Windows updates strikes again

[STM]

I recently updated my desktop from Win 7 32 bit to 64 bit. When I did, however, I did not disable the auto updates as I am accustomed to doing. MS downloaded a bunch of updates yesterday and bad and entirely unwanted things happened. First, it automatically updated my IE from 10 to 11. Now, my desktop is not a top of the line Dell but the CPU does run at 2.8 GHz and I do have 12 GB of RAM and it is plenty fast for me. IE 11, on the other hand was extremely slow compared to IE 10 and it kept hanging up. It also did not show up in my Control Panel program list so I could uninstall it. After much searching the web I finally found out how to get rid of it and revert back to IE 10. One problem solved, one to go.

Now on to the problem number two. The PS CC icon on my taskbar mysteriously disappeared. Lightroom 5.6 was still there, however. Weird. I went into the Start Menu "See all programs" and it was not there either. I looked into Windows Explorer and lo and behold the files were there but I did not see any *.exe files. So I called Adobe and talked to an Indian guy, who like nearly all of them, I could barely understand, and he told me that it appeared that one of the updates wiped some important CC files including the PS.exe. And then he told me that my PC had to be optimized. Blah blah, blah. I asked him, since I had CC on my laptop as well, couldn't I just copy all of the CC files from there back to my desktop. He said no, that would not work but they could fix the problem for $200. I told him I was going to try it my way first and see. Well, it DID work and now CC is working on both computers again and I am $200 richer.

I set up the updates to ask me first if I wanted them to be updated. Needless to say, I will say no. Every single time I get updates from MS it screws something up. My system is back to where I want it and I will set another restore point from now.

Just say NO! to any more MS updates!

 

[Eyelight]

I, above all things, despise background stuff, but hard to compute anymore without some. So, looking forward to the day when I can dump the computer, smartphone, smart tv, etc...... Then I buy this digital camera that has to have... see where this is going.

I miss paper, pencils and film.

 

[Blacktop]

I also have auto updates turned off on Win7. I check around the 2nd Tuesday every month when Windows comes out with updates and install accordingly.

 

[STM]

I, above all things, despise background stuff, but hard to compute anymore without some. So, looking forward to the day when I can dump the computer, smartphone, smart tv, etc...... Then I buy this digital camera that has to have... see where this is going.

I miss paper, pencils and film.

Things were definitely simpler then, no doubt about that. And honestly, and this is just my opinion, your mileage may vary, but photographers in the 40's though the 80's HAD to be much better photographers technically than today because there were no such things as DSLR's and Photoshop and all of that jazz. There was no way to go in and fix or modify things pixel by pixel. To make stunning images back then took much more and better technical knowledge not only in setting exposure in the camera but also producing prints in the darkroom. Look at Ansel Adams and his breathtakingly gorgeous images. He carried nothing but a 8x10 view camera, sturdy tripod, good lenses and a Pentax digital 1º spot meter. And his prowess in the darkroom was unsurpassed.

 

[wornish]

I thought Microsoft had improved their act but to have an update to Windows wipe some of your application files without telling you is just crazy, is borderline theft.

It was for these type of issues that I switched to Mac over 10 years ago and never looked back.

 

[PapaST]

I wonder if the switch from 32bit to 64bit might have contributed to the program's failure. If I were you I would double check LR and PS to make sure the version that is running is now 64bit. Typically the splashscreen (as you open the program) will list if it's 64bit or 32bit. Or you can probably go to HELP... then ABOUT to see the version you are running. Perhaps when you updated from 32bit to 64bit that LR was able to run in 32bit on your newly created 64bit system. And maybe that's why PS failed because it won't run in 32bit mode whilst being installed on a 64bit system. Just a hunch, but definitely worth checking out to make sure your LR and PS are utilizing your new 64bit system.

From what I've read with Adobe CC they no longer package the 64bit version with the 32bit so a reinstall of the program was probably necessary.

 

[NotReallyHere]

I don't understand how you 'updated' from 32 to 64 bit.
According to this Microsoft link "If you want to move from a 32-bit version of Windows to a 64-bit version of Windows 7 or vice versa, you'll need to back up your files and choose the Custom option during Windows 7 installation. Then, you'll need to restore your files and reinstall your programs." Which basically means that your drive is wiped and 64 bit is installed. You cannot simply install 64 bit on top of 32 bit.
That said, I've never had a problem with MS updates since they appeared in Windows XP (at least, I think it was XP).

 

[Englischdude]

Just say NO! to any more MS updates!

Just say NO to MS!

 

[STM]

Just say NO to MS!

If you are happy with a MAC, that is fine. To each their own. I personally don't care for them.

 

[STM]

I wonder if the switch from 32bit to 64bit might have contributed to the program's failure. If I were you I would double check LR and PS to make sure the version that is running is now 64bit. Typically the splashscreen (as you open the program) will list if it's 64bit or 32bit. Or you can probably go to HELP... then ABOUT to see the version you are running. Perhaps when you updated from 32bit to 64bit that LR was able to run in 32bit on your newly created 64bit system. And maybe that's why PS failed because it won't run in 32bit mode whilst being installed on a 64bit system. Just a hunch, but definitely worth checking out to make sure your LR and PS are utilizing your new 64bit system.

From what I've read with Adobe CC they no longer package the 64bit version with the 32bit so a reinstall of the program was probably necessary.

Not likely, I switched to 64 bit about a month ago. Everything was just fine with both CC and LR until those damn updates did something to it. Nothing else with the computer changed except the updates. It updated things last night just before I shut the computer down. I get up this morning and things had turned to worms.

 

[STM]

I don't understand how you 'updated' from 32 to 64 bit.
According to this Microsoft link "If you want to move from a 32-bit version of Windows to a 64-bit version of Windows 7 or vice versa, you'll need to back up your files and choose the Custom option during Windows 7 installation. Then, you'll need to restore your files and reinstall your programs." Which basically means that your drive is wiped and 64 bit is installed. You cannot simply install 64 bit on top of 32 bit.
That said, I've never had a problem with MS updates since they appeared in Windows XP (at least, I think it was XP).

Simple, so I could take advantage of the 12 GB of RAM I installed. 32 bit only recognizes 4 GB. It was also no bid deal about having to download all your files. I have a complete mirror image of the hard drive on an external 4 TB hard drive. Things speeded up considerably with the addition of ram and one of he biggest driving forces was with only 4 GB if I wanted to save large files (like my Hasselblad scans) in progressive or baseline optimized it PS told me I did not have enough RAM. The desktop came loaded with 32 bit and Dell no longer sends you back up CD's of all of the pre-loaded software.

 

[§am]

64bit Windows uses a different ways to distinguish between 32bit and 64bit installed apps (under Program Files), and it could be the new install/update hasn't established which version you had installed - though doesn't explain missing exe files.
Were all your other apps unscathed?

Most companies now use a partitioned area of the drive supplied for recovery software, so thats a good place to look, but again, most of it will be 32bit so might not be what you really need.
Dell is pretty good for 64bit drivers though even for older machines, and if you can't find Win7 versions, try Vista versions as they're not much different.

Add an SSD to your current setup and you'll be flying

 

[Whiskeyman]

Things were definitely simpler then, no doubt about that. ... Look at Ansel Adams and his breathtakingly gorgeous images. He carried nothing but a 8x10 view camera, sturdy tripod, good lenses and a Pentax digital 1º spot meter. And his prowess in the darkroom was unsurpassed.

Very true! Besides those things, he also used time very effectively, and not by hurrying. He was a very patient craftsman when he needed to be.

And not to be picky, but I don't believe he used digital spot meters, but analog ones that he modified the dials on for his zone system.

WM

 

[STM]

Very true! Besides those things, he also used time very effectively, and not by hurrying. He was a very patient craftsman when he needed to be.

And not to be picky, but I don't believe he used digital spot meters, but analog ones that he modified the dials on for his zone system.

WM

He did use the Pentax digital 1º version of the Pentax meter. He had several photos of it in his book the Negative (2 of 3 in the series). I use the analog one and use a scale I made on the computer and affixed to the dial to make it easier to visualize the Zone System.

Here he is using the digital version: