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Microsoft Stealth Update and Windows XP repair don't mix

Microsoft did more than send a stealth update to XP users - it sent a buggy stealth update.This gallery relates to this story.
By Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, Contributing Writer
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Microsoft did more than send a stealth update to XP users - it sent a buggy stealth update.

This gallery relates to this story.

Let's start with a fully patched XP system

This gallery relates to the following story: Microsoft Stealth Update and Windows XP repair don't mix.
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Repairing the XP installation

This gallery relates to the following story: Microsoft Stealth Update and Windows XP repair don't mix.
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Repairing the XP installation

This gallery relates to the following story: Microsoft Stealth Update and Windows XP repair don't mix.
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Repairing the XP installation

This gallery relates to the following story: Microsoft Stealth Update and Windows XP repair don't mix.
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Windows Update DLL files rolled back

This gallery relates to the following story: Microsoft Stealth Update and Windows XP repair don't mix.
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Starting the update process

This gallery relates to the following story: Microsoft Stealth Update and Windows XP repair don't mix.
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Continuing with the update process

This gallery relates to the following story: Microsoft Stealth Update and Windows XP repair don't mix.
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Initial updates come in file ... but this brings in the updated Windows Update files

This gallery relates to the following story: Microsoft Stealth Update and Windows XP repair don't mix.
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Windows Update files now updated

This gallery relates to the following story: Microsoft Stealth Update and Windows XP repair don't mix.
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Starting the Windows Update process again ...

This gallery relates to the following story: Microsoft Stealth Update and Windows XP repair don't mix.
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Downloads come in OK ...

This gallery relates to the following story: Microsoft Stealth Update and Windows XP repair don't mix.
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... but the downloaded updates fail to install

This gallery relates to the following story: Microsoft Stealth Update and Windows XP repair don't mix.
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All 80 updates failed to install

This gallery relates to the following story: Microsoft Stealth Update and Windows XP repair don't mix.
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Testing two fixes

This gallery relates to the following story: Microsoft Stealth Update and Windows XP repair don't mix.
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We begin by manually registering the Windows Update DLL files

This gallery relates to the following story: Microsoft Stealth Update and Windows XP repair don't mix.
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Now try to update the system again

This gallery relates to the following story: Microsoft Stealth Update and Windows XP repair don't mix.
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This time the updates install properly

This gallery relates to the following story: Microsoft Stealth Update and Windows XP repair don't mix.
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All 80 updates installed properly this time

This gallery relates to the following story: Microsoft Stealth Update and Windows XP repair don't mix.
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We roll back the system and try the second fix - instralling an older version of the Windows Update files

This gallery relates to the following story: Microsoft Stealth Update and Windows XP repair don't mix.
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Installation of the old files begins ...

This gallery relates to the following story: Microsoft Stealth Update and Windows XP repair don't mix.
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... and the process completes successfully

This gallery relates to the following story: Microsoft Stealth Update and Windows XP repair don't mix.
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OK, let's start the update process again ...

This gallery relates to the following story: Microsoft Stealth Update and Windows XP repair don't mix.
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... it worked!

This gallery relates to the following story: Microsoft Stealth Update and Windows XP repair don't mix.

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