Computer help needed!

[spook 10]

I seem to have a problem with my hewlett packard system that runs windows xp home.

 

For about a week or so when the computer is booting up I get a little window open that says 'Windows Installer - preparing to install' and then it disappears. I'm a bit perplexed as to what it is doing?

 

The only thing I can think of is an email I got with a word document attachment. When I tried to open it it said I needed Word 2002 disk to install a missing component. I thought this was odd and so just deleted the email (it was from a friend). Since then I've noticed this windows installer box popping up. Also I've found that whenever I now try to use my printer I now get a pop up asking me to install the relevant printer software from its master cdrom.

This has never happened before.

 

I tried to use Word tonight and it brought up the same message saying I needed Word 2002 disk to install a missing component. I put my Works Suite 2003 cdrom in the drive and it started ok.

 

Has anyone got any idea what the problem could be?

 

I run Norton Antivirus and have done a virus check with a negative result. I've also error checked and disk defragged to no avail.

 

Help!

[mr.blaze 10]

I've come across this problem before. I'm not sure if it's the windows update that causes it but it's easily fixable.

 

I will PM you the instructions.

[spook 10]

Hmmm never thought of that I have Windows Update set up so that it just does it's thing in the background and then installs updates when ready.

 

However whilst faffing around last night I remembered that this started happening around the same sort of time as I installed DVD Shrink and a couple of other associated DVD burning programs as suggested on another thread.

 

I uninstalled all of these and now I'm not getting the little pop up anymore

:confused: maybe it was something to do with that?

 

Touch wood everything seems to be working ok now....

[HotPhil 10]

One handy tip is to check your XP's System Restore settings, depending on if you like that kind of thing it may be worth checking these are set right; making it easier to rollback stuff if it seems to cause a prob