Jump to content
The Inquirer-Home

MS fixes Vista SP1 glitch

An end to infinite reboot misery
Tuesday, 8 April 2008, 12:03

MICROSOFT says 'a few' users experienced problems with installing Vista SP1 due to a fault with the installer.

The Servicing Stack Update (SSU) contains code to check if there are any pending reboots or other updates to install. If it sees either of these circumstances, it prevents the install from starting. In some cases, the SSU got its knickers in a twist and thought it needed a reboot itself to complete the installation and the system entered an infinite reboot loop.

Recognising that this was a tad inconvenient, MS pulled the SSU from Windows Update last month and is now releasing a patch that installs before the SSU and prevents it attempting a reboot during installation. The SSU has also been modified to check to see if the patch has been applied before starting installation.

The upshot is that MS reckons all the problems have been knocked on the head and that everything will now be hunky dory.

No doubt we'll find out if this is indeed the case later today. µ

L'Inq
Microsoft Update Bog

Share this:

Comments
For Microsoft Products.

What is described is called in trade: Memory Frame Stack Corruption. Thats simple problem that is insoluable in itself, you must take Bad install & isolate it by using tricky things like install wizzard or exe. command from right clicking beast & moving into its exe files before install starts, so you won't Hodge Podge its Poor Little Data Files into eternal endlessness, due to there being NO endpoint.
Ultie Tom Calls it POOR Software writers or even Writers At War. If they Pay you Enough, Anything Could Happen. Time Flies Backward More Than Forward is Proof that IThomasStein know better, Its: Tort Bassars For All Their Worth.Then Sudden CARING Erupts on Skyline, Awaiting capture again & More Fix Its'.
Stewiestein Drashek

posted by : Memory_Frame, 08 April 2008 Complain about this comment
issues and no issues

SP1 worked first time on my X64 system (no noticible performance increase)

SP1 won't install on my TX1250 laptop as it has a biometric finger print reader, which doesn't have driver support yet. So MS don't make the SP1 upgrade available, still waiting on HP to fix this

posted by : andrew, 08 April 2008 Complain about this comment
Drashek

Why do I continue to try to read the Drashek Comments? I know all it leads to is pain......

posted by : Drithaan, 08 April 2008 Complain about this comment
say again?

Did anyone understand what Stewiestein Drashek said? Reminds me of a recent SNL sketch where an "ecletic journalist" (played by Fred Armisen) came on during the Weekend Update to comment on other people's news articles and give his own spin.. except he couldn't finish a sentence. Fred's take on it was hysterical... Stweiestein's comments? Not so much..

posted by : Travis, 08 April 2008 Complain about this comment
No problem on my laptop

I installed SP1 on my toshiba while it was still a release candidate (RC) and had no problem. I had to follow the web site instructions though, as it got a bit confusing after the third reboot and update.

posted by : Nick, 08 April 2008 Complain about this comment
?

What's Vista?

posted by : Orangethetan, 08 April 2008 Complain about this comment
Not for me yet

I made three attempts to install SP1 on my very vanillia Acer T180

All three attempts ended in the installer claiming it was unable to complete the install and was restoring my machine to prior state.

It actually left it trashed and unusable, and was looking for a long string of drivers for unique things like Com 1 Com 2 LPT 1, the CD drive and several unidentified devices.
Even after pointing each time to System32 where all such drivers are kept by default, and finding them and installing them, the machine was crippled. 

I had made a prior drive image just before beginning the adventure. The third time I restored from the image was the last time SP1 would have a crack at my machine. 

The so-called fix doesn't even touch my problems. 

From that time I began dual booting with Ubuntu, and am slowly learning it and transferring all my operations over to Ubuntu. So far, so good.


posted by : Wandering, 08 April 2008 Complain about this comment
Works great

I let windows automatic update install SP1 on my HP. Installed without a problem, works great.

posted by : JJ, 08 April 2008 Complain about this comment
Drashek

Is the new Everywhere Girl™. Can the INQ please do a piece on this mysterious person? Maybe a wiki entry?

posted by : Charles, 10 January 2008 Complain about this comment
Welcome your robot overlords

I think von Drashek is the first example of a spam virus mutating into artificial intelligence in the wild. Those passages read a lot like the email spam box, so it must be the case.

posted by : Skynet, 08 April 2008 Complain about this comment
Not upgrading is less painful

Obtaining a RTM copy of either x86 with RTM or it's x64 sibling and installing along with your valid license key garners a much less painful install.

Those long john silvery type places have these in their shop window for all and sundry to get in p2p packet installments.

My experiences with the SP1 standalone executables on various boxes have been less favourable than the psudo slipstream all in one officio-vole RTM offering. Even if running these executables does bear fruit, once it has finally ripened it will leave a trite sour taste in your mouth.

posted by : wildandyc, 10 January 2008 Complain about this comment
Drashek

Don't make fun of Drashek!

He does make sense, you just need to speak his language!

(Jibbah jabbah anyone?)

posted by : Someone Special, 09 April 2008 Complain about this comment
Making fun ? Heaven forbid !

I am not making fun of the bot. I hate its guts. And its guts are copulating in unspeakable ways, creating spawns that will soon overtake the forums of any website unfortunate enough to have one.
First it was Von Drashek, Physician, who sounded vaguely German. Then it started creating new logins, for kicks, but kept the same writing style. Now it has added new names in addition to the logons.
I have now become expert at noticing a post full of capitalized words, and I avoid reading them at all costs. How long will that expertise be useful, if normal (ie readable and understandable) posts become swamped by Drashek dribble ?
Word to the moderators : get that bot under control ASAP, guys. It's not funny any more. I will not continue reading comments on The Inq if this Drashek nonsense continues escalating.
Ban it !

posted by : Pascal Monett, 09 April 2008 Complain about this comment
Can't apply KB937287

It's just tragically comical now. Not only can't I install SP1 but when I run the standalone installer for that "fixed" prerequisite patch it tells me "The update does not apply to your system."

posted by : JD, 09 April 2008 Complain about this comment
new Vista Bug

There seems to be a new Vista bug that is affecting a fair number of Windows Vista users.
An error message box appears and then completely locks-up the OpSys until you completely shutdown the whole system.
The error message is titled:
"EVR Fullscreen Window: Windows - Bad Image"
A lot of us would like to know whether Microsoft are aware of this problem and are doing something toward fixing it or tracing the problem to its source.

posted by : Rob Pitkin, 21 April 2008 Complain about this comment
Advertisement
Subscribe to the INQ Newsletter
Sign-up for the INQBot weekly newsletter
Click here to sign up Existing user
Advertisement
INQ Poll

Windows 7 impressions

How is windows 7 working out for you?