crash/burn/from the ashes

[magdna]

My Windows XP - my baby! - begin crashing two weeks ago.
After hours and hours of tech help from Gateway - She's up
from the ashes...

Here's my question. I've completely dumped and
reinstalled. Like a new born baby, fresh and new. Now, I
go to Windows Update and there are 46 (count em) 46!
Windows Security Updates... and 23, yeah, 23, Windows XP
updates... I tried downloading the latest service pack
and it kicked it right back out????

How do I get what I need without wasting hours trying to
figure out where to start??? HELPPPP. I am afraid the
system will remain unstable without the updates I need -
or worse, will crash again if I make a mistake.

I mean, what about DirectX 9... something... Some of
these updates are from 2001,2002 -do I start at the oldest
and work forward???? Or what???

(wanders about the room talking to herself)

Thanks for any input. My brain is sizzling after all the
hours of tech-talk.

Three Beers, Three Cheers... for Gateway Tech's for all
the hours and patience - all for FREE!!!!!! Without once
making me feel like a complete idiot.

 

[Stuart]

You probably are experiencing one of Microsoft's true DUMBASS features. When
you take a shiny new WinXP install to WindowsUpdate - it automatically
selects ALL of the critical updates, but several of the ones selected can
only be applied singly, so WindowsUpdate is making a selection that it then
refuses to apply!

Deselect everything except SP1 (yeah - you have to click 45 buttons - see
what I mean, its MORONIC) and apply SP1 - then when you go back you'll be
left with just about 9 crits and 11 recommended updates.

 

[Guest]

Sooooo... After reading through todays messages I'm
wondering??? What about this sp1??? Seems to bring
trouble to the door... hmmmmmm... What happens if
you 'Don't' install it at all???

I tried your method and the page expired twice before I
could click em all out. lolol. Then attempted sp1 again -
twice - first time it loaded (two and a half hours - sigh)
but never installed. Says "in progress" under
installation history. Second time it said "sp1 is no
longer available for download, go to ?sp1a?...

Thanks for your help, appreciate any input - gotta sleep
sometime...