Windows Vista updates making my laptop screwy...

Let's get this out of the way:
Dell Inspiron 1520
Seagate 250GB 7200.4 HDD
Intel Core 2 Duo T7250 (2M Cache, 2.00 GHz, 800 MHz FSB)
4GB DDR2 RAM
blah blah blah...

Ok, here's the story (it's gonna be lengthy, but bare with me, please):

A while ago, i was having troubles with my laptop that i couldn't figure out. it wouldnt do a restart, or warm boot. instead, i had to shut it down completely, and then turn it back on whenever it required to simply be restarted. i ran the chkdsk thing, and it failed some of the tests, and several people told me that failing those certain tests meant that my hard drive was failing.

So, i recently bought a new 7200.4 250GB Seagate SATA hard drive. i installed it, installed vista, and updated all the drivers. At this point, it restarted just fine, no problems. However, when it came time to get the automatic updates, after installing them, it wouldn't restart and the exact same problem with my other hard drive is now occuring on this BRAND NEW hard drive.

I did a system restore via the Vista installation disc to before the updates were installed, and it now restarts just fine.

So, my question is: how do i fix this??? I've been told that i need Vista SP1, but i can't actually download it from anywhere but the windows automatic update software, and it haven't found it there yet either. Is there anything i can do? i mean, i can't just never update windows. i need those updates eventually right? is it certain updates that would do that, or is it all of them?

 

Disable windows update from updating drivers. I never trust the MS drivers for my hardware. Just make it do critical updates.

 

ok. i'm assuming the critical updates will be marked as such? or will they be marked important? cause, i currently have 95 apparenlty important updates that it's telling me to install. how do i sift throught the critical and noncritical updates? i've got it so that the windows update only notifys me of updates, but doesn't install them until i tell it to.

 

well, just look for whatever has to do with hardware specific updates such as network cards, chipset drivers, video card drivers, etc. Leave those out.

 

yah, blindly refusing hardware driver updates is good policy, yup, yup

there are known issues with a few recent win7 and vista updates where they FAIL if there are certain known malware infections.

the FIRST thing a user should do it to run multiple malware scanners, make sure their machine is clean, then retry the msft updates a few (say 1/3 of them) at a time.

 

I see. I'll try just that. My antivirus software just finished scanning, and no infection was detected, so i'll try chunk installing the updates, and see where that gets me, and then get back to ya. I also wanted to ask if I do in fact need Vista SP1, and if it will ever become visible via windows update again so if I DO need it, i can install it? Thanks in advance

 

you're NOT on SP1? Yes, you need SP1.

You can ALWAYS manually download the thing directly from msft. Bing search is your friend.

Do that before running a pile of individual patch/fixes.

 

Vista Update on my laptop left WMP the only movie player that can play DVDs. Everything else including VLC and KMPlayer now can not play DVDs.

I never understand the need to do window updates. The system you buy shipped with a working OS. Why not just leave at that? That's what I am gonna to do. I am gonna to do a restore and turn off windows update for good.

 

**major face slap**

 

I thank you all for your advice and suggestions. I'm downloading SP1, and then I'll install SP2, and see where that gets me. Now, however, my harddrive is acting EXACTLY the same as my other harddrive, the one many people told me was failing, blue screen restarts, subpar resolution start-up screens, everything. i hope this service pack does SOMETHING good, or else i might start ripping my hair out! I'll update once both service pack are installed...

 

SP2 includes everything that SP1 has plus more updates.

No need to go SP1 then SP2. Go STRAIGHT to SP2.

 

Well, first of all, this is the first time i've ever had problems with vista, and in hindsight, i remember it starting happening after i wiped my original HDD clean, and then didn't install either service pack, with just updates. As of now, i've installed both service packs, and it restarts just fine. I haven't installed any updates from Windows Update yet. It hasn't done a blue screen shut down, yet either, but it may happen still. It still has the weird resolution start up screens when i shut it down, and then turn it back on. don't really understand why it does that, but it's not really a big deal. I want to get Win7, and maybe i will sooner than i had anticipated if these problems to persist...

 

Thank you for all your advice, rns1016, and everyone else. I really appreciate it. I installed both service packs, and now i've done most of the updates from Windows Update, and it restarts just fine. However, I just got a message saying that the Host Process for Windows had to stop and was closed. I think I will look into getting Win7. I didn't want to have to pay for a new OS, but after everything, I really do think it's time. Quite possibly, there's nothing wrong with my other hard drive, so maybe i'll format, and install Win7 on, that one as well. Haha. Bloody nightmare...

 

Haha. Thanks again! I'll keep ya posted...

 

yup, I had forgotten about the funny way that msft has linked vista sp1 and sp2 together. sorry