"Automatic Updates" box

[gary]

About every 5 minutes, a box labelled "Automatic Updates" is displayed
on my monitor.

The box contains: "Updating your computer is almost complete. You
must restart your computer for the updates to take effect. Do you
want to restart your computer now?" There are two buttons: One says
"Restart Now"; the other says "Restart Later".

The "Restart Now" button is greyed out; nothing happens when I click
this box.

Clicking "Restart Later" returns me to whatever I was doing when the
box appeared.

I've manually re-booted my PC but that doesn't stop the recurring
"Automatic Updates" box.

How can I complete the update process and/or how do I get rid of the
box?

 

[PA Bear]

1. First install the newly released 'standalone' version of Windows Update
Agent 3.0, v7.0.6000.374
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/932494

Direct Download links:

x86-based versions of Windows (most users)
http://download.windowsupdate.com/v7/windowsupdate/redist/standalone/windowsupdateagent30-x86.exe

x64-based versions of Windows
http://download.windowsupdate.com/v7/windowsupdate/redist/standalone/windowsupdateagent30-x64.exe

Itanium-based versions of Windows
http://download.windowsupdate.com/v7/windowsupdate/redist/standalone/windowsupdateagent30-ia64.exe

2. Now (re)install this (updated) fix:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927891

NB: Windows Update/Automatic Updates started offering 927891 on 22 May-07.
If "Update for [Windows XP] (KB927891)" is listed in Add/Remove Programs
(make sure Show Updates box is checked), it's already installed. cf.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/927891.mspx

3. Reboot.

4. See if the problem(s) persist now.
--
WIndows Update-specific newsgroup:
news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.windowsupdate

~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-Windows (IE, OE, Security, Shell/User)