Windows auto updates locked into a loop

I run Windows XP Pro and if I turn auto updates ON then there is always an update to install when I turn the pc off.

Becoming suspicious about this I note that it is always the same update (service pack 4). It takes time, several minutes, so I have to hang around to turn the wall switch off when Windows has eventually shut the puter down. Irritating.

I have also tried turning updates OFF which interferes with ESET protection status and is anyway not a good thing to do. Microsoft send us updates because these fix things? It would seem I am locked into some sort of loop? Maybe the pc cannot install the auto-downloaded update because it cannot find the thing it wants to modify? So it is downloading it every time I click for TURN OFF and then does not know what to do with what it has grabbed?

Any help eagerly sought. Yrs etc "Dualcore"

There is no SP4 for XP! First of all, download, install and update Trojan Remover. Boot to Safe Mode and run a full scan.

Thankyou "Deadbeat" so I went to your Trojan Remover link and downloaded/installed the tool which is free for 30 days. I did not have to go into Safe Mode to run it (I was told) so I ran it from the desktop icon it offered me. This was quick, green ticks all the way and a message that no malicious stuff found, aok

I made sure that Windows Auto-updates was set to ON, made sure the scheduler was set to every day at 0900, made it do an automatic download of updates, rebooted without any close-down updates notice appearing --- that was a first --- and then made the pc turn off and waited a full minute for any capacitators to discharge, then asked it to go through a normal boot.

Finally had it turn OFF in the normal way and again no darned updates being downloaded and installed. Have I cracked it? If so, my thanks to Deadbeat of this forum. Maybe problem solved but not perhaps by the expected route. Wonderful are the ways of Microsoft, all bow. Yrs etc "Dualcore"/b]

Post deleted by billford

http://forums.thinkbroadband.com/newsite/t/3600133-n...

yeah, yeah, whatever 'billford'.

The OP has posted every single time in bold, which is a clear abuse of markup and precisely what row means by "Highlighting your entire post to grab attention would be seen as abuse.". But do you say a thing to him, no. Now you're back I reckon it'll be about 3 posts before you find an excuse to ban me again. jesus.

Edited by deleted (Wed 15-Jul-09 18:26:29)

There are good reasons for running these tools in Safe Mode whether they tell you it's necessary or not. If TR didn't do anything then it was just a Windows problem, though where SP4 came from I don't know unless WU has got it's knickers twisted and thinks that you're running Win2K.

Personally, I'd run TR again in Safe Mode and if all's OK, try Windows Update again. If all's still well, uninstall it, or buy it.
MBAM and SAS are useful additions to any Windows system.

Have you ever tried reading a small-type non-bold e-mail on a laptop in bright sunlight? "Dualcore"

Hey, don't worry about it. I'm only messing with billford. But, fwiw, I'm sure there'll be a setting in your browser somewhere to increase text size or improve readability and that would work for all text, not just your own posts.