Win update at odd times /days in the month

[robbyk333]

My family pc is a win 7 pc (3 GB RAM, 266 GB free space on C; drive, 5-7 years old?) that has so far survived updates from windows except for one BSOD episode after the Autumn update last year as I recall. It took a week and gave only BSOD and then all was well for no apparent reason.

Starting the past couple of months, my wife and I notice that Microsoft must be on the pc, for no apparent reason at any time during the month. The pc slows to a crawl for up to half a day, maybe three days in a row.

I have run Norton full scan and Malwarebytes full version on a regular basis, never had a virus or malware. PC is email, Netflix and youtube.

Then last month, during one of those episodes, the windows update icon appeared but disappeared hours later. The pc was still useless and as I tried to shut down, a notice appeared that windows was updating. By the next day, all was fine but no updates.

For this pc, I regularly receive updates on the Wednesday after the 2nd Tuesday. all have been successful.

This month during the 1st week, same thing, the pc slowed to a crawl for three days. No activity allowed. As before, the windows update icon was on for a few hours. Then nothing.

So on the 11th, in the morning, windows update behavior takes over but the icon does not appear until the afternoon and then the update download completed within in an hour or so and I successful installed them. When I looked at the history to see what was installed, in addition to the successful updates from the 11th, there was this:

Three empty lines, i.e. no name, status failed, importance recommended, date 7/5. This would have been the three days last week when Microsoft took over the pc for three days.

Does anybody know what's up?

Then after I installed the updates on 7/11, within an hour, a message from Microsoft appeared saying it was shutting off Aero as my pc appeared to be "sluggish" and there are no longer enough system resources.

Now I have aluminum foil all over my head because I've never seen this kind of intrusions before?

Again, does anybody know what's up?

Thank you kindly!

 

[Snick]

Hi robbyk333,
Welcome to SevenForums!
Windows Update Posting Instructions
Have you run any diagnostics:

 

[robbyk333]

No? Other than Norton and Malwarebytes...What would you suggest? What am I diagnosing? Windows is on my pc claiming to do updates at odd times during the month for days at a time but really does nothing...I am wondering why, are they looking to kill this pc or just having fun?

Any suggestions though would be appreciated!

Hi robbyk333,
Welcome to SevenForums!
Windows Update Posting Instructions
Have you run any diagnostics:

 

[Snick]

For starters please follow the link I posted.
Windows Update Posting Instructions (WUPI)
Diagnostics!
Here's a link to: System Update Readiness Tool for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems
That is the SURT tool reference in WUPI
CheckSUR.log is temporary in it's location after SURT tool completes, which may take a while.
Don't need entire CBS folder.
Nic.

 

[robbyk333]

Again, I guess I am confused...I have all my updates, everything! No problem. They come in the 1st Wednesday after the 2nd Tuesday of every month. I am simply asking why is Microsoft on my pc the first Thursday thru Saturday of July, 2018?

As well last month, why are they trolling my pc in the 3rd week, the 4th week...whenever it is. They are only supposed to be there the 2nd Tuesday of every month. This month we caught them and they show windows updates for those days (July 5th), with no indication of what or why.

After trolling my pc for 3 days ~ July 5th, they delivered the updates on July 11th and then within a few hours posted a notice saying, "Now you have not enough resources so we will begin shutting down components of your pc e.g. Aero". Why?

Now I also notice after the last windows update, when Norton runs its scan, it normally ends with ~ 10,000 files searched. But now after the update, it says 16,000 files. That quite an uptick in installed files Mr. Microsoft.

So they delivered something to my pc after trolling it unannounced for days, and once it was delivered they announced to me they will begin shutting off components of my pc.

I'm asking if anyone has seen behavior as this seems to me to be aberrant behavior. I am assuming they are trying to hose this Win 7 pc. They got my other two after the Fall Creator's update. BSOD within minutes of installing. I'm praying this forum will help me with that when the winter comes and I have time to try and diagnose them (one was my primary DAW).

Again, why should I run the Readiness Update Tool and such. I will if I knew why. How will that tell me why is Microsoft apparently trolling my pc, if that is what they are doing. Isn't nearly doubling the amount of the files on my pc in one update a little bit suspicious?

I'd really appreciate any advice if anyone has seen this. I am shocked at what I am seeing. My wife and I are nearly 70, we check our email and we watch Netflix on this pc, not much else. What is Microsoft doing and why?

Thanks again and please forgive me if I am not understanding why I should download and run these tools, I am just not seeing the need for it and am quite busy at my music business

 

[Snick]

Again, why should I run the Readiness Update Tool and such. I will if I  knew why. How will that tell me why is Microsoft apparently trolling my  pc, if that is what they are doing. Isn't nearly doubling the amount of  the files on my pc in one update a little bit suspicious?

I have no clue as to why you're having these issues. I have Win7x64 Home Premium and haven't experienced what you are conveying. My best analogy of your situation is akin to a car having issues. If you talk to a technician and attempt to explain a problem, the tech will tell you to bring the car in so we can check it out. Same applies to computers. I'm not experiencing your issues, and without additional info (logs) we can't begin to provide a plausible response. Googling your issue provides no clue either.

Maybe another forum member will chime in and be able to provide an answer without logs, but I doubt it.

Wishing you and yours the best!

Nic

 

[robbyk333]

Well I truly appreciate the help, I am just amazed by what Microsoft is doing. I really thought it was malware but Microsoft has revealed it is them grinding my pc to a halt 2-3 times a month. and now all these files! I didn't expect any help because what in the world are they doing? Who would expect this? I would never believe anyone saying this. So again Snick I thank you for the time. My wife and I think our times online are truly numbered. We've decided if they hose this pc like the other two, we're not going to have a pc again...

 

[robbyk333]

Wait a minute would logs show what they were doing on July 5th? The update history on my pc shows a complete blank for three lines dated July 5th. That coincides with the last time my pc was rendered useless and if we tried to use it, a post came up saying windows update in progress. will logs show that? If so...

 

[Snick]

Uh...yea, that's the purpose of logs!
Windows Event log
Windows Error log
WindowsUpdate.log
CBS.log
CheckSUR.log after running System Update Readiness Tool (SURT) locates missing/corrupt cat, mum, and or manifests.
You may have issues with windows update, even though you believe you are receiving all updates. Again, that's the purpose of logs and diagnostics.

 

[Ranger4]

Also check how full your HDD is, a near full HDD can slow the computer down a lot. Windows likes at least 10% free space to work properly. If you are nearly full, perhaps you can remove some unwanted or unused programs.

 

[Snick]

To elaborate on Ranger4's suggestion. You can utilize a couple tools, one is native to Windows Disk Cleanup - Open and Use or the more thorough version via command line (CMD) Disk Cleanup - Extended. The other CCleaner (free) which creates a system restore point, & I use on default settings, without issue.

 

[robbyk333]

Also check how full your HDD is, a near full HDD can slow the computer down a lot. Windows likes at least 10% free space to work properly. If you are nearly full, perhaps you can remove some unwanted or unused programs.

Thanks and a good point, I think this pc is a little low on memory (3 GB) but the only drive is 265 free / 454 GB. Again, we do nothing on this pc, it is basically email only.

Thanks again!

 

[robbyk333]

Also check how full your HDD is, a near full HDD can slow the computer down a lot. Windows likes at least 10% free space to work properly. If you are nearly full, perhaps you can remove some unwanted or unused programs.

OK I posted a reply but I have no idea where it went, sorry if it landed on another post! (OOPS, there it is, on Page 2). sorry for the redundancy!

We have 265 GB free / 454 so I suspect we are OK. I think the # GB RAM is low but this pc is only email basically

Thanks much for the suggestion.

 

[robbyk333]

To elaborate on Ranger4's suggestion. You can utilize a couple tools, one is native to Windows Disk Cleanup - Open and Use or the more thorough version via command line (CMD) Disk Cleanup - Extended. The other CCleaner (free) which creates a system restore point, & I use on default settings, without issue.

Again, thanks for the elaboration. As a former AT&T pc tech I am actually a little obsessed with pc tools and utilities, in fact I like just playing with them on a rainy day. This pc runs at usually <10% cpu but up to 50 % memory and that is almost always due to windows services (sorry I have the notes and details at my studio right now) running amok.

I also use Norton a lot to check history for events just for fun, and all those other basic things, disc cleanup and such may show a couple MB of savings, often run way too often.. I'm just kind of a fanatic about pc basics and that is why I am watching and wondering why is Microsoft trolling this pc?

I would never consider running ccleaner as it has hosed many a audio DAW pc and is a well known villain in audio circles.

Anyhow, I gave up wondering months ago what is the issue other than worries about HD integrity, even if they pass SMART analysis one never knows. I know now it is Microsoft trolling the pc for hours for no apparent reason. Now it is even telling me to shut up and get off the pc because it is "updating" at any given day for no reason, perhaps on 2 occasions in a given month. Then even reporting the activity in update history and listing "blanked out" activities as if they've redacted the info.

I am curious why and will check into the logs when I have the time, but I'm still not seeing an answer as to why, what specifically are they going to tell me about what Microsoft was running on this pc for three days July 5th. They installed a lot of files and last night we saw those files deleted in a very quick time. Just gone and now back to the basic amount that Norton scans on a daily basis.

Anyhow, the whole thing is moot, whatever Microsoft is doing, it should be illegal, it is wrong and they will do whatever they want to. And as I said, if this pc goes the way of my other pcs after updates (they have taken out so many pcs this year!), then I am done with windows permanently. So I've stopped worrying yet I wonder, why do they troll pcs, what are they looking for?

Well thanks for the time and expert help, much appreciated, I'm really going to need you all when I try to resurrect my studio DAW which died during a windows update last Fall, now replaced with a new pc permanently offline. I really want to get it back as a backup DAW in a 2nd room of my studio!

My best, Robby K

 

[robbyk333]

One last thing, as part of my obsession, I do check win update history fanatically each month, and have never had a failed update and do have 100% of all recommended updates, again received like clockwork at ~ 11AM the first Wednesday after the 2nd Tuesday of every month.

 

[Snick]

Thanks for the info regarding CCleaner. As I stated, I personally haven't had an issue and it creates a restore point by default, however, I'm converting my Dad's LPs to digital (1000+), with Audacity and Vinyl Studio and haven't had an issue there either. I always have a recent disk image of both drives usually performed once a week.

If you don't require any further assistance on this thread, please mark it resolved.

Happy computing!

Nic

 

[robbyk333]

Good luck Snick with Audacity and your dad's large vinyl collection, Audacity is what I used for recording and publishing Sunday sermons to youtube back in 2005. After recording in pro studios for ~ 30 years, I began to see the potential for home studios at that time as others artists had testified to me. Sold on it, by 2007, I had a fully professional studio with nary a problem until the recent attacks on the audio world by Microsoft. I don't think you'll have a problem with ccleaner as I was referring to pro audio equipment and finely tuned pro software. Our studio pcs do one thing, music and nothing else, nothing, so we are very picky. That being said, Audacity is quite a gas, I teach it to young audio enthusiasts Your dad is very lucky for your fine work!