NIS patch 21.2.0.38 cleared my Windows desktop

Norton Security | Norton Internet Security
1

I ran LiveUpdate interactively, and it said there was a patch available, which I accepted.  I'm on W7 with all patches and (now) on NIS 21.2.0.38.

 

When the patch process started running, the entire desktop behind the NIS patch window went blank except for the wallpaper.  At first I thought, "Oh, it's just because the icons are changing and it's rebuilding the desktop". 

 

However, when the patch was done, and I exited NIS, my desktop was still entirely blank except for the wallpaper:  no icons, no notification area, no taskbar.  There wasn't even a Windows START button!  I clicked around the screen, especially where the Windows START button would be, but no go.

 

I didn't know if there was a keyboard shortcut for the windows START button, so I finally just powered off my machine, waited 30 seconds, and then started it up again.  Eventually,...... everything came back onto the desktop after the start up.

 

But, frankly, I didn't need the stress. 

 

I had already patched two other machines and didn't have this problem.  But the one that did have the problem is the least-used of the 3 by far.  

2

Hi Mountain_Bob,

 

It sounds like the restart manager had a problem restarting properly.  There is some info in a post here in regards to the restart after a bootless patch.

 

I have seen what you desribed when applying a patch, it'll ask you to close certain things (normally IE in my case) nd once closed the serices/drivers/etc will be shut down - the desktop will flash black on my system and no icons, system tray etc as you stated.  After the Patch is compete, the screen wil flash black and then the icons, sys tray etc will repopulate. It does not happen to mine all the time - just what appears to be an odd ball glitch.

3

Hi Yank -  My NIS patch symptoms are very consistent with what you're describing, so I'm going to take that as the explanation of what happened, especially since the "cure" was Microsoft's go-to prescription:  "Take 2 restarts and DON'T call me in the morning, or any other time either."  Thanks for your help.