>>When applying updates to new XP SP2 machines what I do is:
>>
>>- immediately go to Microsoft Update within the Windows Update page
>>- some ActiveXs need to be installed
>>- do the Express update. It works for some time (depending on hardware, up to 15 minutes or so) then returns a list of between 1 and 3 updates that need to be installed - typically, Windows Installer 3.1, Windows Genuine Advantage, and an XP update.
>>- go ahead and let it do these updates
>>- after a reboot, go into Microsoft Update from the Start Menu
>>- Express should show about 80 updates (that's what I was seeing as of a couple of weeks ago)
>>- download and install these (takes an hour and change)
>>- one of the updates is IE7, you have to manually answer some dialogs or the updates hang at that point
>>
>>You are, of course, running updates as a local or domain Administrator.
>>
>>Another thing to be aware of is http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927891
>>
>>If you're on a domain and using WSUS there are other issues as well (which the above link may or may not address).
>
>Right now, all updates are installed. However, I do not remember having been asked to install the ActiveX. This should have been the case. This is probably where the problem is. As the ActiveX was not installed, this might explain why all updates are always failing. Because I did it manually, I was able to install all of them. But, that took me two days. I wonder what could block the ActiveX from even being prompted to be installed.

I *think* there is a setting in IE security for that....