2014-06-18, 09:48 AM
Ever since the April Patch Tuesday - like countless others I have been having serious install and stability issues on my HTPC.
First problem, the 2.3 mb update from the MSDN early release refused to install - after trying various proffered fixes from the net, the pc gave up and refused to boot into windows.
Second problem, reinstalling Windows 8 + updates then 8.1 + updates left me pre update 1 and still would not install the now 130+mb update. :eek:
Next found out how to get 8.1 Install Media from Microsoft http://www.howtogeek.com/187525/how-to-p...ows-8-key/
Installed telling windows not to install updates then downloaded and installed the one prerequisite update and all the update 1 updates in the order stated in this post http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Foru...server8gen
At last I thought success - But over the next few days Windows was becoming more and more unstable with several hard crashes or going into Zombie mode, causing disk errors and unrepairable SFC errors.
Several more installs always ended the same - Memory checked out OK, Disk checked OK, Windows installed OK, then slowly died over the next week or two.
Last week I found the problem - I hope.
After an "in-place" install Windows Maintenance kicked in as I was on the desktop. After about 5 mins the CPU temperature started to rise above the "normal" 65-70 C that Core Temp shows (this is one of the AMD Dual core CPU's that have dodgy thermistors) after a minute it reached 95C then in a few seconds started shooting up (Guess that's thermal runaway) to 130C where the PC tripped.
On opening up the lid on the PC (Can of Dust Remover in Hand) - Careful inspection revealed, not much dust, but that the Blu-Ray Drive was actually resting on the CPU Cooling Fan (Took me ages to find a short front to back case to fit under the TV - now I know why there aren't more
)
Removed the fan from the cooler and then with the said Hacksaw & Stanley (craft) knife removed about 1/4 inch (6mm for those who have been Metrificated) off one side of the top flange of the Fan. Reinstalled the fan and leaned heavily on the Cooler Retaining Levers. Then ran Computer maintenance with no problems.
The HTPC has been running stable for the last 5 days - I believe that after Windows Updates the Maintenance Program now compresses a lot of unused files to save disc space, which uses 100% CPU for several minutes.
Moral of the story - Microsoft may be **** (insert expletive here) But some things may just be beyond their control.
First problem, the 2.3 mb update from the MSDN early release refused to install - after trying various proffered fixes from the net, the pc gave up and refused to boot into windows.
Second problem, reinstalling Windows 8 + updates then 8.1 + updates left me pre update 1 and still would not install the now 130+mb update. :eek:
Next found out how to get 8.1 Install Media from Microsoft http://www.howtogeek.com/187525/how-to-p...ows-8-key/
Installed telling windows not to install updates then downloaded and installed the one prerequisite update and all the update 1 updates in the order stated in this post http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Foru...server8gen
At last I thought success - But over the next few days Windows was becoming more and more unstable with several hard crashes or going into Zombie mode, causing disk errors and unrepairable SFC errors.
Several more installs always ended the same - Memory checked out OK, Disk checked OK, Windows installed OK, then slowly died over the next week or two.
Last week I found the problem - I hope.
After an "in-place" install Windows Maintenance kicked in as I was on the desktop. After about 5 mins the CPU temperature started to rise above the "normal" 65-70 C that Core Temp shows (this is one of the AMD Dual core CPU's that have dodgy thermistors) after a minute it reached 95C then in a few seconds started shooting up (Guess that's thermal runaway) to 130C where the PC tripped.
On opening up the lid on the PC (Can of Dust Remover in Hand) - Careful inspection revealed, not much dust, but that the Blu-Ray Drive was actually resting on the CPU Cooling Fan (Took me ages to find a short front to back case to fit under the TV - now I know why there aren't more
)Removed the fan from the cooler and then with the said Hacksaw & Stanley (craft) knife removed about 1/4 inch (6mm for those who have been Metrificated) off one side of the top flange of the Fan. Reinstalled the fan and leaned heavily on the Cooler Retaining Levers. Then ran Computer maintenance with no problems.
The HTPC has been running stable for the last 5 days - I believe that after Windows Updates the Maintenance Program now compresses a lot of unused files to save disc space, which uses 100% CPU for several minutes.
Moral of the story - Microsoft may be **** (insert expletive here) But some things may just be beyond their control.
It's not an overly complicated system - it's more - overly simple operatives 
