Seemingly related issues with Windows Update and Restore

Hey there.
Recently I've been experiencing some problems with both Windows Update
and Windows Restore, and from what I've seen, they appear to be related.
The issues started (or were made apparent) when I tried to install an
update a few days ago. WU was stuck at "Preparing installation /
Creating a restore point..." (probably not verbatim since I'm on a
Danish Vista) - and I really mean stuck, as I even tried leaving this
overnight. This seems to happen consistently with updates, except when
they're ones that don't make a restore point. In this case, however, the
computer doesn't want to shut down. It simply gets stuck at "Do not shut
down or power off your computer / Installing update 1 of 1...", with no
HDD activity whatsoever (also tried leaving this overnight). I can of
course force it to turn off by holding down the power button, but this
is hardly optimal since I still don't get the updates installed.

Now, the other problem; I naturally wanted to try and roll the computer
back a few days using Windows Restore - however I've found that this
doesn't work either. I open the application, UAC prompts me, but the
window never opens. -rstrui.exe- keeps running, but I don't get the
restore window up.

I've actually found a way in which I can roll back the computer (by
booting into repair mode it works), but then I'm still stuck with the
"not being able to install updates" problem, hence not a much better
situation.

Suffice to say I'm really confused. Everything else about the computer
works perfectly. It's about three weeks old (a Dell), so I'd be
surprised if there was anything seriously wrong with it. I do actually
recall having this problem on a Vista PC before, but I never actually
found a fix.

If anyone has any advice, that would be just great. Thanks in advance.

(edit) oh right, it's a Dell XPS M1530 laptop with a 2.00 GHz C2D,
running Home Premium (32).


--
Nocarev

Nocarev wrote:
> Hey there.
> Recently I've been experiencing some problems with both Windows Update
> and Windows Restore, and from what I've seen, they appear to be related.
> The issues started (or were made apparent) when I tried to install an
> update a few days ago. WU was stuck at "Preparing installation /
> Creating a restore point..." (probably not verbatim since I'm on a
> Danish Vista) - and I really mean stuck, as I even tried leaving this
> overnight. This seems to happen consistently with updates, except when
> they're ones that don't make a restore point. In this case, however, the
> computer doesn't want to shut down. It simply gets stuck at "Do not shut
> down or power off your computer / Installing update 1 of 1...", with no
> HDD activity whatsoever (also tried leaving this overnight). I can of
> course force it to turn off by holding down the power button, but this
> is hardly optimal since I still don't get the updates installed.
>
> Now, the other problem; I naturally wanted to try and roll the computer
> back a few days using Windows Restore - however I've found that this
> doesn't work either. I open the application, UAC prompts me, but the
> window never opens. -rstrui.exe- keeps running, but I don't get the
> restore window up.
>
> I've actually found a way in which I can roll back the computer (by
> booting into repair mode it works), but then I'm still stuck with the
> "not being able to install updates" problem, hence not a much better
> situation.
>
> Suffice to say I'm really confused. Everything else about the computer
> works perfectly. It's about three weeks old (a Dell), so I'd be
> surprised if there was anything seriously wrong with it. I do actually
> recall having this problem on a Vista PC before, but I never actually
> found a fix.
>
> If anyone has any advice, that would be just great. Thanks in advance.
>
> (edit) oh right, it's a Dell XPS M1530 laptop with a 2.00 GHz C2D,
> running Home Premium (32).

Try disabling UAC and see what happens. UAC causes strange things on my
PC. You can always enable it afterward.

Hm, afraid that's a no-go. Thanks for the advice though, I really
appreciate it.


--
Nocarev

It is nothing to do with UAC.
If you are using Norton anti-virus, disable it when doing System Restore; a
known issue with norton.
Also, disable it when doing updates.
If you use it, better solution; uninstall it, and use link below.

http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html

Also, you can contact Dell, as it is under Warranty.

--
Mick Murphy - Qld - Australia


"Nocarev" wrote:

>
> Hey there.
> Recently I've been experiencing some problems with both Windows Update
> and Windows Restore, and from what I've seen, they appear to be related.
> The issues started (or were made apparent) when I tried to install an
> update a few days ago. WU was stuck at "Preparing installation /
> Creating a restore point..." (probably not verbatim since I'm on a
> Danish Vista) - and I really mean stuck, as I even tried leaving this
> overnight. This seems to happen consistently with updates, except when
> they're ones that don't make a restore point. In this case, however, the
> computer doesn't want to shut down. It simply gets stuck at "Do not shut
> down or power off your computer / Installing update 1 of 1...", with no
> HDD activity whatsoever (also tried leaving this overnight). I can of
> course force it to turn off by holding down the power button, but this
> is hardly optimal since I still don't get the updates installed.
>
> Now, the other problem; I naturally wanted to try and roll the computer
> back a few days using Windows Restore - however I've found that this
> doesn't work either. I open the application, UAC prompts me, but the
> window never opens. -rstrui.exe- keeps running, but I don't get the
> restore window up.
>
> I've actually found a way in which I can roll back the computer (by
> booting into repair mode it works), but then I'm still stuck with the
> "not being able to install updates" problem, hence not a much better
> situation.
>
> Suffice to say I'm really confused. Everything else about the computer
> works perfectly. It's about three weeks old (a Dell), so I'd be
> surprised if there was anything seriously wrong with it. I do actually
> recall having this problem on a Vista PC before, but I never actually
> found a fix.
>
> If anyone has any advice, that would be just great. Thanks in advance.
>
> (edit) oh right, it's a Dell XPS M1530 laptop with a 2.00 GHz C2D,
> running Home Premium (32).
>
>
> --
> Nocarev
>

"Mellowed" <> wrote in message
news:igwIj.5844$A87.4951@trnddc06...
> Nocarev wrote:
>> Hey there.
>> Recently I've been experiencing some problems with both Windows Update
>> and Windows Restore, and from what I've seen, they appear to be related.
>> The issues started (or were made apparent) when I tried to install an
>> update a few days ago. WU was stuck at "Preparing installation /
>> Creating a restore point..." (probably not verbatim since I'm on a
>> Danish Vista) - and I really mean stuck, as I even tried leaving this
>> overnight. This seems to happen consistently with updates, except when
>> they're ones that don't make a restore point. In this case, however, the
>> computer doesn't want to shut down. It simply gets stuck at "Do not shut
>> down or power off your computer / Installing update 1 of 1...", with no
>> HDD activity whatsoever (also tried leaving this overnight). I can of
>> course force it to turn off by holding down the power button, but this
>> is hardly optimal since I still don't get the updates installed.
>>
>> Now, the other problem; I naturally wanted to try and roll the computer
>> back a few days using Windows Restore - however I've found that this
>> doesn't work either. I open the application, UAC prompts me, but the
>> window never opens. -rstrui.exe- keeps running, but I don't get the
>> restore window up.
>>
>> I've actually found a way in which I can roll back the computer (by
>> booting into repair mode it works), but then I'm still stuck with the
>> "not being able to install updates" problem, hence not a much better
>> situation.
>>
>> Suffice to say I'm really confused. Everything else about the computer
>> works perfectly. It's about three weeks old (a Dell), so I'd be
>> surprised if there was anything seriously wrong with it. I do actually
>> recall having this problem on a Vista PC before, but I never actually
>> found a fix.
>>
>> If anyone has any advice, that would be just great. Thanks in advance.
>>
>> (edit) oh right, it's a Dell XPS M1530 laptop with a 2.00 GHz C2D,
>> running Home Premium (32).
>
> Try disabling UAC and see what happens. UAC causes strange things on my
> PC. You can always enable it afterward.
>
>
>


Telling someone to disable UAC is extremely poor advice. UAC does not
cause strange things to happen. It's your third party software or your
configurations that are causing strange things to happen on your computer.
You are going to continue to have problems if you don't understand the
causes of them. In any event, your advice is terrible.

C.B.


--
It is the responsibility and duty of everyone to help the underprivileged
and unfortunate among us.

Well, my computer shipped with a trial of Norton, but I uninstalled it
and went for AVG instead - unless Norton may have left something behind,
of course?

On another note, I was told elsewhere to try 'vssadmin list
shadowstorage', which I tried, but got basically no result (a black
screen with a flashing cursor, no HDD activity) - I'm starting to think
this may be the source of it all, with System Restore also not opening
and just leaving me baffled.

Hmm...


--
Nocarev