Maximum PC

Is there any risk when doing Windows Updates on a computer that has Windows 7 freshly installed, but no AV Software? Reason I'm asking is because I'm rebuilding a computer for a friend, but he wants me to image the hard drive after I put his AV software on it. The only thing is that the AV Software must be downloaded from the web when you run this web-installer app that I downloaded (he gets the Norton Security Suite free from Comcast).

Is there any risk here? Obviously, I wouldn't even use a web browser prior to installing AV software, and I'd leave Windows Firewall on for the time being, and the computer itself is connect to a router which has it's own firewall. I have noticed that the Norton installer program did take a long time to download so that it could install itself (something like 20 minutes to download a 130MB file, and I have a 16Mb cable connection).
The computer doesn't act funny or anything, and I don't see any strange processes running, it just concerned me that it took a little over 20 minutes to download and install the AV security app. I did LIveUpdates, and ran a full scan and found nothing. Then I ran Windows updates and scanned again and found nothing wrong according to Norton.

(The vresion of the Security Suite that is free from Comcast is based on Norton 360 v4.0 from what I know).

Opinions?

The risk of actually getting infected is pretty much 0. If you are browsing shady websites, downloading illegal stuff, and things like that, yes the computer will get infected. Just downloading Windows Updates and the AV software? Not going to happen.

But seriously, I'm not sure who started this "you can get malware within seconds of connecting to the Internet" rumor. It's simply not true at all. Most malware has to get on to the host machine somehow (trojan horse). A worm can go through the network and attack the computer, but unless your ISP is having a malware problem (which I doubt they will, their security department will be on that and prevent it) or you have another computer that is infected with malware, the freshly formatted computer won't get infected. It sounds like the servers were getting slammed in my opinion, nothing to worry about.



On another subject, to make your life easier on Windows Updates, you may considering downloading and using WSUS Offline Update. Saves having to wait for the large downloads to happen.

I'll second all of that.
FWIW, when I'm doing a (re)install of Windows, I don't even install AV until I'm done fully patching the OS. I have yet to get a new box infected.
(of course, I'm behind a hardware firewall, too - as you should be. Your router protects you!)

@ hack:
I'm pretty sure that this was born back in the XP 'gold' days. Remember that Windows Firewall was, by default, not enabled (and, this poor decision wasn't reversed until SP2), and many, many machines then were directly connected to the 'net. No patches + no AV + no firewall + direct internet connection = big, ripe target.
I've seen article upon article where this was proven.
But, even that risk is entirely eliminated, so long as one is behind a router, and doesn't browse the 'net until the OS is patched, and AV installed.