Repost: WinUpdate problem reversible, but what next??

I ran Windows Update yesterday on my WinXP Dell computer. I elected to
install all of the updates. When I rebooted the computer, I had the
following problems:

1. Task bar including Start button was gone, or masked. The tray was visible
to the right, but the rest of the taskbar was covered with what could
possibly be a very large button with nothing on it. Clicking on this
"button" had no response. So, maybe it wasn't a button. Right clicking
brought up the taskbar context menu. I could put different toolbars on the
bar, and set its properties, but I could not bring up the task manager.

2. Although all (most?) of my desktop icons were on the desktop, the My
Computer icon was missing. When I went into desktop properties and clicked
on display My Computer icon, the check appeared. I clicked OK, apply, OK,
but the My Computer icon was not there. Went back into desktop properties
and found My Computer icon was unchecked again.

3. When I ran Windows Explorer, the menu bar was missing. There was an empty
bar there. If I clicked where I expected the File, Edit, etc items to be I
got the drop down menus.

4. I could not run Regedit from a command Window, etc.

5. I could get IE running. I went to the Windows Update site to check my
installation history, but that menu item on the left was grayed out and
nonfunctional.

6. There were other similar serious, bizarre symptoms, but I don't have time
to mention them all.

I did a complete virus scan, finding nothing.

I then did a Windows restore to a restore point before yesterday's Windows
update. All of the problems went away.
The restore window indicated that the following items had been installed
yesterday after the restore point I used:
KB890923 - installed last
KB893066
KB892944
KB893086
KB890859
KB893803
Software Distribution Service 2.0 - installed first

So, what do I do now? Can I trust Windows Update anymore?? This update
practically crippled this system.

Jim

Your symptoms would seem to be indicative of a malware intrusion of some
kind

You may already have a virus/spyware hijack

download the Stinger from here and run it to make sure that A-V-disabling
viruses are not present on your PC
http://download.nai.com/products/mca...rt/stinger.exe

- update your virus scanner and run a full system scan of all files.

Reboot to Safe Mode and run CWShredder - to remove variants of the
CoolWebSearch hijacker.
http://www.merijn.org/cwschronicles.html

Use CWShredder, the removal tool:
http://www.intermute.com/products/cwshredder.html
(download it without the accompanying rubbish)

download AdAware SE Personal Edition from www.lavasoftusa.com, install,
update, and run it to remove spyware, adware, and other such nasties from
your system.


--
Noel Paton (MS-MVP 2002-2005, Windows)

Nil Carborundum Illegitemi
http://www.btinternet.com/~winnoel/millsrpch.htm

http://tinyurl.com/6oztj

Please read http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm on how to post messages to NG's

"Jim Walsh" <> wrote in message
news:%...
>I ran Windows Update yesterday on my WinXP Dell computer. I elected to
> install all of the updates. When I rebooted the computer, I had the
> following problems:
>
> 1. Task bar including Start button was gone, or masked. The tray was
> visible
> to the right, but the rest of the taskbar was covered with what could
> possibly be a very large button with nothing on it. Clicking on this
> "button" had no response. So, maybe it wasn't a button. Right clicking
> brought up the taskbar context menu. I could put different toolbars on the
> bar, and set its properties, but I could not bring up the task manager.
>
> 2. Although all (most?) of my desktop icons were on the desktop, the My
> Computer icon was missing. When I went into desktop properties and clicked
> on display My Computer icon, the check appeared. I clicked OK, apply, OK,
> but the My Computer icon was not there. Went back into desktop properties
> and found My Computer icon was unchecked again.
>
> 3. When I ran Windows Explorer, the menu bar was missing. There was an
> empty
> bar there. If I clicked where I expected the File, Edit, etc items to be I
> got the drop down menus.
>
> 4. I could not run Regedit from a command Window, etc.
>
> 5. I could get IE running. I went to the Windows Update site to check my
> installation history, but that menu item on the left was grayed out and
> nonfunctional.
>
> 6. There were other similar serious, bizarre symptoms, but I don't have
> time
> to mention them all.
>
> I did a complete virus scan, finding nothing.
>
> I then did a Windows restore to a restore point before yesterday's Windows
> update. All of the problems went away.
> The restore window indicated that the following items had been installed
> yesterday after the restore point I used:
> KB890923 - installed last
> KB893066
> KB892944
> KB893086
> KB890859
> KB893803
> Software Distribution Service 2.0 - installed first
>
> So, what do I do now? Can I trust Windows Update anymore?? This update
> practically crippled this system.
>
> Jim
>
>
>