I was performing a Windows XP update from Microsoft's Update Center. I choose to do the automatic updates including SP2. Everything was going fine until about the 3rd reboot and I got the following error during bootup:

"Explorer.exe - unable to locate entry point
SHCreateThreadRef could not be located in the dynamic link library SHLWAPI.dll"

Now I just get a screen with my background colors... no icons, no start menu, nothing. Anyone know how to fix this problem.

Machine: Custom built, Abit motherboard, 256 ram, Intel 400 mhz cpu, 40 gb hd. Been running XP for about a yr. with no problems. Decided to do Windows Update, shouldn't have done that it appears.

I fixed the problem temporarily by hitting F8 during bootup, then chose "boot system with last known good configuration". Now I got everything back but don't know how to do the update without causing the same problem again.
Any ideas?

There are some pretty thorough threads on this subject posted at the links below:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/888162

http://forums.windrivers.com/showthread.php?p=539881#post539881

http://www.techimo.com/forum/t123727.html