Microsoft patch causes Black Screen of Death

[Noreen]

PC users have complained after Microsoft's latest round of security patches caused some PCs to seize up and display a black screen, rending the computer useless.

The problem affects Microsoft products including Windows 7, Vista and XP operating systems, said Mel Morris, the CEO and CTO for the UK security company Prevx.......................

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?newsid=3207742

[Rik]

I wonder if that's the bug which forced me to recover via Acronis?

[Sebby]

It certainly could be, Rik.

[Noreen]

It seems to have only affected some PCs.

[Rik]

No-one else here was affected and only 1 of my machines was.

[Simon]

Mine did fail to boot up one morning, but a restart sorted it without any further problems.

[Rik]

And how about the computer?

[Simon]

 

[Noreen]

Rik, did you reinstall all the MS patches after you got the computer restarted?

[Rik]

I did, and they were fine. 

[DarkStar]

Here is a link to the blog post on the Prevx site about this:

http://www.prevx.com/blog/140/Black-Screen-woes-could-affect-millions-on-Windows--Vista-and-XP.html

I have MS automatic updates set to tell me when updates are available but not to download or install them. That way I can do a backup just before installing the updates just in case. Have only once needed it but really did need it as the machine was really trashed.

[Rik]

Thanks for that, Ian.  Unfortunately, I can't read it atm as I have a black screen. 

[DarkStar]

Thanks for that, Ian.  Unfortunately, I can't read it atm as I have a black screen. 

Things like this start to make a Mac look attractive 

[Rik]

Quick, get the evangelist catching net someone. 

[Sebby]

[Glenn]

The BBC are catching up http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8388253.stm

[Rik]

Nice to see them on top of the news, isn't it.

[Noreen]

Apparently it's nothing to do with the patches after all.

...........Having narrowed down a specific trigger for this condition we've done quite a bit of testing and re-testing on the recent Windows patches including KB976098 and KB915597 as referred to in our previous blog. Since more specifically narrowing down the cause we have been able to exonerate these patches from being a contributory factor..........

We apologize to Microsoft for any inconvenience our blog may have caused..............

http://www.prevx.com/blog/141/Windows-Black-Screen-Root-Cause.html

[Rik]

So I wonder what did it to me, as the machine is clean?

[Noreen]

The replies to the blog are interesting, Rik.

[Noreen]

More here. http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?newsid=3207921

[Rik]

It's odd, isn't it. Something definitely happened to me, and it was after applying updates. OTOH, restoring with Acronis and then re-applying, all was fine. 

[Gary]

It's odd, isn't it. Something definitely happened to me, and it was after applying updates. OTOH, restoring with Acronis and then re-applying, all was fine. 

I have been watching this thread with interest, Prevx jumped the gun blaming MS maybe, which is bad, but how on eath did there fix help issues then  all very strange. Looks like no one wants to take responsibility, and not every machine is infected, as Microsoft seems to be alluding that infections cause the issue. Stepping out of the line of fire is something Microsoft and all the big Corporations, like Apple and Nokia etc are always very keen to do. I doubt we will ever know the true reason.

[Rik]

I agree, Gary, I sense Prevx got leant on.

[Gary]

I agree, Gary, I sense Prevx got leant on.

I think you may be right, Rik.

[bobleslie]

Here's what really happened.

[Rik]

I wonder...

[bobleslie]

Just Prevx blowing smoke. Good publicity scam, though. Pity for them it backfired.

[Rik]

No such thing as bad publicity, of course...

[bobleslie]

True. But it would have been so much better for them if they didn't look stupid.

[Rik]

Gordon Brown gets by like that.

[Glenn]

And does it so well

[Rik]

Now that's a matter of opinion.