Several configuration changes after Windows Update

> I have WinXP Home, SP2.
>
> Immediately after installing the latest Windows Updates, my Windows Explorer
> hung several times. This required reboot. Windows Explorer still hung.
>
> (I install Windows updates as soon as I am prompted. That might help you to
> know which updates were involved. I think there was an SP. Maybe that was for
> Office? )
>
> I used System Restore to restore to four days ago.
>
> After the restore, my laptop works OK, but here are some annoying features:
>
> 1) The theme changed itself from "Windows Classic Style" to "Windows XP
> Style". I cannot change back to the classic style, because I get the message
> "The visual styles could not be loaded because the file failed to load"
>
> 2) Some of my programs that were bought *several months* ago reverted to the
> trial versions, so I had to re-insert the license keys.
>
> 3) Control Panel will not change to classic view. Nothing happens. There is
> no error message. (The Start menu can change to Classic View.)
>
> 4) The keyboard layout has changed. I don't know what it has changed to,
> because I can't find the settings in control panel. The @ key and the " key
> have changed places.
>
> 5) I wanted to re-install any Windows Updates that might have been lost due
> to the System Restore. I am asked to install ActiveX. I always click "Run
> ActiveX Control", but later on it asks again. So obviously ActiveX is not
> installing.
>
> Can anyone advise on items 1, 3, and 5. (I can sort 4 after I get to the
> classic Control Panel.)

> Hi Alan,
>
> Windows update should have created a restore point just before the updates
> were installed. Try restoring to that restore point.
>
> Regards,
> Bert Kinney MS-MVP Shell/User
> http://bertk.mvps.org
> Member: http://dts-l.org
>
>
> AlanDavidson wrote:

> > I have WinXP Home, SP2.
> >
> > Immediately after installing the latest Windows Updates, my Windows Explorer
> > hung several times. This required reboot. Windows Explorer still hung.
> >
> > (I install Windows updates as soon as I am prompted. That might help you to
> > know which updates were involved. I think there was an SP. Maybe that was for
> > Office? )
> >
> > I used System Restore to restore to four days ago.
> >
> > After the restore, my laptop works OK, but here are some annoying features:
> >
> > 1) The theme changed itself from "Windows Classic Style" to "Windows XP
> > Style". I cannot change back to the classic style, because I get the message
> > "The visual styles could not be loaded because the file failed to load"
> >
> > 2) Some of my programs that were bought *several months* ago reverted to the
> > trial versions, so I had to re-insert the license keys.
> >
> > 3) Control Panel will not change to classic view. Nothing happens. There is
> > no error message. (The Start menu can change to Classic View.)
> >
> > 4) The keyboard layout has changed. I don't know what it has changed to,
> > because I can't find the settings in control panel. The @ key and the " key
> > have changed places.
> >
> > 5) I wanted to re-install any Windows Updates that might have been lost due
> > to the System Restore. I am asked to install ActiveX. I always click "Run
> > ActiveX Control", but later on it asks again. So obviously ActiveX is not
> > installing.
> >
> > Can anyone advise on items 1, 3, and 5. (I can sort 4 after I get to the
> > classic Control Panel.)

>

> Can I do your suggested restore immediately, or do I need to apply the
> restores after the restore that I actually used?
>
> In other words, do restores need to be applied "incrementally"?
>
>
>
> "Bert Kinney" wrote:
>

>> Hi Alan,
>>
>> Windows update should have created a restore point just before the updates
>> were installed. Try restoring to that restore point.
>>
>> Regards,
>> Bert Kinney MS-MVP Shell/User
>> http://bertk.mvps.org
>> Member: http://dts-l.org
>>
>>
>> AlanDavidson wrote:

>>> I have WinXP Home, SP2.
>>>
>>> Immediately after installing the latest Windows Updates, my Windows Explorer
>>> hung several times. This required reboot. Windows Explorer still hung.
>>>
>>> (I install Windows updates as soon as I am prompted. That might help you to
>>> know which updates were involved. I think there was an SP. Maybe that was for
>>> Office? )
>>>
>>> I used System Restore to restore to four days ago.
>>>
>>> After the restore, my laptop works OK, but here are some annoying features:
>>>
>>> 1) The theme changed itself from "Windows Classic Style" to "Windows XP
>>> Style". I cannot change back to the classic style, because I get the message
>>> "The visual styles could not be loaded because the file failed to load"
>>>
>>> 2) Some of my programs that were bought *several months* ago reverted to the
>>> trial versions, so I had to re-insert the license keys.
>>>
>>> 3) Control Panel will not change to classic view. Nothing happens. There is
>>> no error message. (The Start menu can change to Classic View.)
>>>
>>> 4) The keyboard layout has changed. I don't know what it has changed to,
>>> because I can't find the settings in control panel. The @ key and the " key
>>> have changed places.
>>>
>>> 5) I wanted to re-install any Windows Updates that might have been lost due
>>> to the System Restore. I am asked to install ActiveX. I always click "Run
>>> ActiveX Control", but later on it asks again. So obviously ActiveX is not
>>> installing.
>>>
>>> Can anyone advise on items 1, 3, and 5. (I can sort 4 after I get to the
>>> classic Control Panel.)

> No, just choose the restore point created by Windows Update. It should be
> labeled "Software Distribution Service 2.0".
>
> Regards,
> Bert Kinney MS-MVP Shell/User
> http://bertk.mvps.org
> Member: http://dts-l.org
>
> AlanDavidson wrote:

> > Can I do your suggested restore immediately, or do I need to apply the
> > restores after the restore that I actually used?
> >
> > In other words, do restores need to be applied "incrementally"?
> >
> >
> >
> > "Bert Kinney" wrote:
> >

> >> Hi Alan,
> >>
> >> Windows update should have created a restore point just before the updates
> >> were installed. Try restoring to that restore point.
> >>
> >> Regards,
> >> Bert Kinney MS-MVP Shell/User
> >> http://bertk.mvps.org
> >> Member: http://dts-l.org
> >>
> >>
> >> AlanDavidson wrote:
> >>> I have WinXP Home, SP2.
> >>>
> >>> Immediately after installing the latest Windows Updates, my Windows Explorer
> >>> hung several times. This required reboot. Windows Explorer still hung.
> >>>
> >>> (I install Windows updates as soon as I am prompted. That might help you to
> >>> know which updates were involved. I think there was an SP. Maybe that was for
> >>> Office? )
> >>>
> >>> I used System Restore to restore to four days ago.
> >>>
> >>> After the restore, my laptop works OK, but here are some annoying features:
> >>>
> >>> 1) The theme changed itself from "Windows Classic Style" to "Windows XP
> >>> Style". I cannot change back to the classic style, because I get the message
> >>> "The visual styles could not be loaded because the file failed to load"
> >>>
> >>> 2) Some of my programs that were bought *several months* ago reverted to the
> >>> trial versions, so I had to re-insert the license keys.
> >>>
> >>> 3) Control Panel will not change to classic view. Nothing happens. There is
> >>> no error message. (The Start menu can change to Classic View.)
> >>>
> >>> 4) The keyboard layout has changed. I don't know what it has changed to,
> >>> because I can't find the settings in control panel. The @ key and the " key
> >>> have changed places.
> >>>
> >>> 5) I wanted to re-install any Windows Updates that might have been lost due
> >>> to the System Restore. I am asked to install ActiveX. I always click "Run
> >>> ActiveX Control", but later on it asks again. So obviously ActiveX is not
> >>> installing.
> >>>
> >>> Can anyone advise on items 1, 3, and 5. (I can sort 4 after I get to the
> >>> classic Control Panel.)

>