got hosed by update already  

I usually disable Windows Updates as a matter of principle. Well, with this beta I figured there's probably be some better drivers quickly so I'll go for it. Don't know which one it was, the video driver or the Sata driver but my system took 2 boots to make 1 after that. I laid an image backup I made back on and I ain't about to do no more updatin'!! Every time I fix it when it ain't broke I get busted!! :)

Where's the fun in that?

it may have needed two reboots - one reboot for each update. Did it work after it had finished rebooting?

Try the updates one at a time. if it fails, use a restore point and don't install that particular update :)

smarteyeball said:

Where's the fun in that?

it may have needed two reboots - one reboot for each update. Did it work after it had finished rebooting?

Try the updates one at a time. if it fails, use a restore point and don't install that particular update :)

Thank you for the suggestions. As it is I've laid the Vista image back on and attempted to put SP1 on the machine. Battin' 0 for 2 with updates. I got it all the way through the 3rd stage of "installing service pack" and then after one and a half hours it comes to the last boot and says "service pack was not installed.. rolling back changes" heh heh

And people look at me funny when I tell 'em to buy the machine with the OS and SPs on already and leave 'em alone. At least for your primary PC anyway. A lot less grief.

Still running W7 on the old clunker. That seems pretty smooth if you don't count glitches in that HomeGroup thing. I like the NewSpeak though. Public networks don't allow access while Private networks let you see the machines on your Lan. Hmmmm when 7 comes out I hope they don't call it "inexpensive".

MilesAhead said:

And people look at me funny when I tell 'em to buy the machine with the OS and SPs on already and leave 'em alone. At least for your primary PC anyway. A lot less grief.

For someone that is not a tinkerer, perhaps - however, I disagree with that *wholeheartedly* - because you get so much *crap* that is also there that you kill the performance of your hardware*and* invariably screw with Vista anyway.

johngalt said:

For someone that is not a tinkerer, perhaps - however, I disagree with that *wholeheartedly* - because you get so much *crap* that is also there that you kill the performance of your hardware*and* invariably screw with Vista anyway.

Depends how you define "screw with Vista". The whole concept of automatic updates to me is suicidal. You have a system running perfectly fine and you blindly put on 8 fixes that somebody you don't know slapped together to meet a deadline. If you mean tune your services and take off crapware and adjust settings, then of course. I'm a believer in the philosophy that if you don't have a specific problem, if you're going to update you change one thing at a time. That's the methodical way of working. Otherwise you are throwing paint on the canvas and hoping "art" sticks.