Lost work

[2frustrated]

Hello, How can I stop Windows 7 from shutting down my work without saving it to do an update? I have lost hours of work because of this!

 

[WR2]

Explain in more detail please.

 

[silverliquicity]

I think what he means is the compulsory restart that comes after an important windows update has made him lose his work.

You can disable windows update although that inst recommended, Just postpone the update and save your work!

 

[szaboaz]

http://4sysops.com/archives/disable-restart-after-windows-automatic-updates/

(Who knew... this was bothering me too, now I disabled it for good )

 

[mcnumpty23]

yep you can tell it to postpone restart for up to 4 hours by clicking on the icon in the taskbar

 

[sewalk]

Hello, How can I stop Windows 7 from shutting down my work without saving it to do an update? I have lost hours of work because of this!

Save your work more often. There are a multitude of things that could interrupt your work causing data loss. Occasional saves minimize the loss. If your application supports a timed auto-save function, turn it on.

 

[13thmonkey]

or just set update to download automatically but install on request.

 

[2frustrated]

Explain in more detail please.

How much detail do you need? I use my computer to write. I give talks and it can take me 20 hours or so to get a talk right and then condense it all onto one page of prompts. I work on it in two hour sessions. I am not very accomplished on computer software outside of Open Office and Word. I often turn from my work to look up a quotation or to insert something from a book. I might get up and pace the floor as I hatch a thought or plan a strategy. During that time, Windows 7 may notify me that it needs to install an important update and will be shutting down my computer in ten minutes. If I miss that announcement I lose all that I have done when Microsoft shuts down my computer. Of course I could save everything before I turn to pick up a book, but I am hardly that organized. My train of thought might die if I don't get a fragile thought in the incubator quick enough. It seems Microsoft could at least save my stuff before they interrupt my work and then throw it all away. If I press the button to delay for ten minutes I am still in danger of being distracted and not catching the ten minute timer. I find myself hitting that button repeatedly, but with fear. My phone rings! My doorbell rings! My potatoes burn and I run in to turn them off! Amazing things happen in real life! Microsoft obviously thinks its own need to update my computer is far more important than anything I do with the computer! They are telling me, "Stupid user, you couldn't be doing anything nearly as important as this update. Let me update your computer NOW and destroy all the work that you have been doing!" It feels like Microsoft is full of arrogance with no real concern about my work. I am very very sorry I switched to Windows 7. At least Ubuntu was respectful! My question is, how can I deal with Microsoft's urgent insistence on updating my computer and restarting it, thereby erasing all my work? How can I update it on my time, not theirs? Ubunto put a nice little symbol on the bottom of the screen that informed me that a new OS update was available. I could click it on my time. So simple and so easy! Who in Microsoft was this retarded? Is that enough detail for you? I would really appreciate any help. Aim your answer at a stupid computer user that should probably take some classes.

 

[2frustrated]

or just set update to download automatically but install on request.

Great idea, but how do I do that? Closest I can get is a message that says, "Resolve problems that prevent you from updating windows." I don't have problems updating windows. I have problems keeping windows from updating unexpectedly. Can you tell me how to do this? Sorry, I am probably ignorant enough that I should be banned from using a computer. I need step by step answers.

 

[szaboaz]

Your step by step answer is under the link I sent to you in my earlier comment. Have you missed it? It does exactly what you need: keeps the automatic updates, and disables the restart.

Apart from that, you should aquire a habit when you're doing word processing work:

CTRL + S

Yeah, that's it. If you're ready with a unit, or you have to leave the computer, you just do a quick CTRL+S, and you're safe.

When I'm typing something, I don't even notice that I pressed it, I just do every so often. (I'm touch typing, btw.)

 

[13thmonkey]

Great idea, but how do I do that? Closest I can get is a message that says, "Resolve problems that prevent you from updating windows." I don't have problems updating windows. I have problems keeping windows from updating unexpectedly. Can you tell me how to do this? Sorry, I am probably ignorant enough that I should be banned from using a computer. I need step by step answers.

OK, calm down, we get everyone her from advanced users to people refer to a rat and not a mouse, you're in between somewhere. So we get it wrong when judging skill levels.

go to the start menu
go to control panel
go to system and security
go to updates
go to change settings (left hand side bar)
somewhere in there it will be set to install automatically
all you need to do change this to download automatically but let me choose when to install them

 

[WR2]

Open Office and Word. ... Of course I could save everything before I turn to pick up a book, but I am hardly that organized.

You probably weren't aware that those programs AutoSave your work every so often?

MS Office: Turn on AutoRecover and AutoSave to protect your files in case of a crash

There is a pretty good chance you might not have lost the whole two hours worth of work if you didn't realize there was an auto-saved copy tucked away somewhere.

 

[2frustrated]

Best answer selected by 2frustrated.