Uninstall problem update or Restore image?

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Hello

Curious, when I have a problem with for example a Cumulative Update installed thru stand-alone installer.

Better to uninstall update thru Windows Update or better to Restore machine thru recent image?

Thanks

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bjm, I’m surprised you haven’t had a response. Maybe my reply will prompt a correction, which will help you better. No direct experience here, as a Win7 user. But my readings here on AskWoody lead me to believe that if I were to help someone in your situation, I would ask if the machine began with a fresh installation of the current Win10 that is the same as your backup image. If yes, then I would use the backup first, to save the effort of setting things up again. Only if that were to also fail, would I go to the ‘clean’ install of a new image from Microsoft.

However, if the problem you need to overcome has happened on a machine that was upgraded in place, where you advanced to a new edition of Win10 from a previous one; then I would ask if you have data files backed up separately from the full image. If that is yes, then I would do the clean install, go through the setup process and get all setting the way you like, install all required applications, make a new backup image, then load in all data files, and recommence normal backup procedure going forward.

This is because there were in the past instances of clean install being superior to upgrade in place. Microsoft may have gotten better at this. Whichever path you choose, there will be another Win10 edition coming soon. And your backup image will change again.

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Elly

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bjm, I now see that you had asked about this at 12:21 AskWoody time. Then reported success at 12:44 only 23m later.

I’m glad that went so well for you, and quickly too. Apologies that my reply was much too late to be helpful. Happy computing to you.

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Kirsty

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bjm wrote:

Curious, when I have a problem with for example a Cumulative Update installed thru stand-alone installer.

Better to uninstall update thru Windows Update or better to Restore machine thru recent image?

My opening post was meant as a generic question.  Before I install Windows Updates.  I create an image backup.   Either a differential image backup or a full image backup.  So, I’ll have a recent full system image backup.

If I were to have a problem with an update.
Better to Uninstall update thru Windows Update or better to Restore machine thru recent full image backup?

1) Does Windows update Uninstall of a problematic installed update return machine to stable state without problem.

2) Does rolling machine back to an earlier Restore Point return machine to stable state without problem.

Or, is restore machine thru recent full image backup, best practice.

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bjm wrote:

Does Windows Update uninstall return machine to before Windows Update state?

In some cases, yes, when the CU is installed alone. But I believe that if the Servicing Stack is installed with the CU, as in the later cases for 1709, that the CU is uninstallable where the Servicing Stack is not. And it is my understanding that the Servicing Stack may not show up in the list of updates to be installed or the list of installed updates. So in that case, the machine is not returned to the pre-update state.

@MrBrian and @abbodi86 are much more knowledgeable than I am along these lines.

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Cascadian, MrBrian

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My answer is “it depends.” Some factors to take into account are how recent the backup was made, if documents are included in the backup (I use a separate partition for documents), and how confident one is that the restore of the backup will work properly. In general, I’d favor uninstalling the update if possible.

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Cascadian

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@ bjm

MrBrian wrote:

My answer is “it depends.”

I think *it depends* is the operational phrase here.

bjm wrote:

Before I install Windows Updates. I create an image backup.

From reading your post, it sounds like you are using an imaging program (unspecified) to create an image file of your operating system partition immediately prior to installing any Updates. Excellent defensive action!

MrBrian wrote:

how confident one is that the restore of the backup will work properly.

An image file is worthless if it will not work reliably! One has to do a image verification after creation (it takes additional time, but if you don’t do this step, you’re flying solo–you can not be sure your image is valid–at least in the eyes of the imaging program.) And, your imaging program has to be *rock solid*–you have to test the program to know you can restore your image file without any hiccups prior to actually needing to restore an image file. You have to know if there are any hardware conflicts or incompatibilities with the image program operations. (Either on a new system, or using a new imaging software, I always remove my operational system hard drive to protect it, and install a spare hard drive, and restore to it to confirm all goes well before trusting that everything will go well when actually needed!)

If the above has been done, and you know you can create and restore a system image, then let’s look at your questions:

bjm wrote:

If I were to have a problem with an update.

1) Does Windows update Uninstall of a problematic installed update return machine to stable state without problem.

If the Update causes a problem that doesn’t include the inability to re-boot successfully, then you probably will be able to access the Windows Update, and have an option to Uninstall. Or, maybe you have to know how to boot to Safe Mode in order to access the Uninstall of the Update. But, you apparently don’t completely trust Microsoft to offer you Updates that are well tested and not likely to cause problems (by your very act of creating backup images), why would you trust that the Uninstall program is actually going to be well tested to Uninstall the problematic Update successfully? With the image file waiting in the wings, you can test the Uninstall, and see if everything seems to be working *normally*, but do you (or anyone else) really know if everything has been returned to pre-Update intallation status? I doubt it. If you restore the pre-Update image, then there’s no doubt–you have restored your system to whatever state is was in prior to the installation of the Update that caused a problem.

bjm wrote:

2) Does rolling machine back to an earlier Restore Point return machine to stable state without problem.

Do you know what’s in a Restore Point when it’s created? Do you know what is restored when you use the Restore function for Restore Points? I don’t! Does anybody? And, I have had problems using Restore Points ever since they were introduced. Apparently I tweak my systems in such a way that it prevents Restore Points from being created and saved successfully on a reliable basis. I just don’t use them because of that reliability issue. That’s why I turned to using Imaging Software.

bjm wrote:

(3.) Or, is restore machine thru recent full image backup, best practice.

You probably know my answer to that question by this point . If an Update has gone rogue and has caused a problem–I restore my image file–done!

Now, just for the record–I’ve been Updating using Windows Update for years. I have never experienced a problem Update–knock on wood (probably because I have been following AskWoody’s advice on Updating ). Now, I’m only using up to Win7–I have not tested or switched over to Win10–so I can not say what my experience might be with that.

But, I also use Imaging Software prior to installing large, complicated software programs that are not a Window Update. I have experienced problems and failures for such programs on occasion. (This has been particular common with Anti-virus programs!) I have no knowledge of all the changes these program installations have created. I restore my pre-installation Image, and I know exactly what state my system is in!

Hope some of this helps. As always, your mileage may vary.

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Cascadian, Elly

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bjm, please do not put my handle over your words in a quote-box, it reads as confusing to others joining later.

Hmm.  Just noticed my words with your handle.  Sorry, don’t know how that happened.
Maybe, Moderator can remove quote box here #173130. (Edit: Done.)

Since, I do not receive email notifications.  I arrived to late to Edit quote box.

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Cascadian

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