Unix servers are rebooted, windoze servers are bounced. "Like a, rubber ball, I come bouncing back to, yoo hoo hoo" Bobby Vee.

Reg entries are the place you spend the most time, especially before and after installing an SP, where you go when you want no one to find you.
What about writing a CMD script. I know it is a bit brute force, but it always got me past this sort of windozey stuff.