Internet Explorer Closes Immediately after SP2 install

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

Hello all, have a clients machine that is displaying some rather wierd
issues. To begin with, it is XP Home edition running internet explorer 6
sp1. When opening IE or Outlook Express, System Restore, Services.msc or
Norton Security the programs will either open the close immediately or will
not open at all. No error messages are displayed nor written in event
viewer. Same issues in Safe Mode. At first I felt it was a spyware, virus
or corruption problem. Clean system completely, removing all temp files,
Temp Internet Files, Internet Objects, disabled system restore, ran spybot
S&D, installed and ran Avast AV, detected and removed one trojan. Same
problem.

Uninstalled all upates including SP2 issue fixed. Reinstalled SP2 issue
reappears. Uninstalled SP2, installed all updates pre-sp2, everything ok.
reinstalled sp2, issue reappears. So, now that I have figured out that SP2
breaks all of this and SP2 needs to be installed, where does that leave me,
Linux? just kidding. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.