See if changing the AU setting to the third option (Notify Only) & a reboot
has any affect on the behavior, Bert.

What anti-virus application or security suite is installed and is your
subscription current? What anti-spyware applications (other than Defender)?
What third-party firewall (if any)? Were any of these applications running
in the background when you installed WinXP SP3?

Have you recently switched from Windows Update to Microsoft Update as your
default update source or have you install Windows Live OneCare?
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Desktop Experience - since 2002
AumHa VSOP & Admin http://aumha.net
DTS-L http://dts-l.net/

Bert Hyman wrote:
> XP Pro SP3
>
> I have "Automatic Updates" set to download automatically, but let me
> choose
> when to install.
>
> It's still doing the downloads, but recently, it's stopped informing me of
> the fact, and is not presenting the icon in the system tray to let me
> examine the list and install when and what I want.
>
> Instead, I'm presented with an option to install at shutdown, but without
> any ability to examine what's being installed.
>
> How can I restore the previous behavior?