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Question

Keep getting update to SP4 msg

Aug 3, 2012 11:04PM PDT

I keep getting a balloon popup in the lower right corner when I start Windows saying click to update. But when I try I get a message saying update to SP4 failed. I went to the Windoows site, but it was unclear about how to update and gave different links for 32-bit and 64-bit systems. How do I determine which I'm using? I have an HP Compaq microtower.

Thanks for any help you can render
realist2000@live.com

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Re: update to SP4
Aug 3, 2012 11:23PM PDT

That's suspect. Looks like malware. The latest service pack level of XP is SP3. There is no SP4.

In Internet Explorer, go to Tools>Windows Update and let it scan your system to determine what updates you need. Then do it from there.
What happens?

Kees

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reply
Aug 3, 2012 11:52PM PDT

Yes, it looked suspicious to me too. I just hope it didn't put malware into my system. I'll do a full scan with Windows Internet security.
BTW, I don't see an Updates choice under tools in IE8.

Gretel

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Re: SP4
Aug 4, 2012 12:06AM PDT
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reply
Aug 4, 2012 3:43AM PDT

Thanks for the tips. The "update" option is missing and my email preference had been changed, but I don't see anything else that would suggest malware so far. A full scan with Windows Security anti-malware didn't find anything but I'll do a scan with that site you suggested anyway.

But all of this makes me wonder about those notices that I get from time to time that some program (like Adobe) has been updated and click to install the updates. I guess the only way to be sure they are genuine is to go to the site of the software developer directly.

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Re: updates
Aug 4, 2012 4:04AM PDT

I've never seen reason to NOT trust the automatic updates for Firefox (and add-ons), Adobe (Reader and Flash) and Java, as long as they follow the regular pattern.

But I've never seen Windows updates asking to be installed at boot. So that's an irregular pattern. That, combined with the non-existing SP4, makes me reluctant to accept it as real.

Kees

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anti-malware
Aug 4, 2012 4:47AM PDT
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Re: Malwarebytes
Aug 4, 2012 4:52AM PDT

Yes. The free version is not real-time, but does only a full scan of your hard disk. That can be doen while Security Essentials is active.

Kees