Windows update last night - laptop not working now

Windowzupdate · 18 May 2018

Hi.. So, my lenovo Z51 was working perfectly, however last night Windows updated and today.. It's not working.

When I turn on the laptop the first error pops up just before I type in my login details.

Ctfmon.exe - sucess
Unknown hard error

I then click OK and it says

Sihost.exe - system warning
Unknown hard error

I then click OK and I can type my username and password and it takes a long time to log in. The most recent try it just continues spinning the welcome message and doesn't log in properly.

My desktop now has no icons, except the recycle bin (which it doesn't let me view) and I cant go in explorer to see my docs etc.(it takes a very long time to log in, and doesn't work every time) The WiFi isn't working, although device manager says it is enabled. I have started in safe mode via msconfig, also disabled all of the start up programs but no change. Explorer.exe isn't running in task manager so I can't exit it and restart it. I can't get into control panel either and do a system restore.
If I click on the start button or right click on the task bar, nothing happens.
I am not hugely techy but I am competent in Windows and have been fiddling around today and can't get it resolved. It's very frustrating that the windows update has done this

Any help would be greatly appreciated as I use the laptop for work.. Doh

Thank you

Clintlgm · 18 May 2018

Well, you'll need to install Lenovo drivers probably one of them has been replaced with a generic Native windows driver that your notebook doesn't like. This is a common problem with MS Updates replacing drivers with windows native drivers, not all notebooks will work on them. Go to device manager and see whats up there, any Yellow explanation install the Lenovo drivers hopefully that will get you going again.
Video driver would be the first suspect, the Wi-Fi, and special keyboard trackpad drivers I've seen Bluetooth drivers cause these issues there usually connected to your WiFi drivers.

rocket777 · 18 May 2018

I'm sorry to hear your system is hosed. Hopefully you will be able to restore your system.

Mine just got hosed after the 1803 upgrade and one more update after that. Fortunately I do image mode backups and was able to go back to the 1709 system from a week ago.

I've got win10 pro so I just set my system to not do the 1803 upgrade again for at least one year. I even stopped the security updates for 30 days.

I don't know how to help you fix your computer. However, assuming you do get it working again, if you are not already doing image mode backups, I would heavily suggest that you get an image mode backup program, an extra external disk or flash drive (at least 64igs) or use a network disk and do image backups.

It's really the only protection against these horrible windows 10 forced updates. If you don't know who to go to, try easeus todo backup - google it. They have free and paid versions. The free version is perhaps one of the best free programs for windows. After all, if you're not backed up, you're toast when something like this happens.

All the best.

dalchina · 19 May 2018

First check your disk as a matter of routine.

Do you know whether an update or the 1803 upgrade was applied?

If the latter, you should be able to see Windows.old - if the upgrade was applied successfully enough.
To check your current build level, you could simply examine the properties of e.g. explorer.exe to see the version number.

If an update (not an upgrade) was applied, you could attempt system restore - if that's on and you have restore points- either by booting your PC from a Windows 10 disk, clicking Repair your computer, and working thru the prompts or as you can boot (sort of) in the usual way.

If you don't already have backups of everything - I assume you do as you use this for work- now's the time.
(Image files created by disk imaging - essential as mentioned above- also act as a full backup - you can mount the images and extract files). We constantly recommend Macrium Reflect (free is usually good enough).

If you have received an upgrade to 1803, the normal case is you have 10 days to restore your previous build. If your disk is ok, and if Windows.old has been created, you may be able to do that.

If successful, start using disk imaging. And protect yourself from unexpected updates and upgrades. (Easy with Pro, threads on blocking Windows update exist- which MS has made more difficult).

Clintlgm · 19 May 2018

rocket777 said:

I'm sorry to hear your system is hosed. Hopefully you will be able to restore your system.

Mine just got hosed after the 1803 upgrade and one more update after that. Fortunately I do image mode backups and was able to go back to the 1709 system from a week ago.

I've got win10 pro so I just set my system to not do the 1803 upgrade again for at least one year. I even stopped the security updates for 30 days.

I don't know how to help you fix your computer. However, assuming you do get it working again, if you are not already doing image mode backups, I would heavily suggest that you get an image mode backup program, an extra external disk or flash drive (at least 64igs) or use a network disk and do image backups.

It's really the only protection against these horrible windows 10 forced updates. If you don't know who to go to, try easeus todo backup - google it. They have free and paid versions. The free version is perhaps one of the best free programs for windows. After all, if you're not backed up, you're toast when something like this happens.

All the best.

except I use and recommend Macrium Reflect Free Also my first reply applies if installing the proprietary driver's doesn't work and you can restore back to 1709 then install all the latest Windows 10 drivers before attempting to install 1803 again. If you haven't I always use the MCT tool to create an Install USB media and run it as an upgrade install sometimes that works better than allowing WU run it. If you Manufacture does not support Windows 10, and many of the older notebooks don't you have to work with the support forum there to see what work around other users have come up with. Personally, the last notebook I had that Asus did not support Windows 10 on I just left on windows 8.1 and my sister is still using it without issues. Others on the Asus ROG forum had found ways to get most things to work on that model on 10 but they were jumping through a lot of hoops and dealing with issue to keep them running 10 so its not impossible but is it worth all the extra time to keep a non compliant computer running 10 it wasn't for me.
Repair Install Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade | Windows 10 Tutorials