So windows 11 update tanked my system…

[pianopraze]

Sooo.. Installed Windows 11 last fall on a new Samsung evo 1tb solid state Sata drive. 

Installed fresh copy of windows 11, steam, and Skyrim Novuls expansion. Recently installed baldersgate 3 a month or two ago. Other than that this system is pristine. 

It has been the most stable version of windows once 7 for me. Absolutely rock solid. 

untill… February 17th it did an auto update without my knowledge. Completely bonked my system. Hours spent with Microsoft support got it rolled back (the option wasn’t even showing where it was supposed to be, the tech took control of my system and did some weird work around to get the system to point where I could then click rollback.

It hobbled along for a few days until it would not even reboot.  Just past the bios it would just circle animation forever saying wait a moment or some such.

I put in the usb drive with windows 11 I had used to initially install the system. It told me it could not install windows 11. None of the workarounds online or YouTube would work.

very frustrated. I knew this system was windows 11 compatible as I had it running for half a year or more with windows 11.

So I threw windows 10 on there. Went trough bios with fine tooth comb, went through articles and YouTube videos and everything saying I should be able to as all settings correct.

I give up. Look for the asrock motherboard drivers and find an interesting article in faq of the asrock website saying to upgrade you have to format the partition as gpt from mbr and gives console command to do so.

I run pc health check and boom… I am now windows 11 eligible. 

WTF? 

Nowhere else did I find a hint of this.  Pc health check and all Microsoft info said it was because secure boot was not enabled in bios.. when I new it was! 

Very pissed/relieved. Feel I’m back on track.  

Why the windows 11 installer was able to work before but not this time mystifies me. I guess the windows update or subsequent rollback changed the drive to mbr???

Hope this helps someone somewhere sometime. It’s stolen a week of my life… so far. 

Update is throwing errors as I type this… sigh. Back to the grind.

[DontTreadOnMe]

I know a lot less about computers than you do, as you could do all that troubleshooting for yourself.  
But, having had big issues [for me] after Win10 crashed for me a couple of years ago, I can empathize with your frustration.

FWIW, my Win11 has been a little wonky since the last couple of updates.  I haven't done February yet. 

I guess I am amazed that you called Microsoft and actually got a person--a live person---to help you.

[Maxmars]

Forced updates!

According to Microsoft:
 

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Microsoft knows this issue. It even admits that it is not a bug. Microsoft thinks automatically downloading big software updates are necessary for security purposes and stopping hackers from exposing your files and information.

---

I think it is something that needs to be resolved between the industry and us low-level consumers...  but Microsoft wants to OWN the operating system running on your computer...

Imagine how bad this could be for some... like you.  

Keep install media for your favorite fallback OS... and prepare (backup) your favorite programs so they can be restored after the OS kicks it.

[pianopraze]

I know a lot less about computers than you do, as you could do all that troubleshooting for yourself.  
But, having had big issues [for me] after Win10 crashed for me a couple of years ago, I can empathize with your frustration.

FWIW, my Win11 has been a little wonky since the last couple of updates.  I haven't done February yet. 

I guess I am amazed that you called Microsoft and actually got a person--a live person---to help you.

I used the chat feature.

I got real people almost instantly.  Both were helpful.

sadly the fix… rollback before the update… did not fix whatever the update actually did…

---

Forced updates!

According to Microsoft:
 

---

Microsoft knows this issue. It even admits that it is not a bug. Microsoft thinks automatically downloading big software updates are necessary for security purposes and stopping hackers from exposing your files and information.

---

I think it is something that needs to be resolved between the industry and us low-level consumers...  but Microsoft wants to OWN the operating system running on your computer...

Imagine how bad this could be for some... like you.  

Keep install media for your favorite fallback OS... and prepare (backup) your favorite programs so they can be restored after the OS kicks it.

I keep backups of my backups… no joke… on my real systems. 

this is basically overpriced gaming rig so no need.  All the games are on steam. Windows is free download.

nolvus I asked and no one new how to back it up… it’s a bunch of mods for Skyrim with a custom installer. Amazing how wonderful Skyrim looks with all these mods. But it too is just a matter of redownloading.

[BeTheGoddess]

You could run Windows anyversion in a VM on top of a Linux host. VirtualBox is free VM software, and you can put it on a windows host, wich is how I'm using it ATM for trying to get back into dev work.

https://www.virtualbox.org/

Its from ORACLE so, umm forget that Oak Ridge post of mine.

ETA: I once put Android in a VM on a laptop I had at the time. I'm poking the screen and wondering why no work?. Laptop not touch screen. Thas epic level idiot.

[pianopraze]

You could run Windows anyversion in a VM on top of a Linux host. VirtualBox is free VM software, and you can put it on a windows host, wich is how I'm using it ATM for trying to get back into dev work.

https://www.virtualbox.org/

Its from ORACLE so, umm forget that Oak Ridge post of mine.

ETA: I once put Android in a VM on a laptop I had at the time. I'm poking the screen and wondering why no work?. Laptop not touch screen. Thas epic level idiot.

It’s gaming rig only for playing pc games. Basically a too expensive Xbox. This would not be reasonable fix.

I could run Linux, which I would prefer, but not all steam games are going to run well.  Not yet. I have hopes for future.

ty though.


update. So windows kept erroring out all night on updating. So I went to direct install of windows 11.

windows 11 installed.

troubleshooted remaining problem to Bluetooth.  - constant beep, Bluetooth not working, device manager refreshing in time with beep.  Tried all my usb and they were fine so disabled Bluetooth from driver… not uninstall - that didn’t fix it. I DISABLED it and Hallelujah no more beeping/refreshing!

I can’t use my Bluetooth keyboard but everything else seems to be working and installed correctly now.  

downloading my games now.


I have detested windows since 3.1 days.  Was mildly happy with 7. Was very happy with 11 (looks like Linux) until forced update destroyed my gaming rig. Now I am extremely pissed.

thinking about putting Linux on it. I like playing with Linux.

I’m musician and use Mac for everything else. I never have any problems.  Things just work. Worst problem is my devices get to old to run newer os.  But they are still working. I have laptop from 91. Mac Pro cheesgreater from 2001. Laptop from 2004, MacBook Air I forget year, m1 laptop 2020, Mac studio from 2022, multiple iPads and iPhones of all ages.. . They just keep working until physically destroyed.  

it is so night and day different.

shame on Microsoft.

[BeTheGoddess]

It’s gaming rig only for playing pc games. Basically a too expensive Xbox. This would not be reasonable fix.

I could run Linux, which I would prefer, but not all steam games are going to run well.  Not yet. I have hopes for future.

ty though.


update. So windows kept erroring out all night on updating. So I went to direct install of windows 11.

windows 11 installed.

troubleshooted remaining problem to Bluetooth.  - constant beep, Bluetooth not working, device manager refreshing in time with beep.  Tried all my usb and they were fine so disabled Bluetooth from driver… not uninstall - that didn’t fix it. I DISABLED it and Hallelujah no more beeping/refreshing!

I can’t use my Bluetooth keyboard but everything else seems to be working and installed correctly now.  

downloading my games now.


I have detested windows since 3.1 days.  Was mildly happy with 7. Was very happy with 11 (looks like Linux) until forced update destroyed my gaming rig. Now I am extremely pissed.

thinking about putting Linux on it. I like playing with Linux.

I’m musician and use Mac for everything else. I never have any problems.  Things just work. Worst problem is my devices get to old to run newer os.  But they are still working. I have laptop from 91. Mac Pro cheesgreater from 2001. Laptop from 2004, MacBook Air I forget year, m1 laptop 2020, Mac studio from 2022, multiple iPads and iPhones of all ages.. . They just keep working until physically destroyed.  

it is so night and day different.

shame on Microsoft.

A muso and gamer and web dev friend is all om mac. It works for him. 

I'm no longer a gamer so destroying a VM cos of an update i wansnt expecting, its me, not you.

I dont like Macs, but do have a gander at OpenDarwin... ok I'm way out the loop, apparently its PureDarwin now...

https://www.puredarwin.org/

Darwin was kinda the core to some gens of Mac OS, its as far as I know a fork of Solaris, which was the OS for Spark workstations by Sun Microwhatever...

]Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Sun for short) was an American technology company that sol d computers, computer components, software, and information technology services and created the Java programming language, the Solaris operating system, ZFS, the Network File System (NFS), and SPARC microprocessors.

They were taken over by ORACLE... Sun was a god of tech and when ORACLE bought them out I cried.

ETA: ORACLE would not honour Sun contracts with us at a place I once worked, and they wouldnt let me take any Spark64 workstations. They suck.

[Kenzo]

i been still wondering should i upgrade my Win 10 to Win 11 

When is the last day to do it free ?

[OneStepBack]

So you have used Linux previously?

Have you looked at Zorin OS?  It's built in a way for windows users to easily migrate.  It is setup for WINE and STEAM. I have used Linux on and off since the 90s but as my main OS for 15 years.  I only use Windows for my DAW now.

[pianopraze]

A muso and gamer and web dev friend is all om mac. It works for him. 

I'm no longer a gamer so destroying a VM cos of an update i wansnt expecting, its me, not you.

I dont like Macs, but do have a gander at OpenDarwin... ok I'm way out the loop, apparently its PureDarwin now...

https://www.puredarwin.org/

Darwin was kinda the core to some gens of Mac OS, its as far as I know a fork of Solaris, which was the OS for Spark workstations by Sun Microwhatever...

They were taken over by ORACLE... Sun was a god of tech and when ORACLE bought them out I cried.

ETA: ORACLE would not honour Sun contracts with us at a place I once worked, and they wouldnt let me take any Spark64 workstations. They suck.

Makes perfect since, if you need windows for something other than gaming.

I’ll check it out when I buy my next gaming pc and turn this one into Linux box.

---

i been still wondering should i upgrade my Win 10 to Win 11 

When is the last day to do it free ?

I’m out of the loop… didn’t know they were going to start charging. 

you can go make a win 11 install usb drive right now for free. Then you don’t have to worry.

---

So you have used Linux previously?

Have you looked at Zorin OS?  It's built in a way for windows users to easily migrate.  It is setup for WINE and STEAM. I have used Linux on and off since the 90s but as my main OS for 15 years.  I only use Windows for my DAW now.

Really liked zoren… elementary os was my goto as a Mac guy and windows 11 feels like elementary os, that’s why I liked it until update ruined my system… I know correlation is not causation but my Bluetooth was working fine until that update. Now I’ll have to get an add-on card or do without. 

I use puppy for formating hard drives sometimes. I also liked solace. Mint was ok but just didn’t resonate with me. Liked running it on usb to fix windows. Ubuntu I just didn’t like. I know some of these are Ubuntu based but still… pop os just was broken and wouldn’t work. Tried manjaro and didn’t like it. Arch was too much to learn. 

if I had to do one today I would do elementary. It seemed most stable with least hassle on the pcs I was using. 

all my info is years old though… 2018 or so I spent a year daily driving Linux for web, email, paperwork etc… all music is on my Mac and gaming is windows.  I tried steam gaming on Linux and it was just too much work and to much missing. So I’m years out of the Linux loop…