How to Thaw Out PCs Frozen by Windows 10 Anniversary Update

Found on eWEEK on Wednesday, 17 August 2016
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"Microsoft has received a small number of reports of Windows 10 freezing after installing the Anniversary Update on systems with the operating system stored on a solid-state drive (SSD) and apps and data stored on a separate drive," wrote a Microsoft forum moderator on Aug. 10. "This issue does not occur when starting Windows 10 in Safe Mode."

Unfortunately, this hybrid-storage approach rendered their PCs inoperable after applying the Anniversary Update. As it investigates the problem, Microsoft is advising users to move all their applications and data to the same drive that contains the operating system.

Some users have been met with blank screens after applying the update while others reported glacially slow boot times. In some cases, the upgrade process will hang for several hours and fail to complete.

Long gone are the times where software vendors tested their operating systems before releasing them to the public. Bugs always happen, but hybrid-storage is not exactly something that nobody uses. In combination with forced updates, this approach is a recipe for desaster.