January Windows patches causing BSODs

[alpha128]

I am also a member of Woody Leonhard's computer help website Askwoody.com.

The January Windows patches are causing blue screens of death (BSODs), particularly if your computer has an AMD processor.

At present the cure may be worse than the disease. It is advised that you:

1. Wait before installing January rollups
2. Create a full backup of your system before you install

Read more about it here:
Widespread reports of blue screens (0X000000C4 and 0x800f0845) with Meltdown/Spectre patches for Win7 (KB 4056894) and Win10 1709 (KB 4056892)

and here:
Buggy Win7 Meltdown patch KB 4056894 throwing blue screens

[B5-Stefan]

I am also a member of Woody Leonhard's computer help website Askwoody.com.

The January Windows patches are causing blue screens of death (BSODs), particularly if your computer has an AMD processor.

At present the cure may be worse than the disease. It is advised that you:

1. Wait before installing January rollups
2. Create a full backup of your system before you install

Read more about it here:
Widespread reports of blue screens (0X000000C4 and 0x800f0845) with Meltdown/Spectre patches for Win7 (KB 4056894) and Win10 1709 (KB 4056892)

and here:
Buggy Win7 Meltdown patch KB 4056894 throwing blue screens

Hi alpha128,
thanks for Your OFF Topic advice.
Might be helpful for some people.

But: the KB4056894 win7 rollup came out on Sat 01-06.
I did install it (WIN7, AMD cpu) and nothing bad happened.
Am I a lucky boy - or are there other elements beside WIN7 and AMD which cause Blue Screens?

Stefan

--
Delenn: "If the universe puts a mystery in front of us as a gift,
politeness requires that we at least try and solve it."
[Atonement]

[Kraig]

My computer installed the update on 5 Jan 2018. It has the Intel core i7 processor and running Windows 7 Professional. It appears to be running smoothly, knock wood.

I don't worry much. I do a complete clone of my C: drive after a major update. I actually have two clones, one from after the last update, and one from two updates ago. I over write the two updates ago drive with a new clone.

I need to do the over write of the clone I made in November 2017. Something I will do right after this post.

If something goes wrong with this version, I will swap out this drive with my December clone, get any data I need off this January C: drive or the clone I am about to make over my November clone. Then I will block update patch KB 4056894. That is why I like Windows 7 over Windows 10, I can pick and choose to block offending updates.

I had to do this before when my computer (and I) didn't like the Windows 10 update patch and I rolled back to Windows 7.

Update: I have completed replacing my November 2017 cloned OS drive with January 2018 clone of OS drive. Took 29 minutes with Macrium Reflect v7.1.2817 free version, not free trial version.

[alpha128]

Hi alpha128,
the KB4056894 win7 rollup came out on Sat 01-06.
I did install it (WIN7, AMD cpu) and nothing bad happened.
Am I a lucky boy - or are there other elements beside WIN7 and AMD which cause Blue Screens?

Stefan

Stefan,

You are a very lucky boy. Just today Ghacks posted disaster recovery instructions to Fix Windows 7 BSOD 0x000000c4 after installing KB4056894.

EDIT: This just in. Microsoft yanks buggy Windows Meltdown/Spectre patches for AMD computers.

[alpha128]

My computer installed the update on 5 Jan 2018. It has the Intel core i7 processor and running Windows 7 Professional. It appears to be running smoothly, knock wood.

I don't worry much. I do a complete clone of my C: drive after a major update with Macrium Reflect v7.1.2817 free version, not free trial version.

I also use Macrium Reflect. I create an image of my entire C: to an external hard drive prior to installing each month's Windows updates. Between monthly full disk backups, I back up just my C:\Users folder, alternating between two flash drives.

I used to have my Win 7 Pro computer install updates automatically, but after the GWX debacle I changed my Windows Update settings to "Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them." I also unchecked the "Give me recommended updates the same way I receive important updates." GWX was a recommended update, after all.

Since Microsoft's quality control has been poor, and their testing virtually non-existant, I have been relying on the MS-DEFCON system at AskWoody.

For example, we are currently at MS-DEFCON 2: Patch reliability is unclear. Unless you have an immediate, pressing need to install a specific patch, don't do it.



I'm not going to install the January patches until it hits MS-DEFCON 3 or higher.

[Kraig]

I use a 3.5" SATA HDD docking station and have three 1TB OS HDDs. I just do a complete clone of the internal HDD after a security roll up on the older of the two clone back ups on the internal HDD's not in the machine. I transfer all data to two other internal HDD's in the machine (1 and 2 TB GPT drives, non OS) and make duplicates of the data on exernal HDD's. I also installed the GWX Control Panel that goes one step further in stopping the Windows 10 icon App.

I have my updates set to inform me only and choose which ones to install. I have a Windows 10 laptop and have it set for metered wifi, not to update. I update the firewall and antivirus/antispyware programs manually.

[alpha128]

I use a 3.5" SATA HDD docking station and have three 1TB OS HDDs. I just do a complete clone of the internal HDD after a security roll up on the older of the two clone back ups on the internal HDD's not in the machine. I transfer all data to two other internal HDD's in the machine (1 and 2 TB GPT drives, non OS) and make duplicates of the data on exernal HDD's. I also installed the GWX Control Panel that goes one step further in stopping the Windows 10 icon App.

I have my updates set to inform me only and choose which ones to install. I have a Windows 10 laptop and have it set for metered wifi, not to update. I update the firewall and antivirus/antispyware programs manually.

It looks like you're in good shape then. My warning was for those not so well prepared for disaster recovery.