k, so I ordered this WindowsXP Update thing from the microsoft website and installed it. now my computer is stuck in this continuous restatrt loop! it starts up and goes to the desktop for about a minute before shutting down for no known reason and starting up again. WTF!!!!!!

anybody know whats wrong?

Reboot in safe mode, uninstall the update critter through add/remove programs, and try again. Make sure you don't have your normal protections up, like Spybot, AdAware, antivirus, and your firewall of choice. They can clobber it.

If it makes you feel any better, when I installed XP clean on a machine over here a month ago, I had to wipe it and start from scratch because the SP wouldn't apply properly. It worked fine the second time when there was nothing to interrupt it.

Make you feel better? No, I didn't think so [img]smile.gif[/img] But it's not new...

To reboot in safe mode, keep hitting the F8 key as Windows reboots.

Forgot to mention one very important thing... set a restore point prior to attempting the installation. I learned that on the second time of installing SP2... I created a new one after every single thing I added, in case I had to go back to something.

I have set a restore point a little while ago, but will set a new one. I forget though, when doing this do I need to reinstall my windows from the original cd? cause that seems to have gone missing somewhere in my house (I know I had it in October).

thnx for all the help in the "Saga of Bob".

The system restore point should have been set automatically when you installed the update (windows is supposed to create one whenever new components are added or new windows updates or service packs are installed.