Problems after KB4540673

[reddawg]

If you do an Edit -> Mark and then highlight that area as if to copy it, does anything show up?

Thank you Thixotropic. Your suggestion led me to the solution. When I copied and pasted the Command Prompt window into Notepad, I was able to read the characters.

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.18362.657]
(c) 2019 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Users\reddawg>

Somehow the Screen Text color was changed to Black in the Command Prompt properties. So basically, both the background and screen text colors were set to black and thus became invisible. The strange thing is that it is impossible to set the Screen Text to black when the background is also black through the Command Prompt properties.

[MikeBwca]

Was this caused by the KB update?

MS just release another... probably to fix the first!
2020-03 Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 1909 for x64-based Systems (KB4551762)

[Thixotropic]

That's a weird snafu and I'm glad you got it sorted. Another fabulous win for Microsoft, lol.

Somehow the Screen Text color was changed to Black in the Command Prompt properties. So basically, both the background and screen text colors were set to black and thus became invisible. The strange thing is that it is impossible to set the Screen Text to black when the background is also black through the Command Prompt properties.

[Thixotropic]

MS just release another... probably to fix the first!
2020-03 Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 1909 for x64-based Systems (KB4551762)

I guess it's time to press the button and update my Win 10 install...but honestly, every time I do it I grit my teeth and look away.

I think I'll get Acronis or AOMEI tomorrow and make a full disk image backup before I do it, though.

[TimG]

I think I'll get Acronis or AOMEI tomorrow and make a full disk image backup before I do it, though.

Welcome to a new world of decisions. Every decision you make will bring you another longer list of decisions muhahahaha

Only joking ! If like me, you have plenty of storage space (Preferably removable from the LAN to protect from Ransomware etc), and don't want the faff, then simply do FULL back ups, not differential or incremental. That simply means that every back up file is a complete back up. You don't need the master and three incrementals, just the main file itself. I then set it to leave only the last three backups for each pc. I presently have 2 x 3pc licences for ATI, as I used to run cctv at Mothers house too. Backups are done manually for all pc's at the end of the month, or manually just before any major software changes.

[Thixotropic]

I emailed the folks at AOMEI and asked if they had a discount coupon I could use. They replied back with a link to buy it for $35, so, what the heck, I got it.

I did one regular back up and going forward will start doing full disk images, storing them on the NAS.

So now I guess it's time to update Windows and ruin everything beyond all hope of redemption.

[Thixotropic]

Tried to update Windows 4 times, always says it can't finish the update and then undoes the changes. Knocking out specific updates hasn't helped so far (flash, mostly). No way I can see to not install the .NET framework.

I am so so so so sick of Windows. I'd pay $100 for a Linux port of BI. Maybe even $200.

EDIT: Well after 1.5 hours of dorking around with Windows and updates, installing, removing, upgrading, downgrading, sidegrading, etc etc etc and all of the other silly nonsense involved in keeping Windows running, it finally managed to get over itself and updated.

Just another entry in the "Why I Rarely Update Windows" saga.

Now to go spend some quality time with my pal Johnny Walker and his buddy Jim Beam.

[reddawg]

Tried to update Windows 4 times, always says it can't finish the update and then undoes the changes. Knocking out specific updates hasn't helped so far (flash, mostly). No way I can see to not install the .NET framework.

I am so so so so sick of Windows. I'd pay $100 for a Linux port of BI. Maybe even $200.

EDIT: Well after 1.5 hours of dorking around with Windows and updates, installing, removing, upgrading, downgrading, sidegrading, etc etc etc and all of the other silly nonsense involved in keeping Windows running, it finally managed to get over itself and updated.

Just another entry in the "Why I Rarely Update Windows" saga.

Now to go spend some quality time with my pal Johnny Walker and his buddy Jim Beam.

I remember reading somewhere that Microsoft laid off many of their top engineers in their Windows Update team in 2016 and consolidated all their other support platforms together. So they lost a lot of talented engineers in their Windows Update team, which were replaced by engineers with lesser talent and experience. Ever since the release of Windows 10, there have been far too many problems with Windows updates and feature updates, which is why all my PC's have Acronis True Image installed for a backup recovery solution.

When the usual methods for fixing failed and stuck updates do not work, I download the update directly from Microsoft Update Catalog server and install it from my desktop.

Example: https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Home.aspx and then enter KB4540673 in the search box.

FYI: Microsoft has issued KB4551762 to replace KB4540673.

[Thixotropic]

I remember reading somewhere that Microsoft laid off many of their top engineers in their Windows Update team in 2016 and consolidated all their other support platforms together. So they lost a lot of talented engineers in their Windows Update team, which were replaced by engineers with lesser talent and experience.

It's true. I've done multiple gigs at MS and most of the place is toxic and dysfunctional. I refuse to work there anymore.

I get offers from various teams and departments at MS on a weekly basis and I always turn them down. I could write a book about what's wrong with the place, but suffice it to say the culture is stifling and back-stabbing is endemic. I spent as much time there reporting on what I was doing as I spent doing what I was supposed to be doing, and I've no doubt that all my status reports and weekly roundup and metrics were thrown away as soon as they were received.

The meetings go on and on and on and decisions either never get made or the safest (read: worst) path to completion is the one that's usually picked because no one wants to stick their head up above the wall and take responsibility. The stack ranking system there is ridiculous and forces out people who should be kept.

In stack ranking, if you have a team of 10 people, the bottom two get canned at review time no matter how good they are. Often the bottom two are better than the higher-ranked suck-ups, who are simply more adept at brown nosing the managers who do the rankings.

My last position there was with the Infrastructure Security Team for Azure Cloud Services. I quit after several months and never looked back. I just walked out one day in disgust. That was several years ago and it was the best decision I ever made. My next job paid nearly twice as much for less work and a far, far better working environment.

So yeah, it comes as no surprise to me that the patches and updates cause as much trouble as whatever it is they purport to fix.

As for me, I'm never going back to Microsoft, never. But I admit I get a lot of pleasure telling them "No" over and over, lol.