Windows Update has killed OS.

Yesterday (28th Aug 2006) my Windows XP Home SP2 machine was doing some
auto updates, according to the file WindowsUpdate.log. I have my
machine set to tell me when files have been downloaded and are ready
for install.

Unfortunately this didn't happen yesterday. At 23:33 the log says the
AutoUpdate could find no updates for install at shutdown.
Here's the last few lines of the log...

--------------
2006-08-28 23:33:13 888 73c AU AU found 0 updates for install at
shutdown

2006-08-28 23:33:23 888 2e4 AU AU Restart required....

2006-08-28 23:33:23 888 70c AU ########### AU: Initializing Automatic
Updates ###########

2006-08-28 23:33:23 888 70c AU # Approval type: Pre-install notify
(User preference)

2006-08-28 23:33:23 888 70c AU # Auto-install minor updates: No
(User preference)

2006-08-28 23:33:23 888 70c AU # AU is paused, not initializing any
handlers

2006-08-28 23:33:29 888 70c Service *********

2006-08-28 23:33:29 888 70c Service ** END ** Service: Service exit
[Exit code = 0x240001]

2006-08-28 23:33:29 888 70c Service *************

-------------

When I got up this morning the screen was stuck at "Windows is shutting
down...".

I switched off the computer and went to work.

I came home and tried to start the machine, and it keeps going into a
reset loop.

The machine has SuSE Linux on it too, which is how I am looking at the
log files, but my wife is only able t use Windows, and is nagging me to
get the thing working again.

I have tried safe boot, and even that doesn't work. I get a screen
full, or two, of files being loaded, then it stops and then hard
resets.

What is the most expedient way of getting this machine up and running
again. Preferably without having to reload Windows, Office etc from
scratch. Is something like a Windows installation repair the best
approach, or are there some files I can delete/modify using Linux to
trick Window into not doing the AutoUpdate installs on startup, as it
suspect it is this that is not working.

Thanks for any help in getting this sorted, as the wife is beginning to
drive me nuts.

On 29 Aug 2006 11:36:35 -0700, wrote:

>Yesterday (28th Aug 2006) my Windows XP Home SP2 machine was doing some
>auto updates, according to the file WindowsUpdate.log. I have my
>machine set to tell me when files have been downloaded and are ready
>for install.
>
>Unfortunately this didn't happen yesterday. At 23:33 the log says the
>AutoUpdate could find no updates for install at shutdown.
>Here's the last few lines of the log...
>
>--------------
>2006-08-28 23:33:13 888 73c AU AU found 0 updates for install at
>shutdown
>
>2006-08-28 23:33:23 888 2e4 AU AU Restart required....
>
>2006-08-28 23:33:23 888 70c AU ########### AU: Initializing Automatic
>Updates ###########
>
>2006-08-28 23:33:23 888 70c AU # Approval type: Pre-install notify
>(User preference)
>
>2006-08-28 23:33:23 888 70c AU # Auto-install minor updates: No
>(User preference)
>
>2006-08-28 23:33:23 888 70c AU # AU is paused, not initializing any
>handlers
>
>2006-08-28 23:33:29 888 70c Service *********
>
>2006-08-28 23:33:29 888 70c Service ** END ** Service: Service exit
>[Exit code = 0x240001]
>
>2006-08-28 23:33:29 888 70c Service *************
>
>-------------
>
>When I got up this morning the screen was stuck at "Windows is shutting
>down...".
>
>I switched off the computer and went to work.
>
>I came home and tried to start the machine, and it keeps going into a
>reset loop.
>
>The machine has SuSE Linux on it too, which is how I am looking at the
>log files, but my wife is only able t use Windows, and is nagging me to
>get the thing working again.
>
>I have tried safe boot, and even that doesn't work. I get a screen
>full, or two, of files being loaded, then it stops and then hard
>resets.
>
>What is the most expedient way of getting this machine up and running
>again. Preferably without having to reload Windows, Office etc from
>scratch. Is something like a Windows installation repair the best
>approach, or are there some files I can delete/modify using Linux to
>trick Window into not doing the AutoUpdate installs on startup, as it
>suspect it is this that is not working.
>
>Thanks for any help in getting this sorted, as the wife is beginning to
>drive me nuts.
Hello, perhaps this will help.
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=304449

Talks about booting to a command prompt and accessing system restore.

Dave