That sounds like a good idea. I'll be a bit more circumspect about updating in the future, and small batches would, or could be, illuminating.
BOAC Why didn't I think of that. By now I'd poured myself a brandy and calmed down. Always a good first step, and indeed the history showed some okay, but a long list of 'failed'.
I then beat the system by not pressing shut down, but hit Restart. When the BIOS started reporting, I turned the system off with the power switch. I then started from there - there was now no update thingie on the shutdown button.
I then went to the check for updates and other items but now armed with having seen tick/check 'Accept terms' mentioned in a couple of MS Fixit places that I was reading up. That HAD NOT been presented with the shutdown initiation of updates. I accepted the terms and went through the procedures. There were 94 needed, and at that stage had not seen your idea. Anyway, they ran okay, and at last the Service pack was Assembling and then installing etc., etc.
I hope I haven't dirtied up this clean disc - or indeed worn it out! (Thread this week)
Now to reinstall Office 2010. In my chats with MS, they checked and told me I'd had two goes out of the three seats it allowed. They were right. Now I need to be sure I don't use my last go on the re-install - I need that for the used Vaio I bought back to the UK.
Thanks everyone.
SP 1 and (re)Activation successful. Phew!