Another SP2 Mystery Update

[mtalinm]

I had this happen . Try unplugging the docking station and plugging back in . if you use the dock.

Tried that, tried rebooting w/ and w/o dock. Tried unplugging cables, tried only one external monitor.

Couldn't even get it to output correctly to a VGA source. Something is really messed up maybe I will do the refresh and reinstall all my programs, but yuck. This sort of nonsense pushes me back toward my Lenovo laptop.

 

[GoodBytes]

Ok well clearly a second screen is suposed to work.
My guess is that it's just Intel drivers that screwed up.
Intel should so like Nvidia driers (and I forgot if AMD it does that in any case, or has an option), where you can do something called "Clean installed".
Basically, the setup will go through everything it knows about previous drivers and scrub clean everything, like you just install Windows and haven't installed your graphic card drivers, THEN it will install its drivers.
The downside of this, is that you'll lose your settings, and have to re-put them, but the upside is that everything always just works.

 

[mtalinm]

Maybe I'll just wait for 8.1 update next Tuesday. No fun reinstalling all my apps

 

[jrapdx]

Maybe I'll just wait for 8.1 update next Tuesday. No fun reinstalling all my apps

Guess so. But then I'll have to worry about both the Apr 8 hardware/firmware update and the Mar 11 hardware update. Still don't know what last month's update will do, let alone the next one. Seems weird that installing updates has to be just like shooting craps.

 

[Dayton]

Actually, I haven't installed drivers (outside of updates) except for a few not provided by MS at all, e.g., an old Ricoh printer. The drivers per Device Manager are current, standard, MS supplied versions.

So the "hardware update" is probably a driver, but it seems silly not to say what it is (or is a part of). Having that information, I could install the update and have a much better idea what to look for to check if the update breaks something and if it does, then I have the opportunity to promptly roll it back. Don't understand what makes that impossible.

I've only had it occur when I rolled back a driver or when I disabled the media keys for the Touch Cover, to combat the auto mute issue, in the Device Manager.

 

[benjitek]

...I'll have to worry about both... ...still don't know what last month's update will do... ...seems weird that installing updates has to be just like shooting craps...

The sky is falling ;-) Guess I'm lucky, have had my SP2 for a few months now and none of the updates have ever created an issue.

 

[fonzman78]

The sky is falling ;-) Guess I'm lucky, have had my SP2 for a few months now and none of the updates have ever created an issue.

Agreed. I have auto updates on. I apply all updates without reservation. I've only once had a problem and MS sent me a new SP2 in less than a week. I just opened Netflix and no problems at all. Works like a charm.

It would be good to know why some folks are affected and others aren't.

 

[benjitek]

It would be good to know why some folks are affected and others aren't.

Can't help but wonder if they've been 'tweaking' things in their registries, or installing reference Intel video drivers instead of the ones released by Microsoft. Lot's of potential system variations we'll never know about...

 

[jnjroach]

I've found that tweaking becomes detrimental to stability of modern OS's, Drivers tend to be modified for devices by OEMs especially on Ultrabook and Tablets.

 

[benjitek]

I've found that tweaking becomes detrimental to stability of modern OS's, Drivers tend to be modified for devices by OEMs especially on Ultrabook and Tablets.

+1 -- couldn't agree more, I'm fine with whatever Microsoft releases for my SP2

 

[be77solo]

Can't help but wonder if they've been 'tweaking' things in their registries, or installing reference Intel video drivers instead of the ones released by Microsoft. Lot's of potential system variations we'll never know about...

I've found that tweaking becomes detrimental to stability of modern OS's, Drivers tend to be modified for devices by OEMs especially on Ultrabook and Tablets.

At least for me (and I dare say most with this problem), I've dealt with 5 SP2's now, all bone stock, with minimal software added, and nothing driver or "tweak" related, and get these crazy annoying updates every week or two... it's always an anonymous "System Hardware Update" that's about 200kb.... nobody can tell me what it does or why, and it's a regular occurrence on all the machines. All Microsoft will link to is generic useless support pages when investigating.

I've tried to pursue this exact issue on the answers.microsoft.com boards, but that place is from all I can gather completely useless. The only help I get there is from other users, I swear MS doesn't even monitor the boards and just have volunteer moderators to spit out canned crap without even answering a single question. Well, now that I reread what I just typed, that sounds exactly like MS live chat support....... mg:

MS needs serious help in the support of these devices... I love the hardware when it works, but "tweaking" isn't the problem.

EDIT: And before Benjitek replies it's CPU related, yes this happens on both variants of the CPU exactly the same

 

[benjitek]

...I've tried to pursue this exact issue on the answers.microsoft.com boards...

Maybe try calling tech support?