Just a Moment... Blue Screen Windows 10 1803 installation

In this case, the answer was to use an older installation (1511) version of Windows 10.  If like me you have read extensively and rambling articles not all relevant to this issue I know how you feel and are just looking for the answer.  That was mine.

If you are interested here is the full story ....

There has been a pc in Lamas HQ this week, Core i7, 4th Generation with a Nvidia 980 Graphics card.  Not a spanking new system but old enough to be settled in.

Failed HDD.

So, I ordered a new HDD.  The existing one was a bit of a strange one.  3T Western Digital Green in a Gaming PC.  I asked if it had been upgraded but no it was the same HDD that was in there when they bought it.

I went to Amazon for a 3T WD blue, but ended up getting a 4T as the price difference was about £5!

My apprentice helped me to dismantle and install the new drive and then put he put the usb in to install Windows.

It all seemed to be installing correctly until it came to setting up the users. It did not ask for user names, it just said

Just a moment ...

With a Blue Screen, Sometimes the window filled the screen; sometimes it was just a windows in the centre of the screen or occasionally it had Network in the top centre.

If I did alt and tab, there was a Microsoft account window which was inaccessible but just "there".

I tried many different fixes, which didn't work.  I googled for more and they did not work either.

I'm not going to list all the things I tried because I would be here all day!

I was able to get a command prompt using Shift F10, but nothing I was able to do in the command line was able to help

Sometimes, it went to this as well...

This problem seems to have been around for a few years, but there are no answers to it and no explanation of the cause of it in any version that I could find.

Microsoft suggest a reset or a reinstallation (or something that needs a working windows environment), but never a "ooh this is what is wrong and here's how you fix it"   Reset or resinstallation are never going to work if you cannot install the operating software in the first place!

Everything about this problem was weird.

I had used the install USB to rescue and reinstall another laptop only a few days beforehand.  So there was apparently nothing wrong with the installation USB.

I had used a Linux mint installation running from USB to check that the other components were working.  I installed the full version to the HDD and got a working copy of Linux Mint booting from the disk not the USB.

What did this mean thou?

I attached the new HDD to a working system and, using the same windows 10 USB I was able to install Windows 10.

So I proved it was possible and that there was nothing wrong with the install USB and the new HDD was working and ok.

By this time the client PC was reduced to running Motherboard, processor, one stick of RAM and onboard, DVI graphics plus a Lamas USB mouse and USB keyboard, both which were nothing special, generic & taking no additional effort!

Well done if you have made it this far!

Windows can create its own installation media as long as the the PC creating the installation media has a valid licence. So recently, in a fit of  something like efficiency, I created a new install USB Windows 10 for 1803 to stop the need for all the updates!

This new version of installation media had worked on other systems but not on this one.

In a desperate effort, I decided to try older installation media.

1511 to be precise.

The installation worked fully right to the desktop and asked me to create not only a user but a password as well.

I was able to get to updates and updated to the most recent version (1803) of Windows so it was fully updated. Put back all the removed components of the PC.

Install anti virus

Update drivers

Install chrome

Finally return it to the client working.

Whilst, I have repaired the PC and got it back working, I'm still wondering why the more recent version didn't work and what was causing the error.

I would be interested to hear if anyone has the same problem and how they were able to fix it.


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Call Blocker - more scams

I had one of those stupid, scammer calls about a call blocker yesterday.  They asked me if I wanted to stop getting marketing calls starting tomorrow (wow, sounds too good to be true!).  I try never to say the word Yes to these people, but I wondered what their angle was going to be. I kept asking "So you are going to give me a call blocker for nothing starting tomorrow."  Yes they told me. I tried asking they same question in several different ways but they were not going to change their script.  I eventually got bored and hung up.

They called back and I recognised the number and gave it to The Network Manager.  They wanted to talk to me and not him...hmm did they think I was the soft touch ... we already know its a scam, still trying to work out their angle. 

They called back this morning still wanting to speak to me, but got The Network Manager instead.  He spoke to them and this is what he said.

Decided to hear them out today to see how the scam works. First they say they work for the 'telephone preference' management'' and do you want to stop nuisance calls. Then they tell you your address details and ask you to confirm they are correct. 

Then they tell you the last time you registered with them the card you used had an expiration date of xxx/xxx and was that card still valid or did you have a new card to use. So there you have it, that's the scam. I got bored at that point and put the phone down.  

---

So that's the scam...getting your bank card details, "Social Engineering", They have all this info so therefore They must be somehow genuine and you will provide all your details  - NOT!!

Oh Really?

I know this is not a new thing, but I was interested to see what this was about,  what they were up to and how they were going to do it.  

phone call scams

Here at Lamas HQ we get some odd phone calls.

Including:

•  the usual Microsoft Technician calling because one of our PCs is infected, which receives either the hang up treatment or I will string them along to see how long I can keep them on the phone with no intention doing as they ask, thus stopping them call someone else.
   
• or will we do a survey and I promise NEVER to call you again (No, you won't, but 6 of the people you sell my details to will!) I did the survey once and gave some absolutely absurd answers.  I'm still getting calls for that name years later, showing that they do sell the details to others or they just don't stop,
• or my pet hate, the silent call or the hangup on voicemail, The other person has cleared - why phone me just to hang up on my voicemail?

None of these calls have been from anyone with any type of british accent. There is usually a long pause and then you hear call centre noises in the background

But I have been getting a new one (new to me, that is!)

A recorded message telling me that my Internet is compromised OH NO!

I should press 1 if my Internet is from BT or 2 if other and I will be connected with a technician straight away.  Our lines are not BT but I pressed 1 and told them in no uncertain terms to take me off their call database and will continue to do that.  

Yes, I know that will not make a single ounce of difference but it makes me feel better!  Or maybe next time I will play along and find out exactly what their game is!

Or maybe if our internet is as slow as it is today I should ask them to fix it!!

Edited to Add:  I have a client who was taken in by this scam.  Please be aware of it.  I know exactly what their game is and it is not funny.  These scammers took a considerable amount of money.  

We need to make more people aware of this.  

1803 update - WiFi Slow

The April Microsoft update is now available.  Update to version 1803.
I have now updated a couple of the Lamas HQ systems, including mine and the Network Managers'.

The systems I have updated so far have happened apparently successfully.  (fingers crossed or your superstition of choice!)

When I say successfully, I mean that the system has done the update and rebooted and then has gone on to work.  No reboot loop or blue screen equivalent, Automatic repair loop or such like.  There are different degrees of successful!

What I have noticed is that my laptop internet connection is slower than a slow thing going slowly.

A major update like this is usually followed by a Disk Clean-up and a driver update and maybe a malware, rootkit and full virus scan to just complete the job.

The Driver update, didn't make any difference.

I found a website that gave some ideas about post 1803 installation but it suggested installing a driver updater that a) gave me exactly one scan then started demanding money to go any further and b) is showing up on Malwarebytes as (Surprise!) a Potentially Unwanted Program!  So it was an Advert rather than an informational piece.

Malware scan found the PuP as above, and the brilliant and marvelous resources on  BlackViper detail the services required to run Windows 10 without any extraneous stuff.

It was still the same after the services check.

The Ethernet adapter works fine and is giving a realistic and proper speed.
An external wifi dongle, once installed and operational, gave a sensible wifi speed.

Lamas HQ systems have a third party security application installed, which includes both AV and Firewall.  So, the Windows Firewall is disabled.

It appears that disabling the Windows Defender Firewall was my error.  Once I changed the Windows Defender Firewall service from Disabled to Manual, my internal WiFi started working as it should giving more than 10mbps closer to 50!

Windows updates again

I recently received a text message from a friend -

Just using XXXs laptop. AV isn’t working. Its saying its snoozed so unprotected. Don’t know whats happened but do you know how to unsnooze it?  AV will not open via the desktop or settings.

I replied to this with my standard "reboot the system and report back" text.  Yep, the old “Turn it off and Turn it on again” routine that IT professionals have been relying on for years.

The reply she sent me a bit later was

 “THAT WORKED. FAB! Thanks xx”

Most of the issues seen recently here at Lamas HQ have been update related.

A Wifi not connecting properly or sound not working.  Minor annoyances which, on their own are not too terrible and may not always be either noticed or dealt with.  Over time this will lead to vulnerabilities.

Current Windows 10 systems are mostly laptops. 

How do you turn off your laptop?

Very often all I do is close the lid at the end of the day, which is not actually turning it off just sending it into hibernation or sleep or suspended (or whatever it is currently named)  Windows 10 does minor updates and these are not obvious until a full reboot is performed.

Perhaps the reason IT pros use the Turn it off and Turn it on again routine is because it still works more often than not and it also brings the system back to normal and allows Windows to sort itself out.  I have noticed that a lot of other service providers use the same thought process.  Freeview tv box, cable tv box, all the service calls all start with turn it off and unplug it for 30 seconds.  Now reboot. 

Windows cannot access Network Drive

We have a network drive and media Server at Lamas HQ and I have had some issues recently trying to access it through File Manager.

This is the error message:

I spoke to the Network Manager several times.  He always suggested rebooting my pc or rebooting the router.  Now this sometimes worked.  Other times it was just an exercise in futility ending in me getting extremely frustrated with things and not being able to access anything on the network.

We had a new QNAP server installed earlier in the year and we blamed it on that to some extent.  However, it was getting more and more frequent and more difficult to resolve.

All the Lamas HQ equipment is running Windows 10 fully up to date, patched and fully AV protected.

Turns out that was the reason for the failure to connect!

I did a Google Search on the error and found this explanation on the QNAP site.

The SMB v1 application that was available prior to the 1709 update, is now not available after the update and that is what is effectively, preventing connection through Windows File Manager.

The answer is to map the drive in File Manager and there should be no further issue.

Click on ThisPC in File manager and there are 2 options

The option Map the Network Drive does just that. The folder you specify is the one that it goes to.

In the example above if you were to map the Company Directory you will be able to see that drive and its content but not the Films or other same level directories.

You will be able to map the different top level directories but  each one will need to be done separately.

The other way to do it is to Add a Network Location.

Follow the onscreen directions and then you will be able to pin this to the quick menu.  This will however allow you to see the whole network drive and not just the mapped drive.

Windows 10 update 1709

Windows update 1709 has been hitting systems recently and in some cases hitting hard.

I am sitting in the workshop on a Saturday evening with not just one, but two systems on the workbench.  Pretty crowded in here at the moment, what with the laptop as well, but what were knees made for if not to perch ones laptop on!

One of the systems updated to 1709 and that was the last thing it did!!

The user account would not work and kept logging into a temporary account.

I backed up all the data and after several futile attempts to fix it without the nuclear option it I had to reset.  Not only that, the reset would only do the "clear everything including trash your data" option!

The second one that arrived on the bench today, was looking like it was going to be the same end result but fortunately, a restore of a previous registry backup worked.

It was presenting with a continuous Attempting Windows Startup Repair, and everything you try just takes you back to Attempting Windows Startup Repair!

This is an explanation and a how to - and as always much more eloquent than I would be.

Here is a You Tube video that gives a really good explanation

The other one I have seen recently is the 0x800706d9 error.

OH NO not the old 0x800706d9 error I hear you cry!

That one means that if you are using a 3rd party firewall you need to activate the deactivated Windows Firewall because it wont work without it.

Enable and start the Windows Firewall in Services, update Windows components, stop and disable the Windows Firewall.  Job done. (this was on the Network Managers Laptop and would have been a red alert if I could have been bothered to change the bulb!
However, I didn't deactivate the other firewall!  It seemed to work ok.)

If I get any further 1709 update errors I will add them and their end results here. 

Black Screen - Android -

The network manager and his devices are not having a particularly good week.

He dropped his (recently repaired) phone on the carpet yesterday.  The screen went black and would not respond to either the buttons or the now black and unresponsive touch screen. We knew it was working as it was vibrating. 

The issue was that the screen was not showing anything so it could not be powered off and on again, following the recognised and traditional IT Troubleshooting procedure and best practice.

The network manager also uses his phone as an alarm.  It starts sounding about 6.45 am.  This morning I came downstairs to the sound of the alarm going off quietly.  It had been wrapped in a tea towel and shoved down the side of the sofa in an attempt to “snooze” or at least quieten it down a bit.

It was at this point I pulled the back off and disconnected the battery. 

(This was not the greatest plan but at the time it was the only way to deal with it. This phone does not have an easily accessible battery.  Fortunately I had a the right sticker to put it back together again).

Later in the day, I took the sim and MicroSD card out and held down the power for a short period of time - about 45 seconds to a minute.  Then reconnected the battery, still not working, checked all the connections. Tried again. 

It worked. The phone either had a loose connection or just needed a random power cycle to fix it.    

It appears that it is a well known thing and is well documented on Google.

Google (FRP) Factory Reset Protocol

I will pretend that I’m not the only one who missed the memo about Googles Factory Reset Protection  and explain all about it.

It all began with The Network Manager and his trusty Hudl earlier in the week.  The Hudl was not charging, so having previous form with this kind of thing I ordered a new charging port for it. I fitted it and bingo, it still did not work.  There were more troubleshooting options, like a new battery, a hammer… but how far to take it.  

So He went off to Argos on Saturday  to get hisself a new tablet.  He had done some research along the lines of What about this one it’s a nice colour or this has got 21gigawatts of flux capacitor power or something like that, I lost interest after about number 75.

We are quite good here at Lamas HQ about passwords, we use password managers and other methods to remind us of passwords and are really quite reliable where passwords are concerned, so I was not overly concerned about the loss of any saved passwords stuck in the depths of the deceased hudl. 

New Tablet arrived amid some ooh shiney new tablet interest and then I went off to peel some spuds or re-tile the bathroom or something. 

He started with the obvious enter your google account details, but the account password was incorrect.  The current password was located and everything continued quietly for a while.  The password was not what I would call a strong one and was duly changed for a more complicated one as befits the level of security required.  This has subsequently been identified and ERROR No 1.

ERROR No 2 was allowing the upgrade of Android from 5.x.thing to 6.0 and 6.0.something else so closely after changing the password

When Android upgrades from one version to another it effectively resets the device.  This means that the Google Account information needs to be input again.  However, if the password has been changed within the last 72 hours it locks the account until the password has been changed for 72 hours rendering the device unusable until that time is up. 

This account protection has been around since at least July 2015 and I have read most of a community support thread spanning some 20 or so months, which contained many many voices saying the same thing,”what on earth has happened and why can’t I access MY device” to paraphrase!  It is to stop Tablets and phones being stolen, reset and sold on, but its a pain in the bum if you are not aware of it.

So :

• If you buy a second hand android device that has not had the previous google account removed, it will be useless.
• Try not to reset/upgrade your device and your google password in the same week.

• Make sure you keep a record of the original account details for your android device.
• If you have to perform a reset on your phone delete the google account from the device.

It appears that in the Network Managers  case the Google FRP only held the account up for 24 hours.  I tried to log in the following afternoon 20 hours post password change and it didn’t work.  At 25 hours post password change it did in fact login and continue the setup as normal.  

Top Antivirus and Security

I get asked a lot by friends and clients what Anti Virus application should they use.  I have a preference - one that works!

I read an article recently in PC Pro Magazine which tested the different AV packages.

The top 2 were Kaspersky and Avast.

Kaspersky is a subscription. Avast is available for free.

Yesterday I was asked the question about AVs by a friend, whose subscription was due for renewal in January at a cost of GBP80.00. She decided that it was more cost effective to change to different package!

I checked on the current prices for her.

Argos are currently the cheapest for Kaspersky,

The other option I mention to anyone who enquires is a lot of the ISPs include a security package.  Virgin Media offer F-Secure, BT and Sky offer a security package powered by McAfee,

PC Pro also offer trial subscriptions in their magazine to some of the Security packages for 3 or 6 months,  These are sometimes useful if you are unsure whether a certain security solution will work for you, without making a financial commitment.  I have tried some of the options and found that they were good, but were not what I was looking for.

Windows 10 Running Slowly and showing errors

A couple of systems recently have landed on the workbench at Lamas HQ, that were recently upgraded to Windows 10 that were just not working right.  No amount of fiddling and fixing made any difference. Each time something was fixed something else showed up

Common to all of the laptops were sudden, extended and repeated hangs.  There was nothing showing up on Anti Virus, Anti Spyware, Rootkit or hardware tests.  They had all developed this issue since the upgrade to Windows 10.

I tried updating all the drivers, checking for OS updates and also running the Tweaking application. The Event View was littered with all kinds of events, errors and warnings, but nothing specific enough to give a clear picture of what the issue was exactly.

The only answer I could find to this irritating issue is a Reset.

From the Settings Menu

A full reinstall of the operating system but it keeps your documents, photos & files, although making sure you have some kind of backup is always a good precaution, but it does get rid of applications and those will need to be reinstalled.

Using Reset This PC with the Keep My Files option does not keep any desktop applications that were installed.  For example, MS Office, Chrome and iTunes would need to be reinstalled, as will your security software and printer.  The reasoning behind this is that it could be one of these applications that caused the issue in the first place.  However, once the reset is finished you will find an icon on your desktop that lists all the applications that were not reinstalled, so that you can make the decision whether you need to reinstall them.

There are many tutorials "how to use Reset for Windows 10". So there isn't one here! highlight the words in quotes, copy and paste into your web browser!