Windows 7 Update 1 of 1 not installing

When I turned off my laptop last night, it said Windows is installing an update, 1 of 1, and do not turn off the computer. Since it was taking so long I left it on and went to bed. This morning, the same message is still there. I tried turning the computer off and on, and the same message is still there. It won't let me do anything.

I know very little about computers. Does this mean it has a virus? Any suggestions on what to do? Is there some way to override/ignore the update?

I work from home but am at the library now.

Thank you.

I don't remember it word for word, but it's the typical windows update message. Like, "Windows is installing update 1 of 1. ... Do not shut off your computer."

The problem is the update never completes and the computer never shuts off.

I'm home and it's working! Apparently I hadn't completely shut off the laptop, so I tried taking the battery out to kill it, then turned it back on choosing safe mode and it skipped that update screen. I'm slightly nervous about turning it off again, though.

But thank you for your assistance anyway. It helped clear my mind a bit.

And in case anyone is interested, the complete screen that it was stuck on said:

"Please do not power off or unplug your machine.
Installing update 1 of 1 ... "

Maybe it was just a fluke.

My version of Windows 7 is Home Premium - Version 6.1 (Build 7601: Service Pack 1)

I don't know what update it was trying to do. If you tell me how to find that, I'll look for it and get back to you.

Ok, there are two "important" updates:

Windows Internet Explorer 9 for Windows 7
-this one says it has finished downloading and is ready to install

The 2007 Microsoft Office Suite Service Pack 3 (SP3)
-this one says download is pending