November 8, 2008
Argh! Help! I just completed a Windows update on my laptop, and when I try to reboot my machine, the start-up screen doesn’t even come up. Is the hard drive dead, or my machine hosed? Can it be repaired? Why does Microsoft even release these updates if it’s going to break my machine?!
One trick I have used on a laptop that may work for you – unplug the power adapter AND remove the battery from the back or bottom of the laptop. Then replace the battery and reboot the machine. Chances are if your machine was working fine before the update, the hard drive is not the suspect. Good time to back up your data, though, and should serve as a reminder for all that your data is more valuable than the computer that stores it.
In defense of Microsoft, there are an infinite number of different configurations on peoples’ desktop and laptop computers, and performing updates can sometimes cause conflicts with the operating system or other installed software applications. BUT at the same time, Microsoft can also certainly do a better job in releasing well-coded and well-tested updates that will not cause undue aggravation for their customers.
One option to consider is to disable Windows automatic updates. This is commonly found in the Control Panel security settings. Disabling this feature would mean that you would not be prompted to download/install the latest updates from Microsoft, which may include fixes to applications, the operating system, or security bugs. If you choose to do this, I would recommend manually performing an update periodically after you are sure your data has been backed up, especially after a formal announcement from Microsoft such as a Service Pack release.
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