I knew that support for Windows 7 had stopped but finally submitted to the constant badgering about "updating" drivers and support modules. I selected the option to "DOWNLOAD but NOT install", but then the dam started to leak: My HP laptop battery condition message flashed about "90% full but not charging". A few suggested ideas from the web made me power down and start from cold. That's when the computer went to full 100% cpu utilization on restart and ran VERY slowly, almost useless.
Turns out it was downloading and the last 6 months of "upgrades" and installing them. Well that took about 12 hours. When it was done, it powered down completely by itself. When I restarted it, I got the message about "Installing Updates and Don't turn off or power down the computer". First of 6 updates took 10 minutes, then 3 and 4 within an hour. But number 5 took more that 12 hours to complete. When it was all done, Windows appeared, asked for my laptop ID and appeared to be normal. Then I noticed that my sound/audio service was inop as well as ALL wireless and Ethernet connectivity was "disabled". Also no virus or firewall services were running (or able to run), no backup restore was working and all messages and information suggested that either a major hack and malicious software attack had occurred. drivers were missing or inoperative, Chrome would not start, and a few other bad omens appeared: No free memory available.
I was bothered by the "services disabled" messages that constantly appeared. That led me to believe that a major hardware failure had occurred. While pawing thru the list of problems, I was ready to junk out the laptop.
In the meantime, I wheeled out my previous laptop (from the barn, no less) and fired it up. Worked perfectly with all features, including wireless and Ethernet services. (Funny: my ATT Uverse Access Point has only a G speed radio. but I've had a NetGear N router plugged into it and I've had 150 Mbps wireless transfer working just fine). Then I looked for help with causes of these messages on the web using the old laptop. Best suggestion: run "services.msc" to see what's running and on Automatic, Automatic (delayed) manual and DISABLED.
Next thing was to change the Audio service from "disabled" to "automatic" on the sick machine and the Sound system turned on, wrong driver, but I was able to switch it from super wizzband to laptop speakers and microphone. Now I had sound.
When I looked at the entire list of services on the sicko versus the healthy machine, over half of the services on the sick machine were "disabled". So, went thru the whole list and when I found the automatic or manual start services on the good machine and the same service disabled on the sicko, I changed them to match.
Then I restarted the sicko and after a minute of so, it came up, prompted me for the password, and after a few moments it woke up, asked for a steak and a beer, and acted pretty normal. I noticed that my NetGear Network name was not something I recognized, but the SSID was correct. I changed the name to my own flavor, and now it's all working as if nothing happened. Chrome, Powerpoint, Matlab, Excel, DOS and even my VDOS 16bit emulator are working just fine. And my failed battery? It's now charged up to 100% and no warnings.
All I can recommend is backup externally (I use a 128 GB thumb drive), be familiar with Windows repairs and investigation tools, and DON"T go for the Windows Update services badgering (you can DISABLE IT !!!).
Turns out it was downloading and the last 6 months of "upgrades" and installing them. Well that took about 12 hours. When it was done, it powered down completely by itself. When I restarted it, I got the message about "Installing Updates and Don't turn off or power down the computer". First of 6 updates took 10 minutes, then 3 and 4 within an hour. But number 5 took more that 12 hours to complete. When it was all done, Windows appeared, asked for my laptop ID and appeared to be normal. Then I noticed that my sound/audio service was inop as well as ALL wireless and Ethernet connectivity was "disabled". Also no virus or firewall services were running (or able to run), no backup restore was working and all messages and information suggested that either a major hack and malicious software attack had occurred. drivers were missing or inoperative, Chrome would not start, and a few other bad omens appeared: No free memory available.
I was bothered by the "services disabled" messages that constantly appeared. That led me to believe that a major hardware failure had occurred. While pawing thru the list of problems, I was ready to junk out the laptop.
In the meantime, I wheeled out my previous laptop (from the barn, no less) and fired it up. Worked perfectly with all features, including wireless and Ethernet services. (Funny: my ATT Uverse Access Point has only a G speed radio. but I've had a NetGear N router plugged into it and I've had 150 Mbps wireless transfer working just fine). Then I looked for help with causes of these messages on the web using the old laptop. Best suggestion: run "services.msc" to see what's running and on Automatic, Automatic (delayed) manual and DISABLED.
Next thing was to change the Audio service from "disabled" to "automatic" on the sick machine and the Sound system turned on, wrong driver, but I was able to switch it from super wizzband to laptop speakers and microphone. Now I had sound.
When I looked at the entire list of services on the sicko versus the healthy machine, over half of the services on the sick machine were "disabled". So, went thru the whole list and when I found the automatic or manual start services on the good machine and the same service disabled on the sicko, I changed them to match.
Then I restarted the sicko and after a minute of so, it came up, prompted me for the password, and after a few moments it woke up, asked for a steak and a beer, and acted pretty normal. I noticed that my NetGear Network name was not something I recognized, but the SSID was correct. I changed the name to my own flavor, and now it's all working as if nothing happened. Chrome, Powerpoint, Matlab, Excel, DOS and even my VDOS 16bit emulator are working just fine. And my failed battery? It's now charged up to 100% and no warnings.
All I can recommend is backup externally (I use a 128 GB thumb drive), be familiar with Windows repairs and investigation tools, and DON"T go for the Windows Update services badgering (you can DISABLE IT !!!).
