RE: windows Automatic Update

I have exactly the same problem and it started after I installed the last
automatic update about 2 weeks ago (mid Sept. 2004). It seems to me that the
icon is now permanently displayed, but showing 0% because nothing is being
downloaded.
However, yesterday, I was getting very poor performance from my PC.
Eventually, I heard the disk being worked heavily, but couldn't figure out
what was causing it. I fired up Task Manager and had a look at the processes
to find that a program called UPDATE.EXE was taking a large percentage of the
processor's time. After about 10 minutes the program ended, the disk activity
ceased and the response time went back to normal. I found UPDATE.EXE in the
Windows directory so I assume this is the program that does the Automatic
Update.
Has UPDATE.EXE been (incorrectly?) amended recently so that it now works in
the manner outlined above? Whatever it is, it seems to be a backward step
because we now appear to get no warning of any updates being downloaded and
performance is badly degraded while the update process is occurring.

For the last few days, WIndows Update has moved on from 0% - it now shows 33%
and errr... that's it. Response times, particularly for the taskbar, are very
poor whenever I'm online, but no data seems to be being received. Last night
I left it attached to the internet all night, but when I got up it still said
33% so I'm at a complete loss to understand just what is really happening.