Okay, I have another XP SP3 computer in my house. This one has full
automatic updates set up on it (Windows downloads and installs updates
automatically, with no user intervention or vetting).

I checked the Windows Update history on that computer, and seven
updates were installed today; none of them worrisome - just really the
usual security updates.

So I manned up and authorized my computer to install the updates and
shut down. It went through the normal Windows shutdown sequence, but
then with the sky blue screen still there, I saw "Installing update 1
of 6, 2 of 6, etc." Then the computer shut down.

I restarted and now the shutdown dialog doesn't have the nag to
install updates.

According to Windows Update, the following installed on my computer:

* Windows XP Security Update for Windows XP (KB956803)
* Windows XP Cumulative Security Update for ActiveX Killbits for for
Windows XP (KB956391)
* Windows XP Security Update for Windows XP (KB957095)
* Windows XP Security Update for Windows XP (KB954211)
* Windows XP Security Update for Windows XP (KB956841)
* Windows XP Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool - October 2008
(KB890830)

The only difference between these six and the seven on the other
computer was KB956390, an IE7-related update that I'd manually
installed 12 hours earlier.

So I guess I'm good for four more weeks.

But still, why did Windows all of a sudden shield me from normal
details of these updates? As I've said, there was no yellow "updates
are ready" shield in my notification area, and the nag on the shutdown
dialog supplied no details of what it was trying to do.

BTW MowGreen, even after these updates, my WUA build remains
7.2.6001.784

I'm going to try changing my Windows update setting (from "Download
updates for me but let me choose when to install them" to "Notify me
but don't automatically download or install them") and see if that
gets Windows behaving as I'd like. But I'll probably have to wait
four weeks to see.