Windows XP Update Crashes Some PCs

Users who forgo recently released SP1 risk a major vulnerability, as well as missing
numerous small fixes.
Some Windows XP users are having trouble installing the operating system's first
service pack, bulging with bug fixes and updated drivers--and are judging the cure
worse than the disease.
Although SP1 plugs a major hole in the OS, the fix has been painful for a tiny but
vocal few of the estimated 1 million users who have downloaded the update, which
Microsoft posted on September 9. For the vast majority, the download and
installation has gone well, according to a Microsoft spokesperson, who calls the
process "smoother than a lot of previous releases."
But Internet support forums and e-mail to PC World from disgruntled users show
that many people continue to have serious problems with the update. The chief
complaint: PCs that run like molasses after installing SP1. Running a close second
are reports that PCs refuse to restart after installation or become highly unstable.
Some systems continuously reboot. Other users complain that applications won't
start or now crash repeatedly, including Microsoft's own programs.