Windows Update KB2859537

Microsoft seem to be having a poor time with their monthly Windows updates in 2013.  August's monthly updates included several security patches including one for the kernel - KB2859537 - which seems to be causing a few problems.  Reported symptoms include application freezes and BSODs, but many systems are are unaffected.

Based on superficial evidence, problems may be affecting systems that have:

• Windows 7
• IE10 installed
• more than 3 cpu cores
• Avast antivirus installed
• third-party apps that directly alter the kernel.

Trouble with Service Pack 1

So at last it was time to install Service Pack 1 on the Windows 7 PC.  That's when more trouble started.

SP1 was released in February 2011, yet it was now January 2013 - why the delay?  Reasons were:

•  SP1 initially had issues - let others prove its stability first
•  the target system is critical to the users
•  the target system had hardware issues: backup drive, memory
•  no pressing drivers exist until support for Win7 RTM ceases in April 2013
•  techie time is scarce.

Following Microsoft's recommendations to prepare before installing SP1, the SP1 box was ticked in Windows Update 'important updates' and off we went.

After about ten minutes, this fateful error message appeared:

Installation was not successful
Error E_FAIL (0x80070002)

It's at times like this you realise how useful the world-wide-web is.