Windows 10 update crashes my computer

Anonymous
2018-01-26T05:55:33+00:00

I ran this computer just fine fine for several years, including a long while after I installed Windows 10 as suggested.  I had very few problems at all until last fall.  Then Windows 10 auto-updates started crashing my computer.  I have spent countless hours researching & testing things, running all the troubleshooters, running diagnostics.  I've tried so many things to stop this over the past 6 months, & now I'm afraid I'm screwed.   After every update I can recall since last fall (2017), The computer booted up just fine & appeared to be perfectly fine.  I could open & run any program just fine.  No troubles.  But, 3-10 minutes into using the computer, whatever I clicked on next would not work.  There would be no response at all.  I could still click on some things, but others wouldn't respond.  Gradually, if I continued to try to click on things, they would all not respond & the computer would completely freeze.  I would reboot & it would happen over and over until I gave up & started trying to solve the problem by troubleshooting & reading blogs...anything I could do to solve it.  Every time, which by now has been about 15, I would wind up having to revert to an earlier build.  Once I did that, everything worked perfectly.....until Windows 10 forced another update.  Then it all started over again.  Two weeks ago, an update happened, & I reverted back, but then it did it again 2 days later.  Then again the next day.  I reached Microsoft support on the phone, but they just said: "your computer is not compatible.  Our developers can't know all the old drivers out there, so we can't help you".  I asked if they would help me just turn off the auto updates, which I used to be able to do.  He said No.  My computer is a Gateway FX6840, Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU   870 @ 2.93GHz, 4.00 GB RAM, 64-bit Operating System, x64-based processor.  Yesterday, the PC updated again, but this time they have removed the ability for me to revert back to a previous working version.  I'm hoping I'm not screwed, because I have several cryptocurrency nodes (not bitcoin, no I'm not rich) that have wallets on them & I'd prefer not to rebuild all of that if I can avoid it.  Nor do I want to re-install the many programs I have loaded with all my settings and custom menus, addons, etc. in place by doing a clean install.  I don't have alot of money, so the little I have, I'd like to not lose or have to build back from scratch.

Is there anybody out there who can help me, or point me in the right direction?  I'm leary of those support companies that want a fee, then pipe in and take over doing God knows what to my computer.  

Thanks in advance for your help.  Signed 52 year old dude who built his 1st PC from scratch in 1990, but is lost with this new stuff.

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Windows update

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  1. Anonymous
    2018-07-26T15:08:18+00:00

    Just a note, not an answer - You cannot upgrade/update Windows 10 to a new drive. If it says your current OS in invalid, you have to resolve that first. There are several ways, most of them as aggravating as the rest of Microsoft stuff. After that is resolved, you make sure that you run the Windows 10 compatibility scan. If you have problems there, they have to be resolved before you upgrade/update. Another few hours wasted there. You cannot change any basic hardware while doing all of this. It seems that for many systems, you are just basically screwed.

    I know that nothing may help with the old system, but when you get the a new system, make sure that you get a Pro system [with Windows Pro or Enterprise version] and make sure that you get a restore stick or at least get the OEM key so that you can use it to reinstall when necessary. Get an Image backup software and keep an image of the drive.

    I know none of this really helps now; But if you are in the Windows world, you gotta get Windows to work.

    Oh, and get a machine that comes with an extendable THREE year software and hardware warranty, then when you have problems, you can make it the suppliers problem. [I use only Dell or HP business machines, with warranties direct from Dell or HP, NO aftermarket warranties.]

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  2. Anonymous
    2018-08-04T17:48:30+00:00

    Im even more screwed. Windows 10 update forced itself onto my laptop, and now i cant even boot it up. I get the Dell logo, a flash of a white-bordered square, then a quick message "attempting to recover installation" immediately followed by "restoring previous version of windows".... then back to Dell logo and repeating in an endless loop! I have work to do and didnt ask Microsoft for this fatal invasion of my laptop. 

    I'm having the same issue. I'm using dual boot with ubuntu and I'm unable to open my windows. Please anyone let me know how to fix this issue.

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  3. Anonymous
    2018-08-04T19:42:14+00:00

    I''m not a tech expert by any means but I'll share what I've learned the hard way by having my PC crash from an update. You will need a recovery stick/usb, hopefully you made one before the update caused the loop?  If not, start at #2 below.

    1.  Shut your computer off and wait 2 minutes.  Then plug in the usb 1st so it will start up off of it, and then turn it on while at the same time hitting 'ESC' .  It should bring you to an Admin page to initiate the recovery; then follow the prompts to re-install.  Caution:  this will cause all your saved docs/pics/music and personally installed programs to be lost.  This can be hard for you if you use your laptop for business.  If that's the case, you may want to check with someone who can access the hard drive to get your stuff off before installing recovery. 

    2.  If you did not save a recovery usb, check with a friend and try to find one you can borrow.  If not, you will have to take it to a PC repair place.  My brother helped me and he used his own recovery stick.  It took a few tries, but it eventually worked and I'm back in business. You will want to follow instructions in #1 above once you get one.

    Either choice can cost you $$ unless you can do a recovery yourself and you don't mind loosing stuff on your PC.  Its not that hard to make a recovery stick, so once you're back up and running it should be the 1st thing you do.

    Good luck!

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  4. Anonymous
    2018-08-05T20:46:28+00:00

    This does not work.

    The reason this does not work is that the original installation of Windows 10 has been corrupted by the update process - Microsoft's own software, for which they take no responsibility, only profit - to the extent that any recovery stick/usb or any of the solutions offered by MS techs on this page simply identify the installed system as corrupted and non-recoverable.

    So corrupted that a fresh installation of Windows 10 will not work, either.

    Some PCs are affected by hardware issues, with fairly new hardware no longer able to function after Win 10 updates.

    It does lead me to speculate about the level of investment by Microsoft in the manufacturers of affected hardware, prior to the beginning of mandatory updates.

    I do not accuse; I only wonder.

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  5. Anonymous
    2018-08-16T08:23:11+00:00

    Microsoft need to admit it and hurry up and release the patch that fixes the amd problem with drivers its not rocket science

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