This saga is ongoing.  It may all work out in the end, but I do not 
recommend contacting Microsoft support.  They charged my credit card, as 
expected, but then failed to contact me within the designated response 
time (times three!).  After about an hour on the phone this afternoon, I 
at least have a service request number to show for my trouble.

Ernie

On 2/19/2010 3:57 PM, J. Greg Mackinnon wrote:
> You always have to have a credit card handy for contacting support.
> They should refund the charge when it is determined that your case is
> related to a security update.
>
> -Greg
>
> On 2/19/2010 3:48 PM, Ernie Buford wrote:
>    
>> Sadly, I'm not having any success installing these updates manually on
>> either system.  What now?  Isn't there free tech support from
>> Microsoft for security updates?  (Their online "email a support tech"
>> routine just takes me to options that cost money)
>>
>> The updates in question are:
>>
>> Security Update for Microsoft XML Core Services 4.0 Service Pack 2
>> (KB954430)
>> Update for Microsoft XML Core Services 4.0 Service Pack 2 (KB973688)
>>
>> On 2/19/2010 9:12 AM, Lyman Ross wrote:
>>      
>>> I had a similar problem this week.  When I looked at the update log
>>> there was a microsoft xml core services update that had failed
>>> repeatedly.  I resolved the issue by canceling the update,
>>> downloading the file directly and installing it by hand.  Since then
>>> I've had two updates run without a hitch.
>>>
>>> -Lyman
>>>
>>> Ernie Buford wrote:
>>>        
>>>> Anyone else having recent issues with Windows Update?  I'm
>>>> experiencing some issues this week and currently have 2 typically
>>>> curious update sessions underway.
>>>>
>>>> One workstation, recently upgraded to Windows 7 (clean install) is
>>>> sitting there "checking for updates".  I opened Windows Update and
>>>> hit the "check for updates" button about an hour ago, and still the
>>>> green "progress" bar is in motion (at least the green bar is doing
>>>> something!).  This happened a day or 2 ago and eventually came to a
>>>> resolution after a similarly ridiculous amount of time.
>>>>
>>>> Meanwhile, over on my Macbook Pro, which has also recently had a
>>>> Windows 7 upgrade (along with Bootcamp driver upgrades for W7), I
>>>> have the blue screen that says "installing updates; don't turn off
>>>> or unplug your computer".  Well, the computer wasn't plugged in when
>>>> I shutdown, so it shouldn't be trying to install updates in this
>>>> state anyway.  I plugged in the power, and it's been at it for more
>>>> than 30 minutes.  Same thing happened at home last week.  I was
>>>> watching TV in the evening at the time, so I just let it go, and it
>>>> finally powered off after an hour or more.
>>>>
>>>> The Windows 7 honeymoon is winding down.
>>>>
>>>> Ernie
>>>>