Broken Software Two Strikes and Counting

[gman5250]

For the second time in less than three months, I have had a catastrophic loss of Photoshop layered files after/during a Windows update.

I have become familiar with the sound...I will be working and the CPU begins to rattle and grind. I go in to the Task Manager/Performance and sure enough...Ethernet and C Drive are running WFO, and approaching Myocardial infarction. I sprint back into Photoshop to save the forty plus layer file that I have been working on for weeks and weeks. Progress bar ticks away...file saved.

If I'm lucky, I can re-start the computer, but over the last week I've had as series of blue screen crashes..."Windows Has Run Into A Problem". Twice, I have booted back into "Don't Turn Off Your Computer"...Windows updating again....again....again.

Yesterday morning, I was working on the artwork for the B-26K Counter Invader...specifically "Special Kay". The file is the sacred, parent file for all of the various bump maps, specular files, texture sets for various skins etc. It is the repository of hundreds of hours of meticulous hand painted art.

For the second time in three months, following a Windows update, the precious artwork was reduced to a single red and black "background" layer...a seven hundred thirty five meg "background" layer.





What formerly was a file that produced this, and seven other variants of the K



has been unceremoniously squashed into a useless lump of red and black. The first time it happened, I began from scratch and rebuilt the entire file set. This time...I've had it. I'm not going to do it again. I do have a backup, but that file is the basic fundamentals without the nuance and balance of the variables that help the file match the wings, tails, nacelles and other bits that create the composite airplane.

I am at the redline, leg breaking, steam from my ears level of frustration with these software platforms that prioritize themselves over my best efforts to screen my system from these constant invasions. I know that Windows latest set of suppositories is for 5G network, "Internet of Things" integration...so my right to protect my art, my energy, my time is not a consideration.

Frankly, I'm at the point of abandoning all of this work and opting for a quiet life in the mountains rather than the repeated head smashing I have dealt with over the course of the last seven years. I could go on...but I'm sure you get my point on this matter.

[SiR_RiPPER]

Whoa, that hurts!

I just came through something similar but thankfully the ending was good in my case.

I suggest you sit back, put your legs on a stool and have a glass of scotch. If you can stay like that for more than a week you've had it. If not, you'll pick it up again.

[Sundog]

F****** Windows.

You should calculate all the hours you've put into work lost by these updates, multiplied by the going rate for such work per hour and send an e-mail to MS support asking when you can expect the check from them for all of the work they have cost you. I know they won't do anything, but I would also send it to PC magazines and reviewers of software. I would make sure everyone knew the damage Windows is causing.

I can't believe businesses are putting up with this. I know where I work, all kinds of weird things are happening to our PC's (I'm in engineering) and our IT guy is always trying to figure out why something that was working before suddenly can't boot up, etc. It's always after a WIN10 update that things get broken. I'm lucky though, I have a slightly older PC at work and I'm still on Win7. At this point, I think a class action lawsuit should be brought against MS for all the problems they are causing.

I agree with SiR Ripper, go grab your favorite beverage and sit back awhile; maybe go do some target practice with old windows install CD's.

[Penzoil3]

Use this, it allows you to control those updates !
https://www.oo-software.com/en/shutup10

[lazarus]

Ouch! While I don't use photoshop. I've had a similar derp wipe out weeks of 3D work when the updaters came on and bricked the system.
I finally shut down all the updaters, then physically removed removed the updater utilities, and I never plug the modelling/simming box into the mojo wire. That eliminated 1000% of the aggravation. I expect that even those drastic measures won't help much longer with the rise of AI systems. I can see a day soon where the gunship drone is dispatched from the silicon valley fortress of darkness to destroy those found guilty of non-compliance, or the roomba is remote detonated ( a Boomba?) by the ZuckerburgSchutzStaffle for refusing an update...

[Milton Shupe]

Sorry for your losses Gordon. :-/

I am an old timer, have stayed with Win/XP to avoid such things; that has worked. But of course, can't participate in all the new, fancy, smanzy stuff like you do. :-)

I plan to get brave and update to Win/7 this year since my development activities are slowing down to a crawl. :-)

[txnetcop]

Gordon, I'm not too happy with Win 10 either. While business wise I find it very enjoyable but the latest update caused all kinds of hell. I still use mostly Windows 7 PRO and love it. I don't know if you will be able to do everything you do in Win 7 but I find it very comfortable and stable.
Ted

[padburgess]

My condolences Gordon. Given that your system was working fine prior to "needing" to be updated, why not just turn the updates off. I am running Win7 on my gaming rig and whilst I allowed it to update from the new install to get the latest files, once I had installed my flight sim and it was running fine I nixed the updates.
I keep an eye on it to make sure the system doesn't re-enable them and just use prudence when using the net with that machine. I understand there are times when you may have to allow an update, but most are a waste of bloody time and potentially devastating to your setup and files. If you use the machine as a development tool then YOU should have control over what occurs on it, not bloody Microsoft.

[wombat666]

Shame to see all that hard yakka crushed!
I'm sticking with W7/64Pro for just this type of reason.

[AussieMan]

I cannot understand the problems you people are having. I might get update 3 or 4 times a week but always get a warning pop up in the bottom right hand corner and I can go into the Windows settings and change the time I will accept the update. By doing this I have plenty of time to finish and save what I am doing. I usually change the update time to about midday the next day when I know I have a couple of hour free. By the way it is a complete update I get each time and it usually takes about an hour.

[DaveQ]

I cannot understand the problems you people are having. I might get update 3 or 4 times a week but always get a warning pop up in the bottom right hand corner and I can go into the Windows settings and change the time I will accept the update. By doing this I have plenty of time to finish and save what I am doing. I usually change the update time to about midday the next day when I know I have a couple of hour free. By the way it is a complete update I get each time and it usually takes about an hour.

That's a bit harsh. Systems these days are so complex, and the settings etc. we all have with different levels and ages of software are so diverse, it's inevitable people meet with different problems (I refuse to use euphemisms like 'challenges' or 'issues'!). Gman has my total sympathy.

DaveQ

[gman5250]

I cannot understand the problems you people are having. I might get update 3 or 4 times a week but always get a warning pop up in the bottom right hand corner and I can go into the Windows settings and change the time I will accept the update. By doing this I have plenty of time to finish and save what I am doing. I usually change the update time to about midday the next day when I know I have a couple of hour free. By the way it is a complete update I get each time and it usually takes about an hour.

Not sure why Pat, but I've gone as far as installing a clean HD and OS, tweaking all the settings, installing bullet proof ESET security, using all of the various "blockers" and the rest. I put a lot of time into that, but eventually Windows over rides my preferences and defaults me back to accepting or rejecting updates...no options other than that.

Most times the updates just run without warning, regardless of my settings. Occasionally I get the options at shutdown to update and close, but that is rare.

What I know for sure is that since the last update, I had the problem with the red/black smashed background layer in PS. Properties say it's 735 megs...that's impossible for a 4K texture sheet.

Besides that, P3Dv4 crashes every time I want to change an airplane or scenario. I get one shot, but even then when I try to close P3D the sim crashes and I need to boot out with escape menus or Task Manager.

3D Studio Max boots in to a weird double ghosted screen...
Gmax seems unchanged, but never works well in Win10 anyway...

Arno's software seems OK, so does SiteBuilderX 64-bit.

Personally, I believe it is related to current changes in YouTube, Twitter, Amazon, Google algorithms that have been undergoing some severe mods lately. All of that tweaking, along with MS constantly updating Win10 strikes me as being a formula for disaster for the end user who has no options, other than to live with the new environment...or find something better to do. I'm on the fence with that at the moment.

I'm kind of hoping that someone might have an answer as to why a single 4096x4096 flattened layer in Photoshop adds up to 735 MB in memory, which was the file size prior to losing the 40+ layers of meticulous rivet patterns, rivet highlights, rivet dimples, flush rivets, screw heads, fasteners, panel lines, fabric panels, shadowing, shading, weathering, highlighting, aluminum panels, camo patterns, mapping, baking, overlaying, multiplying, soft lighting, vivid lighting plus the myriad other brush strokes and composite elements that create the various skins, bump maps, custom specular and alpha channels for the multiple dedicated skins in their respective folders.

It's happened twice now for this particular file. In the aggregate, I've lost thousands of hours of work in the last few years. People mention class action lawsuits...it's a great concept, but entirely unlikely in today's business climate.

What I am painfully aware of is that I can talk to my cat, and I get pop ups and click bait for cat food, cat toys, cat beds, cat sensitivity training courses...or I can go to have a look at the North African coastline on Google Earth and I get a slew of travel ads for exciting holiday trips to frickin' Majorca.

Not acceptable.

[pletheron]

Gordon,

I have a friend that had very similar symptoms. It turned out to be a thermal problem due to a botched CPU cooler installation. Have you used RealTemp or another temperature monitor to check for this. It sounds like the windows update is in a sphincter loop which could be caused by memory errors due to thermal issues. I'm not saying that this is what the cause is, just that it's one more thing to check.

Terry

[stansdds]

Welcome to the 21st century, where AI knows more about what you want that you do.

[gman5250]

Gordon,

I have a friend that had very similar symptoms. It turned out to be a thermal problem due to a botched CPU cooler installation. Have you used RealTemp or another temperature monitor to check for this. It sounds like the windows update is in a sphincter loop which could be caused by memory errors due to thermal issues. I'm not saying that this is what the cause is, just that it's one more thing to check.

Terry

Thanks Terry...yeah, I monitor CPU and GPU closely. Both are well within spec, even to the low side of the optimum curve. I don't run overclocks on anything, so I'm always in the comfort zone.

[gray eagle]

Thanks Terry...yeah, I monitor CPU and GPU closely. Both are well within spec, even to the low side of the optimum curve. I don't run overclocks on anything, so I'm always in the comfort zone.

Wonder if the next gen CPU's (Intel) will run Win 7? I've heard that the newer/faster CPU's may not be Win 7 compat. If they were, then would a Win 7 revert help?
Just a thought.

[fliger747]

My main FS computer still runs Win 7 Pro. However for a commercial P3D project I had to buy another newer Win 10 Computer. P3D requires at least Win 7 Sp1 and something in the 7 pro machine won't complete the Sp1 upgrade. Then there is the ever happy XP machine that is not attached to the internet....

My 7 pro computer still has a legacy stand alone photoshop but an attempt to install the subscription version (new cameras) disabled bridge in my legacy copy without installing the subscription version.

You have my sympathy!

[paiken]

I know this may sound like a long shot...but have you tried going to your local Goodwill shop and picking up an older system JUST for Photoshop/GMAX etc and NEVER connecting it to the interweb? Sounds drastic, I know, and perhaps a major PITA to transfer stuff between computers. But consider...a dedicated Win7 box not connected to the universe so MS cannot update your system out of order...again and again. Might be the answer you're looking for and doesn't involve wearing tin foil hats and becoming a hermit.

[mal998]

this may be naive and ill informed but is there any chance of doing a restore to an earlier date?

[docjohnson]

Gordon,

Man, that sucks. I 2nd the use of https://www.oo-software.com/en/shutup10

Had it since I installed Win 10 Professional and had no problems since.

Since my development work is starting to pile up, I'm thinking there is a need to start a real-time backup of work folders, etc. My system has 2 SSDs for work and my backup drives are 2 internal hard drives and one external hard drive (yea I know I'm paranoid). I use AOMEI Backerupper (I think that was a terrible name for a product even if its free) and I have started to set it up to do real-time file sync. Not sure how that's going to affect life sitting in front of the big screen, but I'm going to find out.

There are a number of ways to keep the operating system from blindly installing them without telling you. There are others that involve changing OS settings to limit updates from even downloading until you have time to assess whether or not you want to let it install or not. The one drawback (I think) is that eventually, the OS/Microsoft will force the update. I haven't found a way around that and I do want the security updates to install from time to time.

[gman5250]

this may be naive and ill informed but is there any chance of doing a restore to an earlier date?

I tried that the first time it happened. The file indicates it's holding a ton of data, but I can't find a way back to the layered version once it saved out corrupted.

I run a ton of back up...external storage drives, CD backup...terabytes of secured data. This one came out of nowhere and tanked that fuselage file. The other files are still good...wings...tails...nacelles etc., but the fuse went down the memory hole. I've still got all of the separate .bmp and .dds files. Still have the working files for the sim model as well, so the project is good.

Thing is, I got contacted by the actual team doing the actual Special Kay restoration. I was just starting to consider a hard core VC for the K. I've been watching Kermit Weeks videos on his A-26 restoration...a wealth of information in the high def walk around and cockpit video.

I know myself well enough to realize that I'll fix this file...again. I just want ten minutes in a locked cage with the guy(s) who invent these frickin' hacks.

[Jafo]

I know this may sound like a long shot...but have you tried going to your local Goodwill shop and picking up an older system JUST for Photoshop/GMAX etc and NEVER connecting it to the interweb? Sounds drastic, I know, and perhaps a major PITA to transfer stuff between computers. But consider...a dedicated Win7 box not connected to the universe so MS cannot update your system out of order...again and again. Might be the answer you're looking for and doesn't involve wearing tin foil hats and becoming a hermit.

Win 7 machines can happily remain connected to the net and be made totally immune from being RUINED by MS updates.
Win 10 is the first real generation of OS that MS decided to screw over the user by making it a forced Beta OS leaving you exposed to every potential disaster [sorry...update].

I have 6 machines....all connected to the net...only one is still on Win 7 [ult 64] .... namely the main/principal/newest/most expensive one on which all my graphics/gaming/whatever is done.
None, repeat none of the Win 10 machines is 'mission-critical'.

Anyone/everyone forced to be on Win 10 needs to Google solutions to forced-updates-by-MS.... just for your own sanity/peace of mind...

[Jafo]

Re backups.....
Every night at 2am I have True Image make an incremental image of the OS drive, and also of the 'H' drive on which my FSX is installed. These are backed to a separate drive.
Weekly they are redundantly-backed to a second backup using 'Syncback'....a freeware [but very good] backup software.

Every day individual folders are incrementally backed to yet another drive, one of those is the FSX install yet again, but also emails/work/etc.

Once a month or so all of that is backed yet again to an external SSD which resides in a fire safe.
There is a very good reason my computer has 6 physical HDs....8 partitions....and 3 externals....

[n4gix]

At Milviz we have a DropBox account where all of our team members work is backed up in real time. If I save a file in my local DB folder, it is immediately uploaded to DB, and sent to all team members' local DB folders at the same time. This provides multiple redundancy. This way, if any team member is disabled or deceased, none of that person's work is lost.

In addition to that, I have an 4TB NAS that stores any updated files instantly. Every night a full backup of my dev computer is made so I can quickly do a full restore if it's ever needed.

One can never be "too safe" IMHO.

[Dimus]

I also recently bought a NAS at home and backup my development data folder automatically. Never had any losses so far but I feel safer now.

Gordon, take some time off to cool down and start again whenever you feel up to it.