Windows 7 updated itself at startup on December 01, 2020

[Telesfor]

Hello,

This morning my eyes got wide open after seeing blue startup screen with words “Windows is updating, please do not turn off your computer”. During few minutes of waiting all “conspiracy theories” about Microsoft went through my mind, but I decided to restart computer nevertheless. It started updating again, so I shut it and restarted in safe mode. It restarted itself, I opened safe mode again and this time there was a message “Reverting the changes, do not turn off your computer” and then “Cleaning up, do not turn off your computer”. Finally I was able to login. After restarting in normal mode, to my surprise, I found 108 updates installed on December 01, 2020. I checked out some of them and they were actually security updates from 2018 and 2019. I think that somehow Windows uninstaled some updates and in “safe mode” they’ve got reinstalled. Did anyone have similar experience or maybe have a clue what had happened with Windows on my computer today?

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[anonymous]

? says:

i woke up one morning a few years ago and found “$WINDOWS.~BT and $WINDOWS.~WS,” folders on my Windows 7 machine…

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[Telesfor]

I forgot to add that I’m in “Group B” and had Windows 7 automatic update turned off since beginning of 2018.

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[PKCano]

Have you installed/reinstalled any MS programs lately, like Office?
Have you opened IE lately?

Sometimes these operations reset your Windows Update settings to MS defaults.
Check that Windows Update is still set to “Never”

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[Telesfor]

The only one program I had reinstalled recently was Comodo Internet Security because I had some issues with its new update. Later I’d found that cis applications were set in compatibility mode to Windows 7 and after I unchecked compatibility mode box Comodo updated without any problems – looks like Comodo doesn’t want to be limited :-). Also I used Disk Cleanup and deleted temporary files on disk C – was that the cause of Windows starting update?

I always use Firefox and had not opened IE for years. Windows update was and is set to “Never”.

• This reply was modified 1 month, 3 weeks ago by Telesfor.

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[PKCano]

Disk Cleanup wasn’t the problem.

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[Telesfor]

I’d forgot to mention that on November 19 I’d installed VEEAM Backup&Replication v.10.0.1.4854 and uninstalled after checking it out. There were some MS programs installed with it, such as Visual C++, SQL Server, .NET Framework installed and some of them are still in the system e.g. Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Native Client; SQL Server 2014 Management Objects (x64); System CLR Types for SQL Server 2014; Report Viewer 2015 Runtime, after VEEAM was uninstalled.

If this could be the issue why then for almost two weeks I had no hiccups at startup?

I also included PDF with Windows updates – except todays – last ones were from December 05, 2019.

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[SueW]

The one time this happened to me — and it was shock — is right after I first installed Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE)! Never did I realize that this would ignore my Windows Update setting of “Never.”

I was able to restore my computer to a recently-created restore point. Hope you can do the same.

Win 7 SP1 Home Premium 64-bit; Office 2010; Group B (SaS); Former 'Tech Weenie'

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Telesfor, Myst

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[Telesfor]

Thank you SueW – after hours of thinking and tracing back of all my “clickings” it came to me that I might be guilty of the problem. On November 30 after I unistalled Comodo, a message appeared from “Action Center” icon about lacking of system protection and then something about restoring system security. Beeing already frustrated on Comodo (after hours of trying to solve problem) I clicked on this message without thinking – it could be that I installed Microsoft Security Essentials, but I don’t have it in my system and don’t recall ever installing it. Windows Defender, Firewall and Update were switched off for years and being in “Group B” I was cautious of all Microsoft updates and patches e.g. KB2902907 (MSE). As I mentioned in opening message, I’d restarted computer while updating, then restarted twice in safe mode – changes were reverted and I was able to login.
I’d spend two evenings trying to revert system to the restore points created on 20 or 27 of November, and even to backup copies from November of 2020 and March of 2019, but without any luck. Also going through 108 (KB) patches installed on December 01, I’d found that all of the “hidden KB” were installed e.g. KB2986583, KB3042058, KB3102810, KB3138612 and I have no hidden updates to restore. Of course I uninstalled the fishy ones, but where the MSE came from? Sneaky Microcreep.
System is running, but I’m struggling to get to run system restore or backup from November 20 of 2020.

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SueW

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[SueW]

You’re welcome, Telesfor, although I’m sorry you’re still having problems restoring to an earlier restore point. I have found that I’ve been able to restore successfully from within Safe Mode. If you haven’t done so, you might want to try that. Good luck ~

Win 7 SP1 Home Premium 64-bit; Office 2010; Group B (SaS); Former 'Tech Weenie'

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Telesfor

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[Telesfor]

I wasn’t able to restore to an earlier restore point from November 27 (which disappeared) or backup from November 20, as well as March 01 of 2019. I din’t tried older ones because of installed Microsoft updates (Group B). Restoring from within Safe Mode didn’t work, so I gaveup and created another backup on December 04, removing November 20 from external disk. Thanks again and please check my new post with questions about System Restore points.

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SueW

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[EP]

@SueW

clean installing MS Security Essentials on Win7 always reset WU settings, so you have to set them again to Never check for updates

• This reply was modified 1 month, 3 weeks ago by EP.
• This reply was modified 1 month, 3 weeks ago by EP.

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SueW

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[SueW]

@EP, thanks.  Having installed MSE a number of years after using other AV software, I had no idea that it always reset WU settings!  Indeed, I reset them back to ‘Never’ as soon as I could 🙂

Win 7 SP1 Home Premium 64-bit; Office 2010; Group B (SaS); Former 'Tech Weenie'

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[PKCano]

#2316255  🙂

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SueW

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