Was not ignoring your input -- just researching what you both said. (As well as getting sidetracked by trying to get things working since the Recovery. :] ) Whew... Owbist, I didn't want to get SP3 just yet. Ryan's site has all of those updates bundled in one package -- that's why I thought it might be worth considering. Also was wondering if anyone else might have downloaded the package and what they thought of it. I do so trust people's opinions from this forum -- the help I've received over the years has been invaluable. Raven, I immediately clicked on the link you offered. Spent mucho time going back there to find the "Download" for that update. Couldn't find it yesterday. Spent more time again today. Just went to the link again a few minutes ago and -- lo and behold -- M/S had magically added a prominent Download button! Ha. Thanks, I did d/l the file. I appreciate the input/advice from you two. This is such a great forum. I hadn't been here much recently, but I always, always recommend it to others. Thanks again, Kat P.S. On my Compaq computer desktop is an icon entitled "Help and Support." Was able to get to the correct Windows place, whereby I downloaded and installed the 74 old updates I needed!

Zep, thank you so much for all you time and advise. I truly appreciate it. Can I ask you about the log I posted at 14:41 particularly the double entries? Acrobat.com Acrobat.com Ad-Aware Ad-Aware Adobe AIR Adobe AIR Corel Painter Photo Essentials 4 Corel Painter Photo Essentials 4 CyberLink DVD Suite CyberLink DVD Suite Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer HP MediaSmart TV HP MediaSmart TV HP MediaSmart Webcam HP MediaSmart Webcam LabelPrint LabelPrint etc? Why are there doubles? I have to log off for the night, but if you have any more suggestions I will check back tomorrow. Thanks again. Carol

Open Internet Exploer and delete the temp. inet files. Tools/Internet Options/ Browsing History. Open and empty the recycle bin. Right click on start/ choose explore/ right click on the C drive/ properties/ tools/ check now/ check both boxes and run it. It will tell you that it will run on a reboot. This will run scandisk in dos startup mode and ID lost clusters or bad sectors and repair them. You need to learn how to expore your hard drive and delete old install and temp files. Right click on start/choose explore. Under tools folder options choose to show all files. This will allow you to see the hidden folders. There is a lot of junk stored in the temp. directory under your user name. It is safe to delete all files in any folder named temp. You can run a search for *.tmp. again delete all of these files that the pc will aloow you to. Some are active and wil not delete. Windows downlaods and saves installs files. In a directory named software distribution/downloads. These can be removed. Windows creates startup files to help the pc run faster (right) in a directory in windows named " prefetch" These are safe to delete. Windoze will recreae them as needed. If you have an install CD than you can delete I386. These are a copy of the install CD. You will have to insert the CD for rvery update if you do this so its nice to leave them on the HD. Run a search for *.zip files. Most of these are install files. ID each one before deleting or move them to a temp directory for a day or so to make sure that they are safe to delete. First and foremost open System Restore and create a back up BEFORE deleting files if you aren't sure what you are doing. Learn about System Restore. It will allow you to mess with the files and yet have a restore point tyhat will take the pc back to that point. click on my computer/ properties/ system restore is at the top. Open to create a restore by start/ accesories/ system tools/ system restore. Read the help files on the internet. I am self taught. I can build PCS, install the os and figure out why the d*$n thing isn't running right. DEFRAG......The HD... CrAzY LaRrY

this may be the artilce about dial a fix. Broken Windows Fixed Quick with Dial-a-Fix dial a fix is a neat little tool and is used on the support forums, it is generally preferred that it be used with the guidance of support forum teams or from djlizards lunarsoft forum. It does basically what we have been doing by typing in the commands in command line but it does all the typing for you which is good because it is easy to type wrong of course. You can definitely try it just for this application. If you want to check out their forum here is the link Lunarsoft and a link to his wiki about dial-a-fix Dial-a-fix Lynn you could try going ahead to windows update and running it again it might give you the option to uncheck sp3 (to not install) if it does not and looks like it is going to install it you can always just hit cancel. OR another option is to go now and get that sp3 blocker tool I posted the link for in the sp3 thread and install that on your pc so that if it does try to install it that tool should block it.