Don't ever have your editing computer hooked up to the internet...this and other
problems will occur.
Or at least disable windows automatic updates until your computer isn't doing anything.

Been running automatic updates for some time now with Vegas running as well and never a problem. Maybe I've been lucky or maybe I have them configured correctly, they only install when I shut the machine down.

Bob.

Laurence,
I've also had that happen in the past, but Bob is correct: you can change the update settings so that the updates download but don't install until you go to shut down your system. Problem solved.

bro, whos fault is that?

Bro, the feature for controlling Automatic Update is there, so ...

Run Regedit, browse to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU

Set or add the DWORD value NoAutoRebootWithLoggedOnUsers to be 1

I disable auto update and keep the internet connection off except when Im using it.

My cable modem has a button right on top to disconnect.

I just hate everything trying to sneakily access the internet.

I'm with Blink. DISABLE AUTO UPDATE!!!

There is no reason for any professional to have this on (and by "professional" I simply mean anyone who uses their computer to do work and not just surf the net and do email). Randomly updating a production computer is the most irresponsible thing you can do. If it isn't broke... don't fix it. If you want to update your computer, wait until you are between projects, backup your hard drive, and then run the updates. This is the only responsible way to run a business.

Did you know that auto update doesn't set a restore point? There is no way to back one off unless you know what broke your computer and since they don't tell you what they updated you are pretty much out of luck! You can search for a particular update in add/remove programs if you know what it is and manually remove it but good luck figuring out which one broke your computer.

Trust me on this, I found out the hard way. Just before leaving for NAB 2008 to announce the new version of Ultimate S Pro, a Microsoft update to ,Net 2.0 disabled one of my critical development tools. It simply stopped working and I was unable to create the final version of Ultimate S to take to NAB. In a panic, I had to install my entire development environment on another computer which did not get updated yet to get the tools to work. There was no restore point or anything after the auto-update. One day my tools worked, and the next morning they didn't'! A very scary scenario.

Recently all of my friends and family were bitten by another Microsoft update bug that disabled ZomeAlarm. It didn't affect me because I had already turned off auto-update but the phone calls started pouring in and all started with, "my internet just stopped working". Auto-update strikes again.

Clearly, Microsoft is pumping out these bug fixes without any testing and auto-breaking computers all over the place. The concept of auto-update only works in a controlled environment where you can test it's effects (like a corporate desktop where you know everyone is using the same levels of software). It is a just an accident waiting to happen in any other environment.

Since my unfortunate experience earlier this year I have also purchased Acronis TrueImage 11 and a 1TB hard drive for backup. I have Acronis scheduled to do a full backup each month, an incremental backup of my C: partition each day, and an incremental of just my system files at each boot. I can now restore my system in a matter of minutes to any day in the month that it was last believed to be work. If you are not backing up your system regularly, now is a good time to start.

~jr

When I do a big render projects I unplug the network cable as well as turn off the antivirus program...so nothing will start up and cause issues.....Also keep in mind Tuesday is the usual time that microsoft releases most of its major updates....

I agree: Disable ALL auto-updating from all programs.

99% of the time you don't even need the updates. I have five computers and haven't updated any of them in years. (And, I don't use a firewall or anti-virus software either).

If these updates actually improved performance or added features, I'd be all for them. However, they are generally designed to close "security holes" that most people never need to worry about, whether they attach their editing computers to the Internet or not. The media has people so worried about viruses and malware that people think that if they attach their computer to the Internet it will be infected within minutes if they don't have all these security programs running in the background and updates flying into the computer every ten seconds.

That's just not true.

How do I know? I'm almost at the six year mark with this computer, still running XP SP1, never updated, no anti-virus, I use the same IE6 that came with the computer, and I've . I DO have a NAT router (that is MANDATORY), and I do know how to set my security settings in IE and OE (mail) and I do use a HOSTS file to block referrals to "bad" sites, but that's it.

So, turn off automatic updates.

Did you know that auto update doesn't set a restore point? There is no way to back one off unless you know what broke your computer and since they don't tell you what they updated you are pretty much out of luck! You can search for a particular update in add/remove programs if you know what it is and manually remove it but good luck figuring out which one broke your computer.

Or.... just look in your windows folder for the latest made folder. simple as that. :) All folder names = update #.

I've only had a windows update break my computer twice. That what two updates that fixed major issues with windows.

FYI, not updating AV/Windows is what caused huge computer down time in the early 00's. Melissa virus I think it was: all non-updated windows machines were affected, so pretty much everything was down minus a few linux oriented companies.

FYI, not updating AV/Windows is what caused huge computer down time in the early 00's.Eight years ago, that is probably true. Now, no way (IMHO).

> FYI, not updating AV/Windows is what caused huge computer down time in the early 00's.

Notice, I did not say NOT to update your computer. I said not to AUTOMATICALLY update your computer. You should only update when you feel you have time to debug any impacts and only after taking a system backup in case it messes your computer up.

I agree with John Meyer. Most of these updates are not necessary and can wait until you have time to deal with them properly and safely.

~jr

I agree - I practically newer update my editing PC's after installed them , or at leat I make an image of them onto an ext. harddrive before upgrading. Most times you probably never need the image, but if you do it sure is a lot easier to use 10 min. to reload an image insted of worst case have 2 reinstall everything.

/Ulf

I wish you the best of luck John.
A few weeks ago we discovered a key logger installed on several PCs. It did not come in through the internet. The user had taken a couple of files to a printer to have her thesis printed and their computer kindly installed something onto the memory stick she had the files on. The only sign of problems were the OS had been patched to prevent a format of the memory stick.
The latest round of smart trojans are almost impossible to detect, by design they will not mess up their host. They test themselves against as many AV programs as they can before they spawn and uninstall themselves from the target once they're done.
Now that many of us have gone tapeless it's a bit of a worry.

Bob.

I highly recommend turning off Autorun.

To avoid the registry changes download TweakUI from MIcrosoft at:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/Downloads/powertoys/Xppowertoys.mspx and navigate to "My Computer->AutoPlay" and uncheck everything in the Types and Drives panels.

While you're there check out the ImageResizer. It's quite good.

Larry