'marcbbk' wrote:
I put in 8Gb because eventually I will go to a 64bit OS. For the moment
I am running at 32bit until I am certain that all drivers and programs I
want to install will run under a 64bit OS.

I could take the extra ram out for the time being, but it’s not
harming anything.

Back to the problem. I have since nuked the XP install and stared all
over again.

All is working again seamlessly and I have completely disabled WU for
the moment. I will soon create a drive image of the working install and
then slowly allow things to update one by one and only download security
updates for the time being.

If I hit a snag where an update renders things unstable again I will
just wind back to an earlier drive image so that I don't have to go
through the full install again.

Anyway, thanks for trying to school me, but I don't need to be
schooled. What you did confirm though was that it was a problem related
to WU which was my feeling from the start and why I nuked the OS earlier
today and immediately disabled WU.
_____

Yet the reinstall was not necessary, but you did it anyway rather than
unistall the Windows Update provided drivers and replace with nVida WHQL
drivers. Nor did you, alternatively, use the 'System Restore' built into
Windows Vista which, in general, removes the need to go back to a perhaps
months old complete backup. Finally, nothing drops so fast as memory
prices, especially as a new memory standard enters the market (DDR3); so why
not purchase memory when it is actually usable? As an example, DDR2 memory
has dropped more than 50% in price in the last twelve months.

Again, 'read directions, manuals, and newsgroups BEFORE purchasing
components and building a computer system'.


Phil Weldon

"marcbkk" wrote in message
...

I put in 8Gb because eventually I will go to a 64bit OS. For the moment
I am running at 32bit until I am certain that all drivers and programs I
want to install will run under a 64bit OS.

I could take the extra ram out for the time being, but it’s not
harming anything.

Back to the problem. I have since nuked the XP install and stared all
over again.

All is working again seamlessly and I have completely disabled WU for
the moment. I will soon create a drive image of the working install and
then slowly allow things to update one by one and only download security
updates for the time being.

If I hit a snag where an update renders things unstable again I will
just wind back to an earlier drive image so that I don't have to go
through the full install again.

Anyway, thanks for trying to school me, but I don't need to be
schooled. What you did confirm though was that it was a problem related
to WU which was my feeling from the start and why I nuked the OS earlier
today and immediately disabled WU.