Automatic updates recommended a SP 3 update. I did this 7/10 ever since I have been unable to log on to my computer. I am stuck in the start up loop. First screen is where I choose the OS then next screen is Safe Mode and so on. I am unable to do last know good configuration only safe mode. I go to safe mode and control panel to remove SP3 When I do this it state that it was unable to find SP3. I also cannot do system restore it states that my computer is not protected when I try this. Help! I would be willing to do recovery but I do not want to lose all of my documents and pictures. If I do recovery will I lose all information on hard drive?????? I have a HP Pavillion system with intel pentium 4.

Sounds like the same issue as the Dell machines had. Some id*** in their engineering dept thought it would be an absolutely marvelous idea to built an OS image using a machine with an AMD processor for deployment on machines with an Intel processor.

I seem to recall that there is a fix for this but I cannot remember what it is offhand. Perhaps one of the others can.

It wasn't Dell, it was HP. But then again, the problem affected AMD boxes, whereas his is a P4. The fix was basically removing the offending Intel driver, but since it's an Intel CPU, I doubt that's really going to help much.

Anyways, he should be able to make a backup of his documents somewhere else just fine from safe mode.