windows update problem - pc keeps restarting.

[peter]

A friend gave me an old pc which had been wiped and only had xp on it.
I've put AVG virus checker and upgraded to SP1 and then SP2 and got
the firewall started. The virus checker found loads of viruses, but I
think it got rid of them all - I'm double checking by running Norton
antivirus as well.

The problem comes with Windows Updates - I've got a backlog of about
50 to get through, but as soon as it starts installing them the PC
restarts without fail?! You can tell how many updates I've got to go
when I tell you that IE7 hasn't been installed.

What can I do? I want to keep my PC up to date, but I'm feed up having
the PC keep restarting. Could it be a virus that I haven't found? Has
anybody else had this problem?

Peter

 

[SingaporeWebDesign]

Hello,

Since you say it is a system with only XP, why not format the hard disk and
install XP? This will get rid of all junk and may even free up more space,
not to mention that 100% of the viruses/malware will be gone.

--
Singapore Website Design
http://www.bootstrike.com/Webdesign/
Singapore Web Hosting
http://www.bootstrike.com/WinXP/faq.html
Windows XP FAQ

 

[Rock]

A friend gave me an old pc which had been wiped and only had xp on it.
I've put AVG virus checker and upgraded to SP1 and then SP2 and got
the firewall started. The virus checker found loads of viruses, but I
think it got rid of them all - I'm double checking by running Norton
antivirus as well.

The problem comes with Windows Updates - I've got a backlog of about
50 to get through, but as soon as it starts installing them the PC
restarts without fail?! You can tell how many updates I've got to go
when I tell you that IE7 hasn't been installed.

What can I do? I want to keep my PC up to date, but I'm feed up having
the PC keep restarting. Could it be a virus that I haven't found? Has
anybody else had this problem?

Doesn't sound like it was wiped since it had viruses on it. The best thing,
when receiving a used computer is to do a clean install of the OS. That way
you don't inherit the operational problems, malware and other nasties.
After that do not go online without anti-virus and a firewall.

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

 

[Detlev Dreyer]

A friend gave me an old pc which had been wiped and only had xp on it.
I've put AVG virus checker and upgraded to SP1 and then SP2 and got
the firewall started.

That's too late!

The virus checker found loads of viruses, but I think it got rid of
them all - I'm double checking by running Norton antivirus as well.

ROFL! "Cleaning a Compromised System"
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/columns/secmgmt/sm0504.mspx

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

A friend gave me an old pc which had been wiped and only had xp on it.
I've put AVG virus checker and upgraded to SP1 and then SP2 and got
the firewall started. The virus checker found loads of viruses, but I
think it got rid of them all - I'm double checking by running Norton
antivirus as well.

The problem comes with Windows Updates - I've got a backlog of about
50 to get through, but as soon as it starts installing them the PC
restarts without fail?! You can tell how many updates I've got to go
when I tell you that IE7 hasn't been installed.

What can I do? I want to keep my PC up to date, but I'm feed up having
the PC keep restarting. Could it be a virus that I haven't found? Has
anybody else had this problem?

If I acquired a used computer, the first thing I would do with it
would be to reinstall the operating system cleanly. You have no idea
how the computer has been maintained, what has been installed
incorrectly, what is missing, what viruses and spyware there may be,
etc. I wouldn't want to live with somebody else's mistakes and
problems, possibility of kiddie porn, etc., and I wouldn't recommend
that anyone else do either.