Windows 7 SP1

My newly installed Windows 7 Ultimate will not configure Service Pack 1 (it'll download but not install). I've tried every 'fix' suggested by Microsoft (and others on the Internet)... NOTHING works! Without SP1, I can't upgrade to IE 11, so not all my Google Mail features work properly (might as well still be using XP).

I read about this being a problem... especially (almost uniquely to) in China.  I've change the system locale. I've expunged Chinese Trad. & Simplified languages from the computer, and my vibrating purple noogie is set to U.S.A.

Has anyone else run into this?

Good news!

Anyone who knows better doesn't use IE anyway. Install Firefox or Chrome, and you'll be good to go.

As for running in to this before - yes I have. Same deal, I was running Ultimate and had a Chinese login for my wife, and English one for myself. It's a long time ago now though, so I'm not sure how I fixed it. I think similar to what you are trying I had to remove any indication of Chinese on the PC, then it eventually worked.