(Like many of my technology postings, this is really here for my own notes on problems I run into, the solutions I try and what works when. They are updated as I learn.)

EDIT:  5.25.18:  Yeah, it was CASSIE all along.

EDIT 6.27.17:   This solution does not work.  Onward…

 

Once upon a time, at my job we were encouraged to use a program called Update Freezer for the public use computers.  The program was simple enough, install it and turn it on and you could disable the updates for all the major programs (Adobe, Chrome, Firefox, Apple, Windows) .  It worked well enough but honestly I didn’t find it any quicker or easier than manually updating the computers.

As Windows 10 came along, we abandoned Update Freezer but not entirely it seems.  Enough of the remnants of the program remained to cause future updating problems.

The biggest problem was Firefox.  Every time a patron tried to open Firefox, they were asked if they want to import settings from another browser.  The Search Engine, Home page and History rules would never stay.  Now re-installing Update Freezer, enabling all the updates and uninstalling Update Freezer, sometimes more than once, fixed everything else. Firefox would not play nice.  I tried uninstalling Firefox with Revo Uninstaller and re-installing it but the same problems occured.

Turns out there is a Javascript in the Firefox installation that needed to be gotten rid of.  One would think that a Revo Uninstallation would take care of that.  So after re-installing, click on the menu icon and then Help.  In the first section, click Open Folder.  Find any Javascripts with the words perfs in it.  Delete them.  Restart Firefox.  Firefox will rebuild that perfs script and you can customize away.

(Like many of my technology postings, this is really here for my own notes on problems I run into, the solutions I try and what works when. They are updated as I learn.)

• Open the Keychain Access app.
• Select "System Roots" keychain.
• Search for the issuing certificate authority.
• View the certificate details (double click, expand the "Trust" area of the view window).
• In my case, the trust rule was: "When using this certificate, ".
• I changed it to "Always Trust", closed Keychain Access (after entering my admin password) and the page loaded.
• Not wanting to leave it in a less secure mode, I used Keychain Access again and switched it back to "Use System Defaults".
• Problem solved, no relaxation of security parameters.

(Like many of my technology postings, this is really here for my own notes on problems I run into, the solutions I try and what works when. They are updated as I learn.)

Not through the fault of too many bad passcodes, just started like this after update and reboot.

Turned off ipad (all the way)

Held down Home button while plugging ipad into computer.  Released Home button when “Itunes” icon showed.

Itunes asked to restore. Said yes.

 

(Like many of my technology postings, this is really here for my own notes on problems I run into, the solutions I try and what works when. They are updated as I learn.)

10.18.17  Again an error during updates. 

Tried a SFC /SCANNOW to troubleshoot missing or corrupted system files on Windows .

a. Press Windows + X key and click Command Prompt (Admin).

b. Type the command: sfc /scannow and press Enter.

c. Restart the computer and check.

Didn’t work.

 

Just a note.  I seem to have less long term problems with apps and software in Windows 10 if I install everything "As Administrator".  Just let them know who you are. 

(Like many of my technology postings, this is really here for my own notes on problems I run into, the solutions I try and what works when. They are updated as I learn.)

Make sure that an update is not currently being performed. You can check this by right-clicking the Sophos shield in the system tray of the taskbar and ensuring 'View updating status' is grayed out and cannot be selected. 

Open Windows services (Start | Run | Type: services.msc | Press return), right-click on the 'Sophos AutoUpdate Service' and select 'Stop'1.

Remove the Sophos components in the list below in order. If you cannot find one or more components listed below it may not be installed and you can move on to the next item. You do not have to restart the computer until you have finished the list.  I use Revo Uninstall Portable, in fact I went ahead and purchased the Pro version.  Worth it. 

Sophos Patch Agent
Sophos Compliance Agent (NAC)
Sophos Network Threat Protection
Sophos System Protection
Sophos Client Firewall (SCF)
Sophos Anti-Virus (SAV)
Sophos Remote Management System (RMS)
Sophos Management Communication System (MCS)
Sophos AutoUpdate (SAU)
Sophos SafeGuard components
Sophos Health
Sophos Heartbeat
Sophos Endpoint Defense

6.Restart the computer.

(Like many of my technology postings, this is really here for my own notes on problems I run into, the solutions I try and what works when. They are updated as I learn.)

I'm gonna get me a degree in Microsoft Error Codes. 

So it seems that error code 0x80070643 is a general error code so what work here might not work for everything. 

Oh look at that!  I ran the Windows Update Diagnostic, ignored "Potential Database Corruption" and reran the Updates. Worked. 

Solved! (for now)

(Like many of my technology postings, this is really here for my own notes on problems I run into, the solutions I try and what works when. They are updated as I learn.)

Had a patron bring their laptop in.  They had encountered some ransomeware and called the number. They had given the scammers their credit card number and let them remotely into their computer.  The patron was jazzed because they were never charged.  But the computer was slow and they suspected it was compromised.  

   Well…  there was a a phone number (SK-1-844-307-1727) embedded in their task bar and further conversation revealed that the patron had called the number subsequently for help with passwords.  This sounded bad.  To make matters weirder, the laptop had been running Windows 7 until Monday night, when it installed Windows 10.  They brought in laptop in on Tuesday. 

Malwarebytes found nothing. 

Adware remover found nothing. 

There was a whole bunch of Windows updates not going through.  I went into services and restarrted the Update Service. 

Rkill found nothing. 

Searching online for the phone number you get a number of sites that "walk you through" how to remove it.  Always the same bullshit where they direct you to Task Manager to "stop the malicious program" and show how to "remove malicious programs" will no further info on what the malicious programs are named and screenshots of stopiing and removing programs like Firefox. OR they recommend buying Spyhunter 4. So we know were Spyhunter 4 makes their money. 

Tried the old JRT.  Nothing found. 

SUPERAntiSpyware found over 200 hundred trackers and an extension in Internet Explorer that might be part of the problem.  Clever, since I would not have thought to look at IE since the upgrade. 

Ran a free trial of HitmanPro.  That found a couple of dozen of problems. 

But the phone number is still on the Task Bar. 

I had tried right-clicking on the Task Bar before and finding how to remove the number.  This time, after running HitmanPro, I was able find the number under Toolbars and remove it.