Windows Update yesterday trashed many Windows features

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

Jim Walsh wrote:

> 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
>
>

Don't use the automatic updates feature. Download and install updates
one at a time. Run with the system for a few minutes to make sure that
there are no problems with that update, then go to the next one. If you
are too impatient do just two are three at at time. It's hard to say
what happened to make things go wrong, but I certainly would hesitate in
making that many changes at the same time.

--
Rock
MS MVP Windows - Shell/User