PC starts with Windows Explorer in C:\Program Files\Intel; & multiple IE7 windows

[philiptory]

Problem: Setting up a new PC. Installed MS Office and other general purpose applications, including ZoneAlarm firewall and Norton SystemWorks/AntiVirus etc. All went well. I downloaded latest software updates from Microsoft. Several worked OK, then it asked me to download and install about a dozen updates in one hit. The PC locked up totally, and I had to power-off to get out of it.
Now, every time I switch on, (a) Windows Explorer opens automatically in C:\Program Files\Intel, and (b) whenever I try to use IE7, I get multiple sessions of IE7 opening at random; when you close one, it opens several more, with message "Cannot open 'null' ".
HELP! I don't want to have to reinstall windows and start again.
Any ideas, anyone?

Philip

[Suspishio]

You could try a registry cleaner to try and put the system into a state of grace.

I would do this with half an eye on the likelihood of at least doing a Windows Repair rather than a re-install.

[philiptory]

I got fed up with trying to fix it and did a full re-install. Now Seems to be OK.
Thanks anyway.
;-)