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#31
If system restore from a couple of weeks back got your machine working correctly, then yes, I'd go back to that restore point. When you manually search for updates (Start > All Programs > Windows Updates) your computer will be scanned to determine what updates are needed. When the scan finishes you'll see a list of available updates. You can select which updates to install by clicking in the box immediately to the left of each update. If the box is empty when you click, a check mark will appear. If a check mark is already in the box it will disappear when you click.
As I said, I do about 5 at a time starting with the critical, then the important, and finally, the optional updates. Depending on how may total updates you have, doing one at a time could take hours, especially if your computer has to reboot after some of those updates. I think you'd be safe trying maybe 3 at a time. Just make sure 3 are check marked and the others are not. Click the Install button and only those three will be installed.
You might want to write down on a piece of paper which three updates are in each group. (Each update will have a different KB number.) If your machine starts to act funny you'll know exactly which three updates were in the last group to be installed. Uninstall just those three and then reinstall one at a time.
Somethings I do after installing several Windows updates is reboot whether or not Windows instructs me to reboot. Also when Windows starts and you can see your desktop don't do anything until the hard drive light stops blinking. Then I go back and get some more updates if needed. After installing many updates I also check and see if I need to defrag with Windows 7 built in defrag tool. Windows 7 really doesn't have a fragmentation problem but I check anyway. I'm normally a 2 to 3 %.