Problem with possible SP3 install

Yesterday, Windows notified that updates were ready to be download. There
were two update, Defender Update and SP3. I clicked OK to download. After a
minute of so, the tray security shield disappeared. After that any attempt
to open Windows Explorer resulted in Explorer freezing up. When I used the
task manager, my desktop blanked out and when it came back, most of tray
icons were MIA. Most if not all MS programs would not run. I tried the
shortcuts, the menu and the run line. The more I tried, the worse it got
until I had the pull the plug to reboot.

The problem remained thru many reboots done mostly via the dropdown shutdown
options from the task manager.

Then I decided to reboot via the shutdown menu and I noticed the Shut Down
Icon had a security shield and a notice that I had shut down to install an
important update. Is this SP3? If so why did it begin its install without a
notification? Other updates always say Update Are Ready to Install and
request permission.

I selected Shut Down to install the unidentified important update. Now my
computer display is alternating between "Installing Update 1 of 1" and
"Don't Unplug or Turn Off you Computer, It will shut down automatically".

It's has been like this now for over three hours with no end in sight. The
Network Activity light flashes occasionally and there in no detectable hard
drive activity.

How long should the update take?

WinXp Pro with all (until now) Updates.
IBM 300 PL
384 meg (max allowed by motherboard)

The is a relatively slow computer Pentium
--



Don

****************

The trouble with work is ... it's so daily !

sp3 took a looooong time to install on my sys
The first reboot was also loooong, subsequent ones ok


"Ralph" <ralphdehead@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:OQyyeSHsIHA.3780@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> Yesterday, Windows notified that updates were ready to be download. There
> were two update, Defender Update and SP3. I clicked OK to download. After
> a minute of so, the tray security shield disappeared. After that any
> attempt to open Windows Explorer resulted in Explorer freezing up. When I
> used the task manager, my desktop blanked out and when it came back, most
> of tray icons were MIA. Most if not all MS programs would not run. I tried
> the shortcuts, the menu and the run line. The more I tried, the worse it
> got until I had the pull the plug to reboot.
>
> The problem remained thru many reboots done mostly via the dropdown
> shutdown options from the task manager.
>
> Then I decided to reboot via the shutdown menu and I noticed the Shut Down
> Icon had a security shield and a notice that I had shut down to install an
> important update. Is this SP3? If so why did it begin its install without
> a notification? Other updates always say Update Are Ready to Install and
> request permission.
>
> I selected Shut Down to install the unidentified important update. Now my
> computer display is alternating between "Installing Update 1 of 1" and
> "Don't Unplug or Turn Off you Computer, It will shut down automatically".
>
> It's has been like this now for over three hours with no end in sight. The
> Network Activity light flashes occasionally and there in no detectable
> hard drive activity.
>
> How long should the update take?
>
> WinXp Pro with all (until now) Updates.
> IBM 300 PL
> 384 meg (max allowed by motherboard)
>
> The is a relatively slow computer Pentium
> --
>
>
>
> Don
>
> ****************
>
> The trouble with work is ... it's so daily !
>
>
>

"Ralph" <ralphdehead@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:OQyyeSHsIHA.3780@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> Yesterday, Windows notified that updates were ready to be download. There
> were two update, Defender Update and SP3. I clicked OK to download. After
> a minute of so, the tray security shield disappeared. After that any
> attempt to open Windows Explorer resulted in Explorer freezing up. When I
> used the task manager, my desktop blanked out and when it came back, most
> of tray icons were MIA. Most if not all MS programs would not run. I tried
> the shortcuts, the menu and the run line. The more I tried, the worse it
> got until I had the pull the plug to reboot.
>
> The problem remained thru many reboots done mostly via the dropdown
> shutdown options from the task manager.
>
> Then I decided to reboot via the shutdown menu and I noticed the Shut Down
> Icon had a security shield and a notice that I had shut down to install an
> important update. Is this SP3? If so why did it begin its install without
> a notification? Other updates always say Update Are Ready to Install and
> request permission.
>
> I selected Shut Down to install the unidentified important update. Now my
> computer display is alternating between "Installing Update 1 of 1" and
> "Don't Unplug or Turn Off you Computer, It will shut down automatically".
>
> It's has been like this now for over three hours with no end in sight. The
> Network Activity light flashes occasionally and there in no detectable
> hard drive activity.
>
> How long should the update take?
>
> WinXp Pro with all (until now) Updates.
> IBM 300 PL
> 384 meg (max allowed by motherboard)
>
> The is a relatively slow computer Pentium
> --
>
>
>
> Don, have a read of this

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322389

Roger
>

I never saw an installation setup guide, I never okayed an EULA and I never
saw any indication that SP3 was installing. This is just my best guess. The
only thing I did see was that explorer shell extension was hosed and a
message saying that I needed to turn off my computer to install an
"Important" update.

Were are now at four hours and counting.

Any ideas on what hosed the shell extension? I use AVG 8.0 free, Comodo
firewall and many spyware/adware detection programs. All scans are clean.

I read the articles on MS website and nothing seems to apply. I guess MS
wouldn't publicize the fact that you computer would be tied up for many
hours or a lot of people might have seconds thoughts about whether or not
they need SP3.

If I have to reformat the hard drive, it might be a good time to try Linux

Don

****************

ERROR: Too much diskspace detected, Windows will generate data