Windows 7 has stability issues

More of the 'Anti-Vole' dribble.
I'm happy to say that my PC is 'ROCK' solid stable.
To my knowledge, there has 'always' been a small risk of conflict between OS & 'third-party' software when updates are installed,which is why 'Restore' points should ALWAYS be made BEFORE updating.
People are too quick to blame the Vole, when it's often the users own inability that is the problem.
Obviously the 'clue' is with the," So far no one has responded to say this has worked",perhaps meaning that hardly anyone is affected by it,confirming my own assumptions,but that doesn't make a 'good' story in bashing M$ does it?

Lets for once assume it is Anti-vole propaganda and there is no such flaw or users affected.

Now can you tell me why did the spokesvole find it necessary to offer a solution to the NON-EXISTENT issue!!!

In any case, people not responding to the solution, which again has been posted just about, does not justify or dismiss whether the issue existed in first place.

The Patch is not a 3rd party update and YES it's more MS turds and there is no one to blame BUT MS.
To Anon your a coward hiding behind your name and saying hang the author.

This is what you get when you add a large Service Pack to the piece of crap Vista OS and rename it Windows 7.
I was forced to get 7 with my new Timeline laptop but it went the way of the dinosaur when I allowed my Linux distro to wipe the drive.

since the updates I've been running my system 24x7, no downtime or anything. What a load of tosh...

NVidia 296 GTX
i7 920 OC
12GB RAM
160 OCZ SSD
2TB Disc,

I encourage anyone with so called stability issues and who overall doesnt like Microsoft OS's to get an Apple or install Linux and quite whining like a little biatch. There are alternatives please go there.

As an IT person I welcome you going to some other OS. Your generally the least knowledgeable people and the problem is usually you. But dont take my word for it. Windows stability will go up and alternative OS's will certainly go down once you migrate to another OS. Please go buy a MAC. I encourage you to do so and leave us to our poor Windows OS.

The Anon making the first comment is demonstrating his ignorance of computers and problems. Anyone that support PC in any form knows that what can happen to one person may not happen to others. To make claims of rock solid stability on one is to ignore that their computer is different.

He also tries to blame this on anti-Microsoft sentiment even though thousands of people are complaining. And he ignores the fact that these people didn't complain until the update was installed. He feigns ignorance of the issue even though there are stability issues that existed before the update. One is with the file manager in how it will at times, depending on activity such as file download to a folder you are attempting to delete another file from can result in the improper selection (using shift and/or control + left click) and deletion of the wrong files.

That's just a simple ongoing issue from the onset of Win7 as an example of a major show stopper that Microsoft has failed to address.

In reality his response is total hogwash. It denies reality and tries to project the issue onto the end users. It doesn't help that Microsoft makes a half-hearted effort and then begs out on a reasonable solution to the problem.

BIOS updates are not easy for end users and can result in damage to the computer making it unusable. The motherboard manufacturer always tells you not to apply it unless you have the specific issue that the BIOS update addresses. On top of that the Microsoft employee tries to make it seem like BIOS updates are a dime a dozen when it is likely that none exist for most of those affected.

Let's just say that as someone that managed a large group of tech support personnel that I'd have laid into that employee and counseled him about potential job loss. He was unhelpful and simply pushed the problem onto his fellow Microsoft employees. Effort should have been directed and finding the problem and gearing up management to get the problem solved.

So you think my name has more validity than "anon" or any posted name for that matter. If you do, then I have some land in Florida I'd like to sell you and I also have a line on a bridge in Brooklyn, NY I'll have available for sale soon.

Please send an email to my corporation at:
there's_a_sucker_born_every_minute@midamerican.com

and make me an offer. I think you'll find me a reasonable sales person who has your well-being in mind.

i really think she was just trying to be funny or get someones goat did but maybe i'm wrong? Articles like this are nice because they give me affirmation that moving to linux was the right thing to do even if system bios's put out by compaq are not friendly to any OS except micky mouse.

"More of the 'Anti-Vole' dribble ...."

It's "drivel" not "dribble"

I have a win 7 media player pc that runs 24/7, 2 laptops with win 7, and a desktop with server 2008 r2 (basically win 7). None of them have exhibited stability issues.

That's not to say others aren't having them, but if they are it isn't affecting everybody.

As for the switch to mac comment... please don't. If all you need is internet and a web browser, some office apps, a media player etc, then use linux . Linux isn't hard to set up if you use what's built in.

And lets face it, double clicking an icon in linux isn't any harder than windows or mac os.

Oddly we have the same last name,but I am not here to try and rip people off or try to insult other people unless I am insulted by their ignorance. Maybe I misunderstood your comments and if I did I sorry. But I don't think I did and in that case I'm not sorry.
Many people who are not computer savory have there no idea why there computer just stopped working. There updates are set to auto and have no idea. There is an older generation that just wants a computer for simple tasks, and does not care to spend all there free time leaning how a computer works, there ARE more important things in life. MS does support a large number of different hardware but so does Linux, and I have never had my computer crash from a Linux update. MS always seems to fall short because there biggest goal is to make money, not to make the best OS.

@Andrew
These people are the reason Windows gets a bad rap they shouldn't be able to touch a toaster much less a computer so let them be MAC or LINUX. We know they probably cant get Linux installed so let them pay the high price of admission and buy a MAC. Then when they run into similar issues with the MAC they can complain about how their MAC has problems and if they dont so be it they wont have any place to complain about Windows because they aren't using it.

If they cant keep Windows 7 running the problem is them. Let them see if the grass is greener on the other side. Im not fighting with complainers of Windows any more lets send them packing to another OS and watch how long it takes them to install Windows 7 or Windows 8 on those MAC's when reality finally hits them.

"Microsoft moderator Arthur Li recommended that anyone with the hang problem should disable antivirus programs, update drivers and restart their PC with a clean boot, then reapply the update.

"More perturbing is the fact that Li suggests a BIOS update as well".

I would have expectd Microsoft, first of all, to determine beyond a shadow of doubt whether their patch causes Windows to become potentially unstable. If so, it is Windows that needs to be fixed - the unrelated actions proposed would have no effect.

It sounds to me as if the spokesVole was assuming that any problem was due to the update not being performed correctly due to extraneous factors such as antivirus programs.

Hmmm.

There will always be issues with software updates, you can't check for every possible glitch when releasing software.

As a mainstream OS Windows 7 is great, I like it a lot. The new features make it much more usable from a developers standpoint. And as far as Apple goes, well flop out your list of compatible hardware and compare it to Windows....

At this moment I'm running 2 x firefox running 20+ tabs, 10 windows explorer windows open, an sftp and ssh client, Outlook 2003, thunderbird, paint shop pro, photoshop, 15 x adobe reader documents, 2 x winrar, 20 x notepads, 10 excel spreadsheets, 3 x word docs and google sketchup running. I also play left for dead 2 with all that in the background!

I leave my machine on 24/7 and have a clear down about every two weeks.

Windows 7 has never crashed despite me using it in this way every day.

My system is Phenom X4 920, 8GB, Radeon 4850.

...running of 4 Windows 7 PCs. Not a glitch since...well since they were built in October.

Might I hazard a guess at the problem...upgrade installs?

But the restore point system with the auto upgrades also works well.

My laptop applied updates automatically on Friday, Saturday morning it ran 2 mins before BSOD'ing.

A quick system restore in safe mode and it's all hunky dory again. First issue I have head since starting to use the Beta last year.

Not perfect, but nice.

you're right

It's just annoying that people have to click through several different security warnings to 'accidentally' install software these days and they still do it....

Maybe they should be using an ipad and on only be able to install software from an approved app store......

Windows 7 has stability issues, yup, just like any other OS ever made, or ever will be made, its a stupid statement to make.

To the story, Windows is intalled on a huge portion of computers today, these computers come to an almost infinite number of hardware and software combos, this is something that windows has had to deal with since day one, unlike apple who design software for hardware, or like linux or are not able to support a large portion of that software or hardware or if they do everyday users would never be able to manage it without significant assistance

anyhow, so they release a patch that doesnt work on probably less than 1% of computers its installed on (based on my 93 different win 7 PCs with no issues), that may not be much use for the end user but its a major plus point from a corperate point of view.

People please open your eyes, its not an easy job and there isnt a single company or group of individuals out there that could manage it.

Its easy for us to pick over the issues and moan about MS but ffs give them a bit of credit.

So MS suggest a bios update ? thats funny because I did a bios update on my desktop to resolve a boot issue and W7 needed reactivating, week after that I had to replace the graphics card and W7 needed reactivating again.

Because of the fiasco with W7 and lap top batteries I fitted a new battery in my wifes laptop and guess what ? I had to reactivate W7 on it again, in fact we need to reactivate the laptop at each boot up. MS did try and help but they suggested when it asks for reactivation, re-activate it over the phone, so each night we do just that, please sir, can we use our laptop tonight, I promise to be good !

"but how many average Windows 7 users will be happy doing it?"

probably not many, but as the article already states it was on technet, which probably wont need much to sign up to, but there is probably an assumed competance or willingness to learn the sort of things such as updating the BIOS.

I've applied all the current patches including the one mentioned in the article and so far none of my laptops or desktop have stability issues. Everything works as it should.

My fully-updated thinpad locked up and rebooted twice this weekend when going from window to full-screen in media center. I'm so happy MSoft has decided to make Win 7 x64 as stable as all its prior OSs.

Amused. Maybe.

When did any Microsucks product have stability? I guess if you only need to reboot your PC ten times or less per week, some might call that stability. I call that a POS product.

Just be glad this author is standing up and ACTUALLY FLAMING THE VOLE REGULARLY!

Most websites I've seen on the internet either kiss up to Microsoft or everything they say is blessed and good about windows.

Actually, by yesteryear's standards, there are relatively few choices in terms of hardware. The market for choice has significantly declined. There are only a few computer manufacturers and yet again even fewer chipset manufacturers. Video is now divided up between just a few vendors, motherboard manufacturers are also few with companies like MSI and ASUS making the boards for the generic pre-fabs. Modem chipsets are also few as are NICs, sound, SATA, and on and on.

Though you may have a slew of different companies selling products you have relatively few differences between products except maybe in what features each vendor offers.

Almost all serial ports are gone, many have no floppy drive nor onboard headers, many have standard USB 2.0, no parallel ports, and often vendors don't even include a modem. Sound is divided up between just a couple of vendors.

What I'm saying is that though there are some wide variety in some components used in some boards most boards have a selection of chipset, yet there really isn't that much to select from. My comments, of course, are centered on mostly desktop prefabs and laptops (not necessarily netbooks).

The point is that any claim of wide variety of systems to make work is an exaggeration. Most of Win7s suitable hardware is newer which means that the choices they made when designing the boards weren't/aren't as varied as you might think. Not today. And any varied hardware is also well known as it was sufficiently vetted under the 8 years of XP and the 2 years of Vista.

Even software isn't that varied.

The problem here is with Microsoft and even though you think it is hard for them to come up with solutions quickly or to address the wide variety (as it might compare to Apple) that is what they are getting paid for, those $ billions they received last quarter. They need to better test their updates and have quick answers especially for anything considered to be a stability update. I know I'd be pissed if my stable computer became unstable after an update and Microsoft told me what they told those others in the forums.

I like The Inquirer and The Register.. for a laugh.

I mean if you think Ford is better than GM, then you go an buy a Ford, be done with it and don't look back...

However, with contributors to both these sites, they've all, hopefully, presumably, moved on to OSX or Linux yet the still go at Microsoft.

Contibutors, give your egos a rest and move on.

... and, as far as Windows goes, the future looks bright for Microsoft and its customers - http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aajIjMcEp.E4

Son of a gun is this article timely or what? Yesterday while recording sound from a cassette drive there were several times where Windows 7 completely froze up and I had to use the power button to forcibly shut down.

RE:'To Gutless anon'
Had you read my post correctly,then you would clearly see that I NEVER mentioned any 'third party update'.
The 'risk' I was referring to when updating,is simply that any 'third party' software that's initiated at 'start up'
has settings that need 're-setting' from the msconfig,which is what the M$ 'employee' was suggesting(NOT M$) on their Tech forums,hence a 'clean' boot.

As for a BIOS update,if a system is stable,then it's best left alone,although,when I moved from 32 XP Pro -W7,64bit, I updated mine with a Beta version,with NO problems whatsoever
& it's rock solid.
If someone is having stability problems,it may be hardware related & I would check out IRQ assignments before assuming a BIOS update is needed(I think that M$ employee (Li) is wrong on suggesting a BIOS update on this issue,but then he is NOT official M$.
I would remove any sound cards etc & test with minimum hardware installed,testing after adding each back, to see if & when the 'stability' problem occurs,but the 'clean' boot can solve many problems.

Having to do the above, does NOT mean that the OS is crap,as many try to convey,it's well known that 'third party' AV app's cause many problems, NOT just with Windows,indeed,as I say,it's NOT the OS causing problems,it's poor coding that causes many conflicts in general.
Anyone who thinks that Linux is perfect,should just pay a visit to their forums & note the volume of postings.

As for my 'ignorance' about computers,I have self-built many & whenever any problems arise,I sort them out myself,after all,I have have much more experience than some upstarts who think otherwise,having been computing since desktops first appeared on the scene.

I can see that it's just too easy to blame M$ when someone is having a problem,when most problems come back to the user,even though I accept that there are sometimes limits with certain hardware components not 'liking' certain other mfr's hardware such as memory & controllers.

As for 'Scott', YOU have NOTHING to say,which is why you make the most noise.

Again, 'Mark', I meant 'dribble',although 'drivel' equally expresses the nonsense in much the same way.

The remedies make it someone else's problem. Which it may or may not be.

Yes, your motherboard/BIOS/other hardware combination may have bugs that are exposed by the updated version of Windows assuming that features will work when they don't, and weren't exposed before. Power management and suspend come to mind. Automatic suspend on time-out, in particular.

And yes, conceivably, some aggressive anti-virus software could prevent Windows Update from applying the update completely and successfully.

Each of the remedies could fix systems that needed fixing and would not have been Microsoft's fault, although responsibility for smooth operation of Windows Update alongside anti-virus is shared between MS and the AV publisher. After all, Windows now knows officially whether AV is turned on or not; if it was liable to be a problem during Windows Update, you would - well, should - be told to turn °t off. At least.

But if we suppose the problem is Microsoft's, then Microsoft hasn't done anything yet to address THAT case.

...like Mike said stop whining like a little biatch ! If Windows is so bad just format your HD... nobody is forcing you to use Windows...

Why don't you install a FREE Linux distro or buy a pretty Mac ??? I DARE YOU TO DO IT !

...i wonder how many of you have ever coded a program with more than 1000 lines or so...

Your comments on different hardware make no sence, firstly, you can rule out windows XP experience, windows XP uses a different driver model. Windows Vista doesnt have great hardware support.

Secondly,

Motherboards may use the similar chipsets, but these sets are different, many of them may not come with hardware ports for serial and parallel but check the BIOS, you'll still see them, just because one moby uses one sound IC and a different Moby uses that same chip, doesnt mean the drivers are the same.

and that is just looking at the motherboard, thats also forgetting the almost infinite number of 3rd party devices an their shoddy drivers.

major issues and compatability issues with sound and video cards and HTCP

Norton and McAfee deserve their own mention because of how notorious they are and buggering things up. generally speaking i can get almost any piece of hardware out there and plug it in and most of the time it will work. that is some achievement, give them a break.

Oh for the person who has to restart their PC 10 times a day, would you mind giving me your PC since you clearly have no need for it?

Too many people complaining about MS and still uses one of their OS.

Easy solution, get a Mac, or format your HDD and install Linux and I bet you'd be bashing your new OS for things like limited functionality, or not being to perform things you'd normall do on a windows-based OS (gaming for example), or also for devices not working (lack of drivers).

I work as tech-support for Windows and Linux based computers, and trust me, on some computers that offer both Windows and Linux, there are more calls coming in for Linux-based OS due to compatibility and drivers issues.

Also, there are too many factors that could cause issues with computers, and usually MS makes a point by making the people reinstall Windows and the system drivers, and showing that there are no issues before putting in other applications or adding new devices...

All you Windows fanboys have not a clue about how your love desire object is written. None of us do. Their QA process could consist of ritual sacrifice and you would not know any better.

With Linux we get to see the developers arguing with each other. We see the results of the automated tests. We get to choose which version of the kernel we install.

With Windows you are buying rancid sausage.

Hey why dont you MS spin doctors go get a proper job, DOOMED I TELL YA! DOOMED!
Surley you cant keep blogging and posting for ever, doing damage control. The software speaks for its self and its saying, I AM RUBISH! get a life

Reading some of the comments here against those that bash M$, stating go out and get a MAC or install Linux, I laugh.

I used to be one of those PC maniacs that avowed that a MAC was only for idiots that are not in the least computer savvy (Scott, note the usage of the word "savvy").

A year ago I got into the media editing world and purchased a MAC. Much to my chagrin but I bit the bullet anyway.
I have to admit that I was wearing blinkers for many, many years.
I am not in the least bit sorry that I did "it".
The PC - with Windows 7 - has been relegated to running those few apps that do not have MAC versions available. And those are few and far between. I even run parallels - on the MAC - to launch some of those apps that I use frequently to avoid unnecessary firing up of the PC. I would like to see those PC users try and run OSX in parallel - not in place of - M$ on their machines.

And being very tech savvy, I absolutely love getting into the terminal and running those Unix commands and doing stuff that is impossible on a PC.

So, for all those rabid PC addicts out there, stop bashing MAC users until you have tried it. You may get hooked!!!

@Scott - please decipher the sentence from one of your postings above. "Many people who are not computer savory have there no idea why there computer just stopped working.".

Until you have learned basic English, please don't try to make out that you are computer savory - what ever that means :)

It may not be with all systems, but on my workstation that has Windows 7 windows update has crashed my machine several times. Yes Windows 7 works great but when it does not it is very painful to fix.....