I went to that page at Microsoft and it did not show a download button for my system. Also, Windows Update did not show that update as available.

I am running Windows 7 Pro x64.

Does anyone know if KB2502285 is only for x86 (32 bit) systems?

BTW: SP1 is shown as Important and available on WSUS as of Feb 28, but it is *not* checked for download.

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In the article, Susan Bradley mentioned installing KB2502285 before installing Win 7 SP1.

I went to that page at Microsoft and it did not show a download button for my system. Also, Windows Update did not show that update as available.

I am running Windows 7 Pro x64.

Does anyone know if KB2502285 is only for x86 (32 bit) systems?

BTW: SP1 is shown as Important and available on WSUS as of Feb 28, but it is *not* checked for download.

This is sad. I think that since I am reading the paid portion of Windows Secrets, I shouldn’t have to hunt and search to learn that a patch being touted as important doesn’t apply to 64-bit systems. I spent an hour reading the MS pages and searching through my installed and yet to be installed patches before heading to the lounge to get a comrads mention that it is possibly only applicable to x86 systems.

Another thing I would like to see in Windows Secrets is a table that focuses on the latest recommendations as to whether a patch should be installed or whether to hold off. I now have well over a dozen patches “on hold” (including SP1) pending some mention in WS that it is OK to proceed. It seems that I see mention to “hold off a week or so” and it never gets revisited.

It is my opinion that the type of information I am refering to above is that for which I am paying. Why is it not forthcoming?

ken

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In the article, Susan Bradley mentioned installing KB2502285 before installing Win 7 SP1.
I went to that page at Microsoft and it did not show a download button for my system. Also, Windows Update did not show that update as available.

I am running Windows 7 Pro x64.

Does anyone know if KB2502285 is only for x86 (32 bit) systems?

BTW: SP1 is shown as Important and available on WSUS as of Feb 28, but it is *not* checked for download.

If you go to the Microsoft download center and search for KB2502285 the search should return a link to this page:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/results.aspx?freetext=KB2502285&displaylang=en&stype=s_basic

That page will allow you to download the patch. If you just go to the Info page that Susan linked, the “How to obtain this update” link merely takes you to a page that tells you to use Windows update (which does not work for this particular patch). Maybe someone more knowledgeable than I can explain why.

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RE: KB2502285

I have Windows 7 64bit too. The patch WILL NOT INSTALL on 64 bit systems. Don’t waste your time trying to find this update. Now the question is, are 64 bit systems immune to this potential BSOD described in the update ? -or- will there be a 64 bit version of this update released ?

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RE: KB2502285

I have Windows 7 64bit too. The patch WILL NOT INSTALL on 64 bit systems. Don’t waste your time trying to find this update. Now the question is, are 64 bit systems immune to this potential BSOD described in the update ? -or- will there be a 64 bit version of this update released ?

If it was a known problem for 64-bit systems a patch would have been released at the same time. If you have already installed SP-1, regardless of 32-bit or 64-bit, and are NOT seeing the particular error don’t worry about it.

Joe

--Joe

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The KB article, ”0x0000007F” Stop error after you install Windows 7 Service Pack 1 in Windows 7, only shows files for x86 versions of Windows 7 (i.e 32-bit).

Joe

--Joe

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Regarding prepping before installing a service pack I like to:

Run disk cleanup and also delete restore points since that happens anyway
Run Ccleaner to delete the stuff that Disk Cleanup misses (you’d be surprised)
Run the startup manager of choice (I like Winpatrol) and disable all unnecessary auto-starting apps.
Run an anti-malware scan with MBAM or SuperAntiSpyware.
Run Windows Update and make sure all “Important” updates other than the service pack are installed.
Reboot, disable antivirus auto-protect (or even better temporarily uninstall the AV)

Now install the service pack from Windows Update.

All of the above doesn’t take long. The bottom line though is having a current image to fall back on.

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Regarding prepping before installing a service pack I like to:

Run disk cleanup and also delete restore points since that happens anyway
Run Ccleaner to delete the stuff that Disk Cleanup misses (you’d be surprised)
Run the startup manager of choice (I like Winpatrol) and disable all unnecessary auto-starting apps.
Run an anti-malware scan with MBAM or SuperAntiSpyware.
Run Windows Update and make sure all “Important” updates other than the service pack are installed.
Reboot, disable antivirus auto-protect (or even better temporarily uninstall the AV)

Now install the service pack from Windows Update.

All of the above doesn’t take long. The bottom line though is having a current image to fall back on.

You should add “Run a full image backup of the system”.

Joe

--Joe

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I have installed Win 7 SP1 on four computers (a desktop and 3 laptops) three of which are x64 and one x86 and have had no issues on any of them. The installation went went slick as a whistle on all machines.

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I notice that no-one has yet commented on the fact that Service Pack 1 for Windows 7 includes KB971033 – the Windows Activation Technologies update – an update that was previuosly offered as an ‘optional’ update which people could pass up on installing. In Service Pack 1, its installation is silent, automatic and irreversible.

I am not by any means advocating software piracy, but Microsoft should not offer or include updates of that type by ‘stealth’. Who could forget the misery inflicted on countless legitimate users of Vista by similar WGA updates which wrongfully illegitimized their systems and which necessitated for them extreme measures, sometimes lasting for weeks, to get activated again, a problem still going on by all accounts. Based on that experience, I was not prepared to install KB971033 when first offered, even though my system is legitimate, and am danged if I will allow it in SP1. I wish there were a way to manually update SP1 so that updates and hotfixes which were previously not accepted could be bypassed. Besides KB971033, there are a number of inclusions in SP1 which are problematic.

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I notice that no-one has yet commented on the fact that Service Pack 1 for Windows 7 includes KB971033 – the Windows Activation Technologies update – an update that was previuosly offered as an ‘optional’ update which people could pass up on installing. In Service Pack 1, its installation is silent, automatic and irreversible.

I am not by any means advocating software piracy, but Microsoft should not offer or include updates of that type by ‘stealth’. Who could forget the misery inflicted on countless legitimate users of Vista by similar WGA updates which wrongfully illegitimized their systems and which necessitated for them extreme measures, sometimes lasting for weeks, to get activated again, a problem still going on by all accounts. Based on that experience, I was not prepared to install KB971033 when first offered, even though my system is legitimate, and am danged if I will allow it in SP1. I wish there were a way to manually update SP1 so that updates and hotfixes which were previously not accepted could be bypassed. Besides KB971033, there are a number of inclusions in SP1 which are problematic.

The update is not hidden. If you download the “Hotfixes & Security updates included in SP1” spreadsheet from Windows 7 SP1 documentation it is included in the list. As is the following statement:

“Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 includes all
previously released updates for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. Many of
these updates are available to the public on the Microsoft Download Center
and Windows Update, while others are only available to specific customers or
partners. It is standard practice to
include all of these updates in a Service Pack and as such they are included
in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1.

This document contains a list of these updates with links to their
descriptive webpage on http://support.microsoft.com. There are other updates in Windows 7 and
Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 which have not been released as updates
and therefore are not presented in this list.”

It does not appear that Microsoft is attempting to hide any publicly released patch.

BTW, you do not have anyway of preventing any individual patch from being installed if you install SP-1. It is all or nothing.

Joe

--Joe

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I notice that no-one has yet commented on the fact that Service Pack 1 for Windows 7 includes KB971033 – the Windows Activation Technologies update – an update that was previuosly offered as an ‘optional’ update which people could pass up on installing. In Service Pack 1, its installation is silent, automatic and irreversible.

I am not by any means advocating software piracy, but Microsoft should not offer or include updates of that type by ‘stealth’. Who could forget the misery inflicted on countless legitimate users of Vista by similar WGA updates which wrongfully illegitimized their systems and which necessitated for them extreme measures, sometimes lasting for weeks, to get activated again, a problem still going on by all accounts. Based on that experience, I was not prepared to install KB971033 when first offered, even though my system is legitimate, and am danged if I will allow it in SP1. I wish there were a way to manually update SP1 so that updates and hotfixes which were previously not accepted could be bypassed. Besides KB971033, there are a number of inclusions in SP1 which are problematic.

SP1 does include ALL updates previously offered in Windows Updates. It does spell this out if people only take the time to visit the site and read what’s included. MS has not tried to hide anything.

This is sad. I think that since I am reading the paid portion of Windows Secrets, I shouldn’t have to hunt and search to learn that a patch being touted as important doesn’t apply to 64-bit systems. I spent an hour reading the MS pages and searching through my installed and yet to be installed patches before heading to the lounge to get a comrads mention that it is possibly only applicable to x86 systems.

Another thing I would like to see in Windows Secrets is a table that focuses on the latest recommendations as to whether a patch should be installed or whether to hold off. I now have well over a dozen patches “on hold” (including SP1) pending some mention in WS that it is OK to proceed. It seems that I see mention to “hold off a week or so” and it never gets revisited.

It is my opinion that the type of information I am refering to above is that for which I am paying. Why is it not forthcoming?

ken

I also have to agree with Clint. We are all responsible for our own systems. The advice we get from Windows Secrets newsletters and Lounge is generally very good advice. But these fine publications can’t give advice for all senarios. It’s up to each person here to investigate whether they wish to install a particular patch or not on their own. After all, it’s your system, take responsibility for it yourself. You are paying for the right to read more of this advice than people not wishing to get additional info. You are not paying for an expert’s advice on your particular system.

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:rolleyes:
So in other words you want to pay someone else to accept the reponsiblity for checking out Microsoft patches for you and to giving you the OK before installing them.

This is not going to happen. It is not the mandate or responsibility of the Windows Secrets newsletter nor do I believe it will ever be.
You got the very best advice that you are ever gonna get: Wait a few months before installing as more information comes out regarding the effects on various system software environments.

*Learn how to perform drive imaging and restoration.
*Start taking responsibility for your own system.

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For whatever it’s worth, I installed SP1 without a very good reason, but got an unexpected benefit.

I did have a few failures in downloading from Windows Update. It seemed to want to fail at about 19% complete. I just kept trying and it eventually got over that hump. Then everything went smoothly.

For some time, I’ve been having issues resuming from Sleep. Moving the ball on my trackball seemed to wake up he system (the color of the power switch immediately changed), but the screen would stay blank, the screen content would appear, but the mouse and/or keyboard would be inactive, or some combination of these behaviors. The system would typically stay in this state for two to four minutes after which everything would be fine.

I had actually started to reinstall to see f I could eliminate this problem or at least figure out what caused it, but to my pleasant surprise SP1 resolved the problem.

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@joeperez and @tedshemyers. It was from reading the Microsoft documentation at their support site and through my Technet membership that I discovered the fact that KB971033 is included in SP1 so I am not guilty – as charged – of not reading about it. In any case, that was not what I meant by “stealth”. I was referring to the fact that an update which was previously offered as an optional and refusable update is now included in SP1 with no such option, and is not an update which is necessary for the smooth or secure running of the system, and was motivated by the fact that Susan Bradley, if I remember correctly, in her original review at the time of KB971033 more or less recommended not installing it.

It seemed to me that other Windows Secrets readers who took that recommendation from her then, and who had not read the documentation, might like to know that it is included now.

@tedshemyers: “leaping to conclusion often result in hard landing” ~~ (Charlie Chan)

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@joeperez and @tedshemyers. It was from reading the Microsoft documentation at their support site and through my Technet membership that I discovered the fact that KB971033 is included in SP1 so I am not guilty – as charged – of not reading about it. In any case, that was not what I meant by “stealth”. I was referring to the fact that an update which was previously offered as an optional and refusable update is now included in SP1 with no such option, and is not an update which is necessary for the smooth or secure running of the system, and was motivated by the fact that Susan Bradley, if I remember correctly, in her original review at the time of KB971033 more or less recommended not installing it.

It seemed to me that other Windows Secrets readers who took that recommendation from her then, and who had not read the documentation, might like to know that it is included now.

It is typical practice to include all publicly released patches + some patches that have not been publicly released in a service pack. The patches are included regardless of their original classification. In the past new features that were originally classified as optional have been included in a subsequent service pack.

You may not agree with the philosophy but that has been that way as long as I can remember. Also, remember that Microsoft does not base its software release decisions on Susan’s or Woody’s critique of one or more patches.

Would you expect the patch to be included in the next version of Windows? I would.

Joe

--Joe

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Dear Susan, thank you for your consistently excellent articles. I guess I’m one of the brave and foolish who did not wait for your "go" but hopefully others can benefit from my ordeal. Post Win 7 SP-1 upgrade, everything went smooth until I tried to open my XPMode virtual machine. A msg box appeared saying "Updates for Windows Virtual PC Integration Components are available". However, the wizard failed saying "Setup Interrupted". To make a long story short, advise anyone who faces this dilemma to go to Microsoft Answers forum: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/w7itprovirt/thread/12d97708-a439-43fd-b556-1f646aee8068

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W7 SP1 was a major problem for me. Two of my major programs failed after installation. Quickbooks Pro 2009 and CorelDraw Suite X3 refused to worked after the update. None of the suggested fixes applied functioned. Considerng both worked flawless prior to the update this doe no bode well. Even IE8 experienced problems with several features shutting down.
To make it worse I know get auto updater installer Error 5 msg every time i start my machine.
This will will the second time a SP from wndows has forced me to buy new programs. NOt a very happy camper with MS.

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I have a general suggestion, and I’m not sure where to make it so this is as good a place as any. Susan tells readers to install some patches and to hold off on others. But for those that are in the hold category, I’m never sure how long to wait. It would be helpful if there were an index of all MSFT patches with current recommendations. The patch column could include a link to that index. Alternatives include listing all “do-not-install” patches in each newsletter/column. There may be other ways to satisfy this need.

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