Platform Update (KB2670838) for windows 7

[porkr]

Could not reboot after installing KB2670838

I was unable to reboot after I installed KB2670838 -- had to fall back to last known good configuration.

 

[insertrealname]

This "Platform Update" broke Aero transparency on my Thinkpad W500. It was marked as a critical (i.e. non-optional) update.

As I have no need for IE 10, I've uninstalled it, and marked the update as "hidden" in the Windows Update UI.

Closer examination of the MSDN article about the update at Platform Update for Windows 7 (Preliminary) shows that it removes several APIs and changes the graphics layer in many respects.

Why Microsoft classified this as a critical update is beyond understanding: don't they understand that many people run Windows 7 on not-the-latest hardware whose graphics drivers are no longer updated? And thus the update has a strong chance of causing problems?

 

[Anak]

You have to consider all the different permutations that have to be addressed when programming these updates.

Even though your KB2670838 was classed as critical, it was only classed as recommended for my OS.

When KB2670838 read your thinkpad it classed it as critical.

 

[insertrealname]

Ooops, I meant it was classified "Recommended", and since I set recommended security/bug-fix updates to be automatically installed via Windows Update, it was installed... I've never found before that these security/bug-fix updates introduce regressions--so automatic installation is OK.

"Platform Update" is a feature update, not security/bug-fix, so it should be strictly classified optional, especially since it's really only useful for those running Windows 8 applications on the Windows 7 platform.

UPDATE: I later found I had ticked "Give me recommended updates the same way as important updates" in the Windows Update settings panel. I've no idea how or why I ever ticked that option--I'm ticked off at myself, of course!

 

[TVeblen]

You have to consider all the different permutations that have to be addressed when programming these updates.

That is the key.
Here are the modules that the update changes:



So depending on each person's setup and installations the results of the upgrades could be problematic.

More:
A platform update is available for Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1

 

[DODGER33]

I have found several problems sice updating [Platform Update for Windows 7 x64-Edition (KB2670838)]
on 26th, so much so that I had to undo the Update....Everything is Fine Now

I was quite supprised to find a Windows Update which is meant to improve and "Resolve Issues" was the actual cause of My problems.

As others have mentioned the problems I have may be different than other due to "Personal Configuration" and the third party programs installed on a particular machine.

Symtoms for me were with MS Web Expression 4 (with SP2) crashing, upon launching SEO or CSS Reports from tools Menu (both which were used often without any issues), I did not notice any issues with Firefox 19.0 (with Add-ons)

Advice to MS is remove bugs prior to launch of System Updates

 

[wallypedal]

Me too! First BSOD experience ever with this laptop

I have found several problems sice updating [Platform Update for Windows 7 x64-Edition (KB2670838)]
on 26th, so much so that I had to undo the Update....Everything is Fine Now

I was quite supprised to find a Windows Update which is meant to improve and "Resolve Issues" was the actual cause of My problems.

As others have mentioned the problems I have may be different than other due to "Personal Configuration" and the third party programs installed on a particular machine.

Symtoms for me were with MS Web Expression 4 (with SP2) crashing, upon launching SEO or CSS Reports from tools Menu (both which were used often without any issues), I did not notice any issues with Firefox 19.0 (with Add-ons)

Advice to MS is remove bugs prior to launch of System Updates

Yes, I as well experienced this with this update. BSOD, IE and Firefox totally flaky, etc. Uninstalled and hid. I like having updates happen automatically, and this is the first time I've had problems and had to uninstall and hide something. Please don't tell me I have to take into account all the possible configuration permutations - Microsoft does. I believe the MS Update team experts must have been reassigned to Win 8 or something.

 

[col73]

This update installed for me on tuesday when I turned my pc off.

On wednesday when I started my pc, which I also use as a htpc. I found that a large selection of my movie files ( .avi xvid ) would not play and wmp12 would crash, and the same for windows media center.
Movies in .mp4 were ok.

So I thought it was to do with a program I had installed and was using on tues (media center master) for updating all my movie metadata.

So I uninstalled it, no fix.
Then I did a system restore to a couple of days before. This resulted in System Startup Recovery running on restart.

This still did not fix it, so I did a google search and in 5 mins learnt of this update. Uninstalled it and all is working again. I will say that I did not notice any other problems like what has been said earlier.
I forgot to hide the update and it reinstalled again and my movies wont play, so that confirms it for me.

Now to uninstall it again and hide it.

 

[MisterBill2]

This got installed on my machine and it's forcing me to reboot! And now I read that people are having problems with it. Ugh.

 

[ozmike]

Well,well.
After turning on my computer this morning I find this 'notification' has now disappeared from 'Windows Update'.
Maybe MS have finally acknowledged the problems this download has caused to so many users.
Has anyone else noticed 'the missing' update notification?

 

[danl]

(kb2670838)

Dude, this latest update messed up some of our Windows 7's functionality:
-disabled Aero Theme
-video graphic on external monitor\2nd monitor lags, showing shadowing when you drag a window across the monitor display.
...and who knows what else it will break.:sarc:

 

[NoelDP]

Well,well.
After turning on my computer this morning I find this 'notification' has now disappeared from 'Windows Update'.
Maybe MS have finally acknowledged the problems this download has caused to so many users.
Has anyone else noticed 'the missing' update notification?

It's still there in my VMs - as an optional update.

 

[Iwishigotthemac]

I installed this update (KB2670838) on Feb 27. After reboot Firefox would not work at all, Explorer was so slow as to not be usable, and Chrome (the fastest) would take 2 minutes or more to enter text I typed into the search bar or scroll down the page. I spent an hour on the phone with a Microsoft Rep who cleaned out my temporary files; Improved the situation but did not fix. Finally I just uninstalled it and everything works fine again.

 

[VistaKing]

It will show up again when you Check for updates .

   Tip

Hide the update by right-clicking on the update and choose hide update .

 

[MCRoss1960]

FYI. I unknowingly allowed this update and started to experience weird problems. I'm running Windows 7 pro x64, IE 10 on a HP ProBook. The issues I noticed are as follows;

• No embedded Flash objects (blank section on screen where they should be)
• No silverlight video (same as above)
• Taskbar live preview only showed icons instead of actual content
• No external Monitor availability (no output on external VGA or HDMI)

Uninstalled update and all is well. However, I'm now back to IE9. This update must also be a reguired for IE10 as since i uninstalled it, IE10 is gone.

 

[janetb]

I have been using IE 8 on Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit. When installing IE 10, it automatically installs Windows Update kb2670838, which does not allow me to start a New Email in "Windows Live Mail". If you uninstall it, IE 10 is automatically uninstalled. So I gather you cannot use both IE 10 and "Windows Live Mail" on Windows 7........

 

[NoelDP]

(so uninstall Live Mail :devil

 

[Slartybart]

Offered as an optional update, read the kb and determined I did not need it, so I hid the offer. I don't expect average users to understand all of the techno-speak and Ms should have been clearer on the potential problems this update might cause.

Most users let Windows decide when and what to update and normally that's not a bad thing. Every once in a while things go awry - this seems to be one of those times.

I saw no mention of IE10 and have not been offered it through WinUpdate. For what it's worth, here's a MS KB on IE10. People can and should use the feedback section if they experienced problems with the platform update and or IE10

---

A platform update is available for Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1

Symptoms: This article describes a platform update for Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1. This update improves the features and performance of the following components:

Direct2D, DirectWrite, Direct3D. Windows Imaging Component (WIC), Windows Advanced,
Rasterization Platform (WARP), Windows Animation Manager (WAM), XPS Document API, H.264 Video Decoder, JPEG XR codec

Resolution:
If you are a Windows 7 DirectX developer who uses the June 2010 DirectX Software Development Kit (SDK), you will have to update your development environments after you install this platform update. The following development .dll files that are associated with the DirectX SDK are incompatible with this platform update:

D3D10SDKLayers.dll, D3D11SDKLayers.dll, D3D10ref.dll, D2D1debug.dll



You can use one of the following applications or tools to update these .dll files:

• The Windows 8 SDK: This SDK updates the current development environment with new headers, libs, and tools. This includes the previously-listed development .dll files. This update does not update the C or C++ compilers or the IDE, but this update does enable developers to integrate the new features of the platform update into their applications.
• Microsoft Visual Studio 2012: This application includes the Windows 8 SDK, the Visual Studio 2012 IDE, and the new compilers. It also enables developers to integrate the new features of the platform update into their applications.
• Remote Tools for Visual Studio 2012: These tools are the minimum requirement in order to continue using the Direct3D debug layer. These tools update only the previously-listed development .dll files. These tools do not enable developers to integrate the new features of the platform update into their applications. These tools are available in the "Remote Tools for Visual Studio 2012" section of the Visual Studio Download Center, or can be downloaded from the following links. These packages can be safely installed on development systems:
  • Remote Tools for Visual Studio 2012 (x86) English
  • Remote Tools for Visual Studio 2012 (x64) English
  Note The Pix for Windows tool from the DirectX SDK is incompatible with this platform update. See Debugging Shaders in Visual Studio for more information about the new tools available in Visual Studio 2012.

For more developer information about this platform update, go to the following MSDN website:Platform Update for Windows 7

..... Release Date: February 26, 2013

..... Prerequisites: To apply this update, you must be running Windows 7 SP1 or Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1.

..... Restart requirement: You must restart the computer after you apply this update.

 

[kevindd992002]

Is this "issue" already officially acknowledged by Microsoft?

 

[Gary]

If you want IE 10 you need this update. I would avoid it at all costs. It caused my screen to go black every so often and then I got a BSOD. I removed it and the other updates that were required for IE 10. There is a IE 10 Blocker from MS that will not permit it to be installed. I used it.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/ie/jj898509.aspx