I’ve found that Windows updates often are examples of the cure being worse than the disease. Accordingly, I’ve configured Windows Updates not to install automatically. Rather, I install the updates manually.

Weekend are when I do routine housecleaning; on my computers that is. I decided it was time to update one of my Tablet PCs. I went to Windows Update. I chose the updates that seemed important. They installed. I was prompted to restart. I did. The tablet rebooted. On startup, I saw a configuring updates screen like the picture.

So far so normal. The percentage went to 95%. The tablet rebooted. Then history repeated itself. Again, and again, and again. Like the movie Groundhog Day.

Luckily I have other computers. I googled this issue. There was no shortage of hits. That was comforting; misery loves company. How To: Get Windows Vista SP1 out of “Configuring Updates Stage 3 of 3 0%” infinite loop” was particularly helpful. But perhaps most helpful was Microsoft: The update is not installed successfully, you receive a message, and the computer restarts when you try to install an update in Windows Vista. This is only fair since Microsoft caused the problem. I used Method 2. However, some desperate souls have had to resort to Method 3. Whatever works.

I just love Vista … in my rear view mirror. Can’t wait until Windows 7.

Ed Bott’s Microsoft Report tells us about Microsoft’s upcoming $300 million ad campaign to restore Vista’s image, tarnished by Apple’s “I’m a Mac, I’m a PC” ads and … well, user experience with Vista.

At least Microsoft isn’t totally in denial. It’s Windows Vista: Look how far we’ve come starts with the admission “we know a few of you were disappointed by your early encounter.” But a “few”? Well, admitting you have a problem is the first step of a 12 step program.

However, Vista’s issues won’t be solved by a marketing program. Microsoft has to fix the issues, and then get the word out, in that order. Service Pack 1 was a start, but certainly not the finish. James Kendrick of jkOnTheRun agrees:

“I routinely see slow resumption from sleep mode, long disk thrashing running Outlook (another Microsoft product), and even worse occasional system crashes while a system is sleeping in a dock.  I am convinced that it’s going to take more than an expensive ad campaign to fix what’s wrong with Vista.  Customer misconceptions can be redirected but not when they are based on fact.  In the case of Vista the earth really is flat.”

I’d like to hear Microsoft’s road map to fix remaining Vista issues. In the meantime, at the network I manage, as far as Vista is concerned, to quote our Governator, hasta la Vista, baby!