April 7th, 2008
Microsoft to Resume Automatic Distribution of Vista SP1 “Endless Reboot” Prerequisite
By Michael Santo
Editor-in-Chief, RealTechNews
Microsoft said on Monday that it would resume automatic distribution of KB937287, which is one of the prerequisite updates users must install in order to receive Windows Vista SP1. While Microsoft had already said that manual installations of the patch were OK when it released SP1, it didn’t resume automatic distribution at that time.
According to Microsoft in a post at the official Microsoft Update Team blog, the explanation for the snafu is as follows:
Well, the SSU has special code to check whether there are any pending reboots or other updates to install. If it sees either of these circumstances, it prevents the install from starting. During our investigation, we discovered that there were a few unknown and rare events during the middle of the installation of the update that could cause the update to think it needed a reboot to complete the installation. If this happened, the system entered a repeating reboot loop.
To address this problem for people who have not already installed the SSU, we are releasing a fix tomorrow which will install prior to the SP1 Servicing Stack Update. This pre-SSU update helps to ensure a smooth install of the SSU by working to prevent the system from rebooting during the SP1 SSU installation. We also made additional changes to the SSU installer code, so that it checks for and requires the pre-SSU (KB949939) before it will install.
Unknown and rare events = we missed some edge cases.
If you use the standalone Windows Vista installer, you won’t have to worry about either of these, as it will install the prerequisites for you. This only applies to those using Windows Update to install SP1.
We Say: While this is great news, it still doesn’t fix the pressing need for some better way to find any prerequisite drivers that are needed in order to install SP1. As you may recall, if your drivers are too old (and thus problematic), Windows Update will not let you install SP1. And finding updated drivers, as I previously wrote, and even figuring out which drivers are the problem, isn’t that easy, for most end users.
Because of potential driver issues, even if you have downloaded the standalone installer for Windows Vista SP1, I recommend you use Windows Update to determine if you have a driver problem. As I wrote, it won’t tell you what the problem is, but it will at least let you know you have a problem. Then the detective work starts.
John Corliss says:
I, for one, am far more interested in when MS will be releasing XP SP3 so that I can do a fresh install of my OS. Not all of us can afford to buy a new, bleeding-edge computer and replace most of our peripherals just so that we can run Vista at the same speed or slower than we currently run XP.
Cummon Microsoft, get the lead out.
April 8th, 2008 at 1:49 am
Endel S. Leinfiedtz says:
Yeah, well, I’m *still* using 98SE and I haven’t had any trouble with updates at *all*. ROTFLMFAO!
Yes, I’m probably missing Vista’s “cool” “new” “features”
(not really sure what they’ve added–probably animated BSOD’s or something). But, for some odd reason, I seem to get by without them. Probably has something to do with not needing a spellchecker, or not being a mindless but-everybody-else-has-one consumazombie, or not devoting otherwise useful hours to killing hundreds of ____ with a joystick, or maybe just not being all that interested in streaming videos of juvenile asshats sledgehammering toilets or downloading “music” that sounds like somebody killing pigs with a hatchet.
Of course, I’m not too worried about my box being secure, because I actually DID update from being a button-pushing lamer to learning how to write whatever software I need.
But, by all means, you folks just keep sending your dough to Redmond, and *enjoy* that Vista “experience”.
(Or get a Mac and join their whining clique of self-reassuring fanboys.)
(Or go with Linux and learn to read Martian.)
April 8th, 2008 at 7:33 am
LZW says:
I’ve actually downloaded some music that sounds like pigs being killed and like it! (it’s the kind of music that sounds good if you’re drunk enough)
Guess I’ll just stick with XP for as long as it’s feasible and then maybe switch over to BSD! Like FreeBSD or PC-BSD.
As a windows user, I’ve tried several versions of Linux but BSD seems better to me.
Microsofty has been playing the upgrade game for a long time and they now try to make it mandatory! (like directx 10 needs vista)
With windows 95, you could browse the web, do email, play games and and handle office tasks. (with office 95) Vista with Office 2007 does that stuff to… What else does it do besides looks new and shiny that makes it worth the money?
If your computer works fine, I see no reason to upgrade.
April 8th, 2008 at 11:53 am
Mark Snow says:
I have to say that I have Vista and I’m not loving it at all. I’d go back to XP but thats more of a pain in the backside too. My old computer exploded during a heat wave we had:( Anyways, so I build my next computer and Vista was the only thing I could find the damn password for (too many disk laying around).
If Vista crashes, it’s UGLY. You lose all the data in any program running like your song list in the media player. It got so bad that even my CHKDSK program become corrupted and wouldn’t run to repair the many drive errors being caused by my graphics card over heating and turning off without warning.
The features on Vista aren’t all that.. Nothing I couldn’t do with my favorite version Windows ME. Windows seems more concerned with preventing piracy of it’s software then actually making a system that works.
The added features are mostly stolen from other applications like the brower tried hard to copy FireFox 2.0 and does a bad job of that.
The only pleasant feature of the OS is the “Dreamscene” that creates moving wallpaper but anybody that uses ME or XP could replicate this and you’ll find a lot of people using software to do it.
I do like the dreamscene… but that hardly justifies the outlay for Vista “Ultimate” that runs it.
I don’t trust the automated updates that cause more problems then they solve.. So honestly.. I use none of the features it supplies and to make my system run faster.. I turn them all off. While the security features are hefty, they end up being such a nag, you never want to use them either.. who wants to have to answer, “Do you want FireFox to run?” everytime you log onto the internet? The system is also crap if your using dail up. No support of modems comes with the vista… It’s a horrible version over all and I’d recommend anybody stay away from it.
It’s only positive is the dreamscene… everything else is pure crap. If you want an Os that won’t run half the software you’ve paid good money for… try vista.
Hope that helps.
Vista SUCKS!
April 9th, 2008 at 9:03 pm