Windows update has screwed me yet again.....

[Xylob the Destroyer]

Using the "Custom" option at the Windows update site, I found a security update and their monthly malicious software removal tool.
Additionally, "new" drivers for my video card and for my PCI to IDE adapter card.
As I can never find the drivers on the manufacturers site for the adapter card, I put a little check in the box, but for whatever stoopid-ass reason, decided to check the box for my video card drivers too.............
I know, I know...
It does it's thing and tells me I need to reboot and I tell it to go ahead.
Upon restart, my screen has been resized to look like a widescreen presentation, no big deal, I can make adjustments, right?
but then that "New Hardware" bubble keeps popping up at the bottom of the screen
then the New Hardware Wizard keeps popping up
in each Wizard, I tell it to go ahead and install whatever the hell it thinks it needs to install and to go ahead and connect to Windows Update to get whatever the hell it thinks it needs to to do it.
Each and every Wizard fails miserably (shock!!)
So I go into the the System restore and tell it to restore to right before I used Windows Update
BSOD, reboot
error message stating that System REcovery was unable to make any changes
more stupid "new Hardware" bubbles
popup saying your system has recovered from a serious error, would you like to report this error
choose yes and an IE window opens saying "gosh, we don't know what the **** happened -- looks like yer screwed again..."

THis time I go into the device manager before trying a System Restore.
6 new "Unknown Device"s
Uninstall 'em all and try an earlier restore pont from today
error message stating that System REcovery was unable to make any changes
more stupid "new Hardware" bubbles


repeat the uninstallation again and again trying all 4 restore points from today with the same result:
error message stating that System REcovery was unable to make any changes
more stupid "new Hardware" bubbles

then I try a restore point from December 27th....
error message stating that System REcovery was unable to make any changes
more stupid "new Hardware" bubbles

call MicroSoft Tech Support and finally get through to Ahmed(?? Amit?, hell I don't know...) -- some dude who is literally talking to me from tomorrow
after I explain it all to him (repeating my self a lot ), he puts me on hold for "5 minutes"
20 minutes later he tells me that we will have to uninstall the 6 new hardware devices that I have installed
after explaining it all to him AGAIN he tells me that "you should never install device drivers from Windows Update". :P No shit -- thanks for nothing!

he has me boot from my XP install disc and run chkdsk /p
this says, 'yup, you got a 40G hard drive'....
"can you please hold for 2 minutes sir?"
10 minutes later, he says to run chkdsk /r
"this will take approximately 45 to 50 minutes sir, can we call you back tomorrow nite?"

no Amit, you can't ******* call me back tomorrow nite
"can we call you back tomorrow morning between 9 & 10?"
no ******* you can't - wanna guess why?
"sir?"
where are you right now Amit?
"I'm not sure I take your meaning sir..."
are you at work Ahmed?
"yes sir"
can you guess where I will be tomorrow between 9 & 10?
"yes sir, I see. can we call you back in 4 or 5 hours?"
no dude, you can't call me back in 4 or 5 hours, I HAVE TO GET UP EARLY IN THE MORNING TO GO TO WORK...
you just said it would take 50 minutes, not 5 hours!

he told me to let it keep runing the check-disk and then type EXIT when it's done and let it reboot normally, then call back

see what you get when you use something the way it is supposed to be used???
see what you get for following instructions???

*******insert every single swear word you can think of right here, at high volume*******
**end of rant (for now)**

[Xylob the Destroyer]

by the time I was done typing all of that, the check disk was done
I've been on hold since...

[MJA]

I use http://windowsupdate.62nds.com/ for security update and thats it,drivers I just go to hardware maker's site

[Xylob the Destroyer]

yeh, I usually get all drivers from the manufacturers web-site, but I just plain fucked up this time.

[Poppa_Meth]

But honestly, they know full well trying to update hardware this way often causes major issues. Why make it part of Windows Update anyway? I had a similar situation once with video drivers. Thankfully I could roll back to the last good configuration. I've also had network adapter updates this way that locked me out of the internet.

[Soopafresh]

Yup... Try to explain to a client why they don't want to run Windows Update. Sheesh, the looks of "you must be bullsh1tting me" I've gotten. It is fun to smirk and shake your head when they whisper that their machine just bluescreened after not listening.

[Xylob the Destroyer]

Finally fixed the issue -- myself.
Spent over 4 hours on the phone with MicroSoft's "Tech Support" and I finally had to just come out and ask the guy "you're totally guessing at this point aren't you? You actually have no idea what the problem is do you?"
he was initially reluctant, but finally admitted that I was right -- he had no idea what was wrong
for the longest time, he tried to convince me that my Symantec AntiVirus had caused the problem. what an *******.
I checked out that site that MJA linked to, I think I'll be using that in the future, for several reasons, but mostly because I can use Firefox with it.

[bigstusexy]

Actually the Drives on widows update will most likely never be newer than the drivers that you have installed less you are someone that doesn't keep uptodate with them. If you don't do this sort of stuff all the time, backwards and fowards then don't do it. Just install the drives from the MFG as they say to do it when they tell you to. ATI erm AMD recomends that you not update drivers less you have a problem. Usually the drivers there are the latest to get WHQL which most likely aren't new.

Especially if you can't find drivers on the MFG site, stay away from them at windows update, now I don't have a problem with thjem but if I do I just grab my latest local copy and reinstall, second tip, keep a copy of your drivers, if windows doesn't install with them copy them to a backup folder and Disc.