puzzled1

I was able to restore to an earlier point (using search to access the system restore wizard), and this resolved my problem.

I could not access my computer yesterday, so I started in Safe Mode and did a system restore to a previous point. It then seemed to work fine. Today I did a scan and fix using Netcom's PC Cleaner. Afterwards, whenever I try opening a Word document or browser (IE or Mozilla), the Windows Installer pops up with a "preparing to install" message. The browser eventually appears, but I cannot open Word or "Help and Support" ( I was going to try and do another system restore). Can anyone think of what may be the cause and solution?