Windows Update patch causing chaos

[paulhthomas]

all my pc's are always bang up to date with the latest microsoft patches. However, one came down on the 1st of May, that really messed up one of the pc's.
It hangs on logon and it's only when I kill one of the svchost.exe process can I actually my desktop.
When I get in, around 10 of my services don't start automatically, I have to do them manaully, and the windows firewall refuses to start. if I start them all reboot, it comes back fine, but then a couple of reboots later it goes again.
It's definitely the patches, as I did a system restore, all was good, installed the patches, went funny again.

How do I get round not installing the faulty patch? I assume the only way is to manually select which patches I want and try and avoid downloading that one.

Also, I assume I then have a security risk on that machine?

Any input/advice/suggestions appreciated

Cheers

Paul

 

[Davetoo]

Which patch is causing the problem?

I'm Certifiable, not cert-ified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.

 

[paulhthomas]

The Windows Genuine Advantage Notification tool (KB905474)

Cheers for the amazingly quick reply!

 

[Jasen]

Isn't that the patch that does nothing but popup and annoy users if it thinks their copy of XP is pirated?
How nice of them to mark as a critical/security update.

 

[paulhthomas]

yeah, my thoughts exactly!

 

[chipk]

The Windows Genuine Advantage Notification tool is not optional. It's what MS uses to verify you have a valid version of Windows. The only way to get around this is to continue downloading patches manually on another working pc, then install them on the malfunctioning pc.

 

[paulhthomas]

well I can choose what patches I want download on this one, just don't want to
Perhaps I'll wait til the next released of the tool and try that