I started up Skyrim today and updated to patch 1.5. I loaded my save file where I'm unable to progress in "Blood on the Ice" because of Viola Giordano's disappearance, and apparently she is still missing. My only quest marker points to Jorleif, who recommends that I go talk to Viola. Has anyone else had the missing Viola problem, and has 1.5 fixed yours? Is my only option to start a new game at this point? I have 75 hours on this one file so I'm not really looking forward to doing that.

Sadly, many patch fixes don't work retroactively, and if a bug was already triggered in an existing game, the fix for it won't work.

You have to start a new game if you want the patch to work sadly.

I was expecting also the patch to fix my broken quests. Unfortunatly none of mine were ( Blood on the ice, Dainty Sload and Delvin, Erandur and nightmare quest, companion / aela the huntress/totum quests and others....So....Mmmm new game. Do people really start all over again, after they have put so much into previously flawed ones?

I find it hard to believe that Bethseda did not have a team of game players that sat down and played this game. It has probably cost more time and money sorting some of these problems out afterwards.
I know it is down to choice whether to start a new game. However what guarantee is there that we will get 75 hours into the game and either the same problems will occur or new ones will crop up?