Stephen,
If the Anti-Virus problem is your main concern,
downloading the following update may be the fix you want:
KB 823980(released 7/16/03),BlasterWorm Anti-Virus Action,
size 898KB. This update may not be included with SP4 due
to its release date and critical nature, but it is
available separately at the Windows Update web site.
Attempting to download SP4 has been a frustrating
experience for me also. Have previously downloaded and
installed successfully (from the web site) SP1, SP2 and
SP3 individually, plus an additional 46 (forty-six)
updates, without a problem. SP4 is continually timing-out
on my attempts (with broadband) during the downloading
process also. (If you don't have a broadband connection,
the size requirement may be impossible to download from
the web site.) The server frequently breaks connection and
attempts to reconnect. If it fails to reconnect and you're
not sitting right there to click on "Retry" within a few
seconds, it will time-out and you have to start the
process all over, including rebooting. Part of the
download is the EULA agreement (licensing). If the
download and installation isn't successful, the existing
EULA file will prevent continuing until rebooting, which
removes it.
The CD route may produce the best results for the SP4
update, although many people are experiencing more
problems after somehow installing.
Good luck!
