Windows 7 customers hit by service pack 1 install 'fatal error' flaws
Microsoft remains clueless about cause
A brace of "fatal errors" is hampering Windows 7-based computers that have been updated with Microsoft's first service pack for its current operating system.
In fact, since Windows 7 SP1 was released late last month, many users have been grumbling on forums about problems with the install of the update package.
Similarly, The Register has heard from lots of disgruntled readers who are wasting precious time having to rebuild their machines after the service pack had led to fatal flaws in the OS.
"Basically, if you have an OEM machine connected to a server running WSUS [Windows Server Update Services] with the default settings it offers and installs SP1 automatically. This is killing machines and stopping them booting with a C00000034 fatal error," said Reg reader Simon, who has seen 15 machines downed by the flaw.
"Best thing is, SP1 deletes restore points prior to installing!!!!"
Separately, Windows 7 punters applying the SP1 update package have stumbled into a reboot looping glitch after encountering: "Error C000009A applying update operation 120782 of 367890".
More about that particular bug can be found here and here.
Despite all that, Microsoft hasn't been forthcoming with us about what has gone wrong. And it looks like we've just found out why El Reg has been given the stone-cold silent treatment...
In the vendor's TechNet forums, one MS employee confessed today that the firm had yet to nail the cause of the errors.
"We're hard at work here trying to see what's happening on these particular failures," wrote a Redmond wonk with the handle Joscon.
"I don't have an answer yet, but as soon as I know something, you'll know it. Please keep me informed on any failures and symptoms you have on these machines."
The company is also pointing its customers at this knowledge base, which offers a work around to fix the "C00000034" cockup.
"And if you have logs/VHDs or an image of a machine with this problem, let me know through the blog. I'd like to get in-state failures so we can work on them but so far they have been few and far between," said Joscon.
But with Microsoft unable to pinpoint the exact cause, users are suggesting the only way to avoid the problem is to switch off WSUS. ®
COMMENTS
As an ubuntu user since version 5.10....
...and various BSDs before that, I'd like to point out that all operating systems have bugs, even Linux. In the case of Linux, if it doesn't work it's not necessarily the fault of the developer. It can be the hardware manufacturer or the user that is to blame, but this hardly makes Ubuntu the answer to all software problems. If a user is left powerless by a service pack update, Ubuntu is just going to give them harder problems to solve.
I'm a big fan of choice and having the right tool for the job. Sometimes, and for some people, Windows is the right tool.
Simon
3 machines out of 7 here
Maybe this is a clue:
of our 7 machines, 2 run 32bit win 7 pro - they upgraded OK
of the remaining 5 running 64bit win 7 pro, 2 upgraded OK
the ones the failed all had extra language packs loaded - that is the ONLY difference in software packages.
The language packs loaded were Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional and Japanese, all to support overseas projects. Our standard installs have only Australian English.
I have read on a few other sites that it looks like the additional language packs might be the culprit.
We fixed our machines using a WinPE boot CD and removing the 0000000000000000.cdf-ms statements from %systemroot%/WinSXS/pending.xml. Apparently MS tells us this will cause extra problems, but I only found that bit after I had 'fixed' our machines.
Thanks MS. All the goodwill I had towards Windows 7 and SBS2008 evaporated in one quick update.
I hate MS again now. Hating MS is cool.
"boot from the install media"
What about all the lucky people with an HP or equilvent with only burn them your selft restore DVDs. Same problem they had since XP asked them to instert their CD.
Read the KB Article linked
That is exactly what the KB article tells you to do, you boot from the install media and modify the registry.
OK The registry is ugly in principle, but in practice for this particular error it's not any harder than with a *nix box.
