Windows update killed my PC

[StuartR]

Windows update installed a large number of patches this morning, and after the PC had rebooted it discovered one more update, KB3097877, which I allowed it to install.

When the PC rebooted after this one final patch, the display that normally has my main desktop was black - and the desktop had moved to my secondary monitor. I looked in the display settings and couldn't see anything wrong, but one monitor was still just black.

I rebooted the PC in case something strange had happened during system startup, but no luck - the display was still blank.

I checked that all the cables were properly seated, although it didn't seem likely that Windows Update would have dislodged a cable.

Eventually after trying nearly everything else, I checked whether the BIOS could display anything on this monitor, and when it couldn't I turned the monitor off and back on again. That was all it took to fix it!

That was a very irritating waste of time.

[HansV]

Geez...

[Rudi]

Rebooting the monitor! That's a new one...and worth remembering!

[Rebel]

That damned Windows Update strikes again !

[StuartR]

I blame Microsoft

[Claude]

If this would happen to me, I wouldn't blame Microsoft, I'd blame the electricity company.

[stuck]

Woody had something on this issue on the 11th Nov:
http://www.askwoody.com/2015/botched-se ... k-screens/
and an update on 12th Nov:
http://www.askwoody.com/2015/microsoft- ... on-buster/

Both of those links have to Woody's page at InfoWorld that give a bit more background.

Ken

[StuartR]

I don't think it is possible that this patch caused an issue where the BIOS was unable to display on one of my screens Ken.

[stuck]

Agreed but one of the known side effects of KB3097877 is a black screen. Plus, I have come across (Lenovo) monitors that when they go into power save mode can only be woken up again by power cycling them and/or rebooting the (also Lenovo, don't you just love irony?) PC. In other words, perhaps the update killed something in the video driver, which put the monitor to sleep and, despite the reboot, stayed asleep until you power cycled it.

Far fetched perhaps but it is a theory

Ken

[StuartR]

It is certainly at least as credible as my "what a coincidence" theory Ken

[stuck]

I've just re-read your OP, where you explain you're talking about a dual monitor setup but only one was black. That too chimes with what I described. It was only ever one of a pair of monitors would not activate during boot.

As this fits with my preconceived ideas I'll buy my theory rather than your "what a coincidence" one.

Ken