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."
I have four machines running Windows 10 Pro. All were updated with the latest updates, all running just fine.
I think there is a difference between ‘software’ and ‘an app’. Software runs on your computer, and you have a higher level of control (in many cases, an ability to block updates or unwanted changes). An app enables you to access their servers, and they have full control and can change it without you being able to do anything about it.
Appreciate it. Thanks.
Mine, too. Had to take it to have it fixed, and they had no problem with it. Of course, all data gone.
Yeah, for email with most freebie providers you are the product.
Either a paid private account or a good free one is the best way to go, e.g. free private email -
https://protonmail.com
“I think there is a difference between ‘software’ and ‘an app’. “
—
Yup. Real men use ‘software’ or ‘programs’, the boys use ‘apps’.
:D
The update caused Xcel in Microsoft office to be useless. When entering a figure in a field and tabbing to the next position I am returned to the desktop. Looked online for a way to solve the problem but found none. Thanks Microsoft!
AVG went cuckoo lately too. It turned off and messed up drivers. I had to switch to Malwarebytes.
Yeah. I also remembered that after I posted.
*DOH*!!!
Been there, done that.
I bet dollars to doughnuts that it came up in the admin account by default and not the user account he was expecting.
Switch to the correct user account.
Yeah, if you go to hotmail.com , you get MSN Outlook instead. Don’t look behind that curtain!!!
Precisely why I'm still using Win 7 Pro 64.
That looks interesting! Will check it out more thoroughly when I have a little more time. Thank you so much.
1 week ago when they rolled out the Tuesday updates, my PC was set to auto-install.
Their infernal update bricked my system. It would not boot.
By pure chance I did a cloning backup 3 days before, so I cloned the clone to the non-booting system drive and I was back in business (4 hours later).
My first order of business was to turn off updates.
Don’t they check this crap before releasing it?
Software is anything that can give instructions for your computer to carry out. App is short for application which is short for application software and here we are.
All the ‘apps’ you can download for your smart phone are applications or application software. Isn’t saying “Look at my new App,” cooler than saying “Look at my new application software?”
After the recent W10 upgrade, my Dragon Naturally Speaking voice to text software quit working. Now I get the message “the microphone is not responding”
I have Avast on my PC.
I updated to 1803.
I have had no problems.
Yur welcome - And it’s a freebie. Tho, if a person is a power user dealing with a heavy volume of email, they have a paid version with more features.
Do you have the free version or the paid one?
I have the free version.
I also have Malwarebytes
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