Windows Update Messed Up My Computer (KB3021674 is the cause)

Kurtis - hi

It's been a busy day in the updates section - you were already at the foot of page 2 when I picked this up! The greatest concern here is that you were unable to achieve anything with system restore...

Could you just clarify - Did SR complete but not make any difference?...or did it fail to work completely?

Usually when something like this happens linked to updates it is a symptom of something else being wrong rather than the updates themselves. Give us the system restore details and hopefully this will be picked up by one of the experts. It would also be useful to mention in your response what virus and malware protection you have installed, and if you use a particular registry cleaner.

Best - R

Kurtis

System Restore is not usually the best way to fix the type of problem you have.

Please provide a copy of your System Information file. Type System Information in the Search Box above the start Button and press the ENTER key (alternative is Select Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, System Information). Select File, Export and give the file a name noting where it is located. Do not place the cursor within the body of the report before exporting the file. The system creates a new System Information file each time system information is accessed. You need to allow a minute or two for the file to be fully populated before exporting a copy. Please upload the file to your OneDrive, share with everyone and post a link here. Reports in normal mode preferred. Please say if the report has been obtained in safe mode.

Please upload and share with everyone copies of your System and Application logs from your Event Viewer to your OneDrive and post a link here.

To access the System log select Start, Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Event Viewer, from the list in the left side of the window expand Windows Logs and select System. Place the cursor on System, select Action from the Menu and Save All Events as (the default evtx file type) and give the file a name. Do the same for the Applications log. Do not provide filtered files. Do not place the cursor in the list of reports before selecting Action from the menu. Do not clear logs whilst you have a continuing problem.

For help with OneDrive see paragraph 9.3:
http://www.gerryscomputertips.co.uk/MicrosoftCommunity1.htm

General notes on Event Viewer
http://www.gerryscomputertips.co.uk/syserrors5.htm

I uninstalled update 3021674 and it worked. Everything went back to normal. I then tried to reinstall the update but no luck, same problems. I have now marked that update as hidden so it won't automatically download. Is that a good idea since it's a security update? I don't know. Turns out that my girlfriends computer had the same problems so i uninstalled the update and it works fine now. I wonder what security issues that update addressed. Thanks for the help FrantisekK.

Hi --- Yes I have the same problem and it is KB3021674 causing the problem. It took me 2 hours to figure out which one it was. I have a Win 7 Pro 32bit machine that had the problem. The icons were not in the tray anymore, Firefox kept asking me to make it the default browser and my associations were all screwed up. Once I uninstalled it all the problems went away. I hid it also. What's the story here. I also see that people with Win 8 are also having the same problem.

Bill

I don't know why my response from the original thread was split, and this separate thread was created:

"KB3021674 fails to install"
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-windows_update/kb3021674-fails-to-install/ceca87a6-90c1-4c1f-9c28-dd6c2a0954d5?rtAction=1421537626550

The update did not FAIL to install.  Nowhere in my post did I say that the update failed to install. Don't know why someone took it upon themselves to move my post and create an entirely new thread called  "KB3021674 fails to install" based on the description of the problem that I gave.

So I'll join in here again to reiterate what others here are experienceing:

The update did not FAIL to install. It installed. And then created the following problem that many others on the original thread are experiencing. Namely:
Windows which I have at a certain size and placement, default to the middle of the screen now with the wrong size. It won't remember my size and placement now.

After narrowing it down by restoring my system and downloading and installing each of today's updates , I narrowed it down to (KB3021674).

Basically, this update breaks the memory of the default windows size. Only after system restoring to before KB3021674 do my windows open to the normal size. It took a while to narrow it down to that update, as a number of other updates were downloaded and installed in addition to that one on that particular day.

So... anyone have an answer as to why this update breaks the windows size memory?

For now I have that update hidden so I don't mistakenly download it again.

So, to repeat:
KB3021674 does something that makes Windows Explorer windows not remember size and position. Windows open small and centered on the screen. After dragging the edges to make them fill the screen and closing them and then reopening, they do not maintain the last known size. The size reverts back to small and centered.

Do you know if you've installed any third party desktop tool?

Would someone be willing to let me open a support case on your behalf?  If so email me at susan-at- msmvps.com (change the -at- to @) so we can get this officially investigated.