I Jack - I've seen this issue before.
Here are 2 article which usually resolve the problem (see below)
Knowledge Base
Error Message: A Previous Installation Has Pending Work Requiring a
RebootPSS ID Number: 312444
Article Last Modified on 6/4/2003
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The information in this article applies to:
Microsoft Internet Explorer version 6 for Windows 2000
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This article was previously published under Q312444
IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry.
Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that
you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For
information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the
following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge
Base:
256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry
SYMPTOMS
When you upgrade to Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 on a Microsoft Windows
2000-based computer, you may receive an error message that is similar to the
following one:
A previous installation has pending work requiring a reboot. You need to
restart your computer to complete that installation before running Internet
Explorer Setup.
You may receive this message when you run Internet Explorer Setup even after
you restart your computer.
CAUSE
This behavior can occur if you do not restart your computer after you
install or update files that are in use by Windows.
For example, certain programs need to update or to replace files that are
currently in use by Windows. These files cannot be updated when Windows is
running; therefore, you must restart your computer for these files to be
updated. As a result, when you run Internet Explorer Setup, Setup detects
that these operations are pending and you cannot install Internet Explorer
until these operations are completed.
RESOLUTION
To resolve this behavior:
Restart your computer, and then run Internet Explorer Setup.
If restarting your computer does not resolve the issue, go to step 2.
WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious
problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft
cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry
Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.
Click Start, and then click Run.
In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.
Locate and click the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager
Locate and delete any PendingFileRenameOperations values in the key.
Click Yes when you are prompted to confirm the deletion.
Quit Registry Editor.
Run Internet Explorer 6 Setup.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
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PSS ID Number: 221863
Article Last Modified on 5/12/2003
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The information in this article applies to:
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 for Windows NT 4.0 SP 1
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 for Windows NT 4.0 SP 2
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 for Windows NT 4.0 SP 1
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 for Windows NT 4.0 SP 2
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 for Windows NT 4.0
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 for Windows NT 3.51
Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 for Windows NT 3.51
Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 for Windows NT 3.51
Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.03 for Windows NT 3.51
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 for Windows 98 Second Edition SP 1
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 for Windows 98 Second Edition SP 2
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 for Windows 98 Second Edition SP 1
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 for Windows 98 Second Edition SP 2
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 for Windows 98 Second Edition
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 for Windows 98 SP 1
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 for Windows 98 SP 2
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 for Windows 98 SP 1
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 for Windows 98 SP 2
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 for Windows 98
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 for Windows 95 SP 1
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 for Windows 95 SP 2
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 for Windows 95 SP 1
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 for Windows 95 SP 2
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 for Windows 95
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 for Windows 3.1
Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 for Windows 3.1
Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 for Windows 3.1
Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.02a for Windows 3.1
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 for Windows 2000 SP 1
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 for Windows 2000 SP 2
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 for Windows 2000 SP 1
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 for Windows 2000 SP 2
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 for Windows 2000
Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 for UNIX on Sun Solaris
Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 for UNIX on HPUX
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 for Macintosh
Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.5 for Macintosh
Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.01a for Macintosh
the operating system: Microsoft Windows 2000
Microsoft Internet Explorer version 6 for Windows 2000
Microsoft Internet Explorer version 6 for Windows 98
Microsoft Internet Explorer version 6 for Windows 98 Second Edition
Microsoft Internet Explorer version 6 for Windows Millennium Edition
Microsoft Internet Explorer version 6 for Windows NT 4.0
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 for UNIX on HPUX
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 for UNIX on Sun Solaris
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This article was previously published under Q221863
IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry.
Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that
you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For
information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the
following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge
Base:
256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry
SYMPTOMS
When you attempt to install Internet Explorer, you may receive the following
error message:
Windows Update Setup
A previous program installation was never completed. You need to restart
your computer to complete that installation before running Internet Explorer
Setup. Setup will now close.
CAUSE
This error message can occur if Windows was not restarted after installing
or updating files that were in use by Windows.
For example, some program installations or updates need to replace files
that are currently in use by Windows. Some files cannot be replaced while
Windows is running. Windows must be restarted so that these files can be
updated during the initial startup of Windows before they are loaded into
memory.
Internet Explorer detects that these operations are pending and cannot be
installed until these operations have been completed.
RESOLUTION
To resolve this issue, click OK, and then restart Windows. After Windows has
restarted, run Internet Explorer Setup again. If you receive the error
message again, click OK, and then restart Windows. After Windows has
restarted, run Internet Explorer Setup again.
Note that restarting Windows may not resolve the issue. You may need to
perform the appropriate procedure below.
Windows 95, Microsoft Windows 98, and Windows Millennium Edition (Me)
Rename the Wininit.ini file, restart the computer, and then run Internet
Explorer Setup again. To rename the Wininit.ini file, follow these steps:
Exit Windows by clicking Start, clicking Shutdown, and then clicking Restart
in MS-DOS mode.
From DOS, run wininit.exe, and then press ENTER.
Type Exit and let Windows start backup.
If that does not work, then try the following steps.
Click Start, click Find (or Search), and then click Files or Folders.
In the Named box, type wininit.ini.
In the Look in box, click Local Hard Drives.
Click Find Now.
Right-click the Wininit.ini file, and then click Rename.
Type Wininit.nin, and then press ENTER.
Close the Find window.
Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000
WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious
problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft
cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry
Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.
Locate the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager
Delete any PendingFileRenameOperations values in this key.
You may also need to check for and remove pending file rename operations in
the following registry keys:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnceEx
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServicesOnce
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
NOTE: If the problem is still not resolved, check for the existence of old
installation files in your TEMP or TMP folders, check for the existence of a
folder named "$!$!$!$!" in the root folder, or try emptying the Temporary
Internet Files folder.
To Delete Temporary Files
Double-click My Computer, double-click drive C, double-click the Windows
folder, and then double-click the Temp folder.
Press CTRL+A to select all the files in the folder.
Press the DELETE key.
Close My Computer.
To Delete Temporary Internet Files
On the desktop, right-click Internet Explorer, and then click Properties.
Under Temporary Internet Files, click Delete Files.
Click to select the Delete Offline Content check box, and then click OK.
Close Internet properties.
Internet Explorer only forces a reboot in a live install case. If an
administrator is writing a script to chain together a number of installs,
they should use the quiet-mode Setup (/Q:A). This does not check for pending
file renames before installing (the error noted above does not occur).
STATUS
This behavior is by design.
