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Posted on 05/23/2018 3:07:09 PM PDT by dayglored
[Dayglored note: This problem report involves AVAST! antivirus breaking the April Update. AVAST personnel deny the claim...]
Apps fingered in vanishing desktop snafu
Updated The troubled Windows 10 April 2018 update is facing another issue, with some users losing access to their desktop after installing the new code.
The problem, which first appeared in a posting on a Microsoft support forum on 14 May, has gained a bit of traction over the last two days with users taking to social media as they go through the three stages of installing this update: frustration, fury and despair.
The affected users report that after accepting the request to "restart and install" Windows 10 and waiting the requisite hour or so for the update do its stuff, users can find themselves staring at a blank desktop with no icons. An alarming message stating that the Desktop file could not be accessed is then shown.
The error suggests that something fishy has happened at a system file level.
The Register spoke to Computer Cellar, an independent computer repair outfit in Durham, North Carolina, which took to Reddit to point the finger at the Avast antivirus application after spotting what appeared to be a commonality in the wave of complaints. The shop recommended that uninstalling the AV tool would likely be a good idea before letting the April 2018 Update loose on a working copy of Windows 10.
Afflicted users have found that none of the Windows 10 built-in repair options deal with the issue and have had to resort to creating a fresh install of the operating system. Microsoft helpfully provides a tool to do this very thing, although you will need a working PC on hand to make it work – something that might be a problem if your only PC has been borked.
Antivirus tools have long been a bit of a bête noire as far as Windows 10 has been concerned, with Microsoft chastising some vendors for making naughty calls to places where they shouldn't in the Windows kernel. Redmond also attracted the ire of Kaspersky for allegedly removing third-party antivirus software during updates – before the antivirus company backed down in August 2017.
While the issue is relatively widespread, it does not appear to affect a catastrophic number of users. Windows 10 users who have already successfully installed the update are not affected.
The Register asked Microsoft to discuss the matter and was told it is probing the situation. We also requested a comment from Avast. ®
A spokesperson for Avast told El Reg:
"We have tested this and couldn't identify any problems affecting Avast Antivirus consumer users specifically. Online user comments show that many are unfortunately experiencing problems updating to Windows 10 ‘1803’. We cannot rule out that a small number of Avast users may be having difficulties updating, too, but we don't see any indications that this is caused by Avast."
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...But then, I don’t use AVAST! ...
Too late. Update zapped my archived e-mails we an error message kept popping up.
.
Annoying that MS forces you to reenter your password and pin as if it were a brand new installation. I had to look it up and of course it defaults to the pin or your MS user name and not your local user account name. No, I don't want to use my MS account name on my local network.
Also, you might have to remove some software to allow the update to go forward. I had to delete some software on my son's computer.
All of the automatic functions like first word capitalization, auto-correct, word use prediction - have been turned off.
I've triple checked the settings, and they're all turned on.
I'm completely baffled.
I absolutely abhor Windows 10. Every update breaks my sound and requires doing that over. It keeps rearranging my desktop icons randomly overriding the option I set and it keeps installing some file that uses 100% CPU and I have to disable.
The only upgrade I can see from Win7 to Win10 is increased loss of privacy and increased frustration.
Can you uninstall and reinstall the touchscreen software? Or maybe there is a newer version of the touchscreen software?
I don’t want apps on my computer. I want software programs.
Eventually, I’ll have to upgrade to Linux to do that, it appears.
Never had a problem with an update. Just miss knowing what’s going on.
The Window system is a “nlack boc” now, but no problems.
Privacy> app permissions = everything was turned on. Turned all off and works fine.
The April update also created disk full errors. People should really hold off on updating until this is fixed.
When I get a PC with Win10 installed, I replace it with Win7 - sometimes Win8.1. Win10 is a dumbed-down, royal PITA disaster version of the Windows OS.
“I’ll have to upgrade to Linux to do that, it appears.”
—
I’m already pretty much switched over, using Linux most the time. Used to love Linux Mint, but now I’m hearting Xubuntu Linux instead.
But it’s not April yet.
Wow. That problem is worthy of a thread of its own.
“Can you uninstall and reinstall the touchscreen software?”
—
If you know the name of the program you should be able to remove it. You should check your device’s manufacturer site for any updated version of the it. You’d be looking in for a “driver”, most likely, if it’s a Windows machine you use.
Windows has a history of problematic updates.
That is one of the reasons I have resisted jumping on the Win10 bandwagon. I did purchase a Win10 tablet a couple of months ago to start getting familiar with it.
[So far, I still hate Win10 — it is frustrating to try to do simple task. Maybe it is the tablet, but when I move the arrow with the mousepad, all applications minimize to the taskbar.]
I do notice occasionally the tablet seems to go to sleep, even though I have all of the ‘do not sleep’ controls set. Usually, the culprit is a Win10 auto-update that apparently tried to restart the machine and failed. So far, I have been able to get the tablet to reload — after several tries of pushing and holding the on/off switch and opening & closing the tablet.
I still use the Win7 desktop and laptop for real productivity. I also have a Linux Mint I a play around with. [Linux does not support FoxSportsGo but it does support NBCSportsGo. Linux is still frustrating. Just recently one of their upgrades slowed the internet connectivity significantly, but a later update seems to have corrected that now.]
#7 You can at least install Iconoid to remember the icon positions. You arrange them then right click and Manage and remember. If they are thrown around the screen then right click and Manage and Restore.
Mine keeps wanting to update but cannot complete.
Driving me crazy.
My CPU fan went out two years ago so now it won’t restart
without pressing f1. otherwise computer works just fine.
Iconoid
http://www.sillysot.com
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