Startup Problems

Truthfully, I'd first go back to the working restore point. Next I'd turn off automatic updates.
Now in Control Panel, check for updates and see what is offered. Post the updates listed. Since we have four Windows 7 computers in the house (three Home Premium and one Pro), I have notes on the updates for each month.

You might be able to install some updates, hide any troublesome ones and get the computer working without going all the way back to factory conditions.

Also if the computer works, before you shut it down at the end of the day, manually create a restore point. That way you do not have to keep redoing the same updates.

I'd also like to see what is running in startup. It could be something loading in normal mode that when not allowed to load will make the computer work properly as it does in safe mode.

 

120 updates - no need to list all those. If you had to go back over a year, I'd first do the updates from 2014. Each update should have a date when you highlight it and check the information in the right hand column.
Reboot and see if the computer works properly.

If it does, look over the updates and do the ones from January 2015. Reboot and again check. Then tackle February 2015.
January had about 5 updates and February had 8 updates.

Before you shut down, create a restore point IF the computer seems to be okay.

Then tomorrow, tackle March and April's updates. March had about 11 and April had 10 but my notes said I hid 2990214 because it has to do with Windows 10.

Post back if you get through April and how the computer is behaving and I will continue with how many updates each month.

Since there was an update for IE almost every month and 890830 each month, you might now see as many updates as I list. Once 890830 runs the most recent, you won't see it offered for all the previous months.

 

I'll look this over but it probably will not be until tomorrow evening or Saturday.

 

First, under other updates, unless you intend to upgrade to 10, hide 3035583.
Next, I hid 3107998 because the blurb says it is for Lenovo computers. I don't own a Lenovo . This wouldn't be the first time MS served me something that I thought was wrong for my computer. If the computer is not Lenovo, right click it and hide it.

Next, you can install all the checked .NET updates as well as the first and last item in the list of 24 items under Windows 7: 3104002 for IE 11 and 89083 malicious malware removal tool for December. (Don't worry about the unchecked .NET 4.5.2 because you probably do not have that installed yet. We can tackle that after all the other updates are installed.)

This will take time so do it when you can turn on the computer, indicate the 6 items to update and walk away while the computer works.

If it wants a reboot when done, do so.

The next batch to tackle is the 19 Office updates. I don't run 2010 but I do have Office Home and Student edition installed on an XP computer. I have been downloading and installing all the updates MS offers for months and I haven't had a problem on the XP computer.

 

Now, aside from the .NET 4.5.2 update, there should be 15 updates left, if I counted correctly.
12 that say Security and 3 that say other with one of those unchecked.

Uncheck 3081320 and 3101246. My notes say that those two updates have been superceded by 3101746. I suspect if you install 3101746, the other two updates you unchecked may disappear. It is worth trying.

The 10 remaining checked Security updates are okay to install. I installed all of them in November or December on our four Windows 7 computers.

When you reboot, hopefully you have 4 updates left: 2901983, 3102429, 3112148 and 3112343. The first two perhaps still unchecked. Do 3112148 and 3112343.

I just uninstalled 3102429 on the Win 7 computer, the only one of the four that it was offered. A newsletter I receive on a Thursday mentioned yesterday that if you run the program Crystal Reports. I don't run that but I may in the future and don't need an additional headache. So I uninstalled it then hid it. Hide 3102429.

The last .NET 4.5.2 update is up to you. I don't have this version of .NET installed on some of our computers. If you install it, chances are good that when you check for updates, you will be offered more to protect this new version of .NET installed.

 

I hid 3045645 from May. It was only shown again one the Pro version of 7. It is probably in the optionals on the other three.
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Micr...k-on-Configuring-Windows-Updates-481262.shtml

So if you want do the .NET 4.5.2 but hide the 3045645 with the last 2 remaining updates.

I rarely do optional updates. On the first four under optional do not install. Those are driver updates. I don't trust MS to do any driver updates!

I don't have Skype installed. So unless you use it, forget about installing that.

Which brings us down to 4 remaining optional updates. Let me do some hunting to see what I can find. I will get beck to you on the last 4.

As far as the blue circle aside of the cursor, this shows the computer is working. If everything else works fine, don't worry about it. My husband's Dell Win 7 Pro desktop has the hard drive constantly working. I haven't a clue what it is doing after researching it. So when I work on his computer, I've learned to ignore it.

 

Forget 2574819 and 2592687 both from October 2012. I've read reports of problems. Here is one thread
community.norton.com/en/forums/two-optional-updates-windows-7-sp1

Skip 2830477, re-released in Feb. 2014, because apparently there is an order to install things in which includes the first two optional updates I told you to skip.
msdn.com/b/rds/archive/2013/11/12/remote-desktop-protocol-8-1-update-for-windows-7-sp1-released-to-web.aspx?WT.mc_id=Social_TW_OutgoingAnnouncements_Fri Nov 15 22:05:31 GMT 2013_30749254_windowsserver

Skip 3080079 from Sept. 2015. I'm reading failures to install on some computers. You don't need an additional headache.


For what it's worth, the Win 7 Home Prem. 32 bit computer I'm on has 65 optional updates. The four I've told you to skip are sitting in the optional updates section and I don't have problems with the computer by not installing them.

I checked my netbook, also Win 7 Home Premium but 64 bit with 45 optional updates and those 4 are also in there. I have had no problems with my netbook.

 

Happy Holidays and enjoy your computer that seems to be working well. I'm glad that blue circle is now gone!

If you have time, learn how to make images. I image four computers once a month after I do Windows updates and the computers seem to be working well. If something goes wrong in between, it takes less time to restore the last image than to try and figure out what fouled up the computer.

 

If your hard drive dies, all a backup has is your files. You'd need to install Windows from scratch and then install a few years of updates! You also need to install all the programs you've added along the way. If you removed some of the bloatware that was on the computer when it was new, you'd need to again remove that. That's not something I'd want to do again.

Backups collect a few files; an Image collects EVERYTHING.

 

Since we don't store files on our computers, we don't do backups. If your files are important, you might need to back then up daily. We store at least 2 copies of important files off the computer.

I image our four Windows 7 computers once a month, right after I do the windows updates. Then I start a note card for changes made since the image.

I made images on Dec. 10th. My notes say: FF ESR was updated to 38.5 and 38.5.1, SpywareBlaster has a new version 5.4 and flash was updated to 20.0.0.267.
So if I need to restore the last image on any of the computers, I'll then update the items above before I do anything else.