Windows Update site freezes

[boomerang]

System built in July of '05. Running fine. HD developed bad sectors and would not boot.

Drive is unrecoverable through normal means. I install new HD, load XP SP2 and activate. MB drivers, etc. all installed.

XP proceeds to download automatically and then install at shut down, 70 updates. Does this successfully.

I can surf to sites, download and install files but when I go to Windows Update, the site freezes. Yes it freezes, I know the site can be painfully slow at times but the progress bar freezes. I have mouse movement, but cannot close IE (still at 6, can't get 7). Cannot bring up Task Manager, clicking on Start button does nothing; my only option is to power button off. Tried this several times with same results.

Installed Office Basic 2003 and allowed it to check for updates. Chose to go with Microsoft Update to get updates automatically for the Office apps. It goes to update site, I choose Custom (or Express, makes no difference) and it looks promising as progress bar is moving (taking forever as it seems to do these days) and then it freezes again.

WTF?

 

[boomerang]

Update;

The owners finally got around to telling me that they had experienced numerous brown-outs the day before the HD died. I decided that the freeze was probably because the motherboard was affected. I replaced it and the system is running like a champ.

The primary user is a woman who does accounting work. She had NO backups and all her client files are lost. She admits that she leaves the computer on 24/7 with no surge protector or UPS, no nothing.

Her husband was extremely upset to not have the computer running as he does a lot of gambling online. He was unconcerned about her woes.

I tried to educate these two a little but you can tell by the look on their faces that none of it is sinking in. Their heads are just too far up their a$$es.

The only saving grace is that they are not blaming me for their troubles. I built the sytem.